Introduction

Nature form miracles from rocks, water mist, sunlight and dew and one of the greatest
things one can ever do is to protect our nature or the environment we live in.
Today, awareness of the importance of proper waste management is everybody’s
concern. Our government has done much to protect our environment thus, proper waste
management was introduced due to the emerging problems besetting our country like floods, soil
erosion, climate change etc.
Waste management has always been part of human society, it consists of waste
prevention, reuse, material recycling, composting, energy recovery and final disposal. Today,
unlike in previous historical periods waste management covers a very wide variety of materials,
activities industrial sectors and actors.
Like other any developing countries, waste management has become a major problem in
the Philippines for the past decade. Inefficient and lack of disposal facilities are the common
problems in developing countries, due to the lack of resources to purchase high technology
facilities to support waste management activities, developing countries are more affected than
developed countries.
In most developing countries the municipal solid waste stream is dominated by organics,
the use of composting is necessary. There are many people in the informal sector who are
actively involved in waste collection, separation and recycling. There is often shortage of capital
and human resource to manage the waste there is lack of physical infrastructure in urban areas to
make the waste collection more efficient the situation calls for a low technology solutions.
In this research the discussion focuses on the Philippine setting, it provides an overview
of the waste management and recycling in the Philippines, waste management policy in the
country and the Role of Governance towards effective waste management, and its effect in the
agriculture sector in the Philippines.

Statement of the Problem

Why is waste management important?
Waste management is an important part in protecting our ecosystem as it ensures the
protection of the environment and of human health. It is not only a technical environmental
issue, but also a highly political one. Waste management is closely related to a number of issue
such as urban lifestyle, resource consumption patterns, jobs, income level and other socio-
economic and cultural factors.
The following questions were raised to guide the study:
1. What are the Policies initiated by the government related to Solid Waste Management?
2. How important is Philippine Republic Act 9003 on the protection of public health and
environment especially in the Agriculture sector?

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 3. Do the government applied good governance in dealing with waste management
problems?

Scope and Delimitation

The present study is limited only on the waste management policy in the Philippines and
Role of Governance towards effective waste management, so as on its importance in the
Agriculture sector.

Importance of the Study

Waste management is a global issue besetting the developed, developing and under
develop countries, thus adaptation of acceptable systems of professional waste management is
indeed the foremost concern.
This study is significantly important to:
a. Household-realizing the importance of proper waste management can help save the
environment.
b. Government-formulating programs and projects related to proper waste management can
be beneficial in the entire populations.
c. Students-awareness on the proper waste management can further help the government in
promoting proper waste management.
d. Farmers-properly managing agricultural waste can help reduce risks to the environment
as well as to human health.
e. Future Researcher-a great challenge if further study will be conducted to help the
government in the proper waste management program.

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Conceptual Framework

Waste Government Programs and

Management initiative on Waste
Implication
System in the Management-Agriculture
Philippines sector

Definition Historical Context Definition Result

Figure 1: An Overview of Waste Management in the Philippines particularly in the Agricultural

Sector

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Historical Context
Waste Management System in the Philippines
The Philippines is an archipelago of 7,107 islands with an estimated population of 104 million as
population continues to increase the country problem on waste management also increases.
Rapid urbanization also contributes to the country problem waste. In response to the rising
problems on waste management the Philippine government for the past seven decades has
implemented several measures to protect the environment and the health of the people from the
hazards caused by improper waste disposal as shown in the table below:

Year Enacted Laws and Regulations

Commonwealth Act No. 383 – Anti-Dumping Law
1938
Prohibits dumping of refuse or substances of any kind into rivers.
Presidential Decree No. 825 – Garbage Disposal Law
1975 Provides penalties for improper disposal of garbage and other forms of
uncleanliness.
Presidential Decree No. 856 – Code of Sanitation
Requires cities and municipalities to provide an efficient collection,
1975
transportation and proper disposal of refuse in food establishments, markets
and abattoirs.
Presidential Decree No. 600, as amended by PD 979 – Marine Pollution
Control Law of 1976
1976 Prevents and controls the pollution of the seas by prohibiting dumping of
waste and other matter that creates hazards to human health or harms living
resources and marine life.
Presidential Decree No. 984 – Pollution Control Law
1976 Provides guidelines and implementing rules and regulations for the
prevention and control of pollution from solid, toxic, and hazardous wastes.
Presidential Decree No. 1151 – Philippine Environmental Policy
Recognizes the right of the people to a healthy environment, and the duty of
everyone to contribute to the preservation and enhancement of the
1978
environment. Section 4 requires the preparation of Environmental Impact
Statements for any project or undertaking that my significantly affect the
environment.
Presidential Decree No. 1152 – Philippine Environmental Code
1978 Requires the preparation and implementation of waste management
programs by all provinces, cities and municipalities.
Executive Order No. 432
Orders the strict implementation of PD 825 by all law enforcement
1990
agencies and officers. Enjoins the Metro Manila Development Authority to
do for Metro Manila.
Republic Act 6969 – Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste
Control Act of 1990
1990
Regulates the importation, use, movement, treatment and disposal of toxic
chemicals and hazardous and nuclear waste in the Philippines.

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 Republic Act 7160 – The Local Government Code
Mandates LGUs to exercise powers and discharge functions and
1991 responsibilities as necessary or appropriate and incidental to the efficient and
effective provision of services and facilities related to general hygiene and
sanitation, beautification, and solid waste collection and disposal systems.
Department Administrative Order No. 98-49
1998
Provides technical guidelines for proper disposal of municipal solid waste.
Department Administrative Order No. 98-50
1998 Provides procedures in identifying sanitary landfill site and screening
Criteria for municipal solid waste disposal facilities.
Republic Act 8749 – The Clean Air Act
Provides a comprehensive air pollution control policy and for other
purposes. Section 20 bans the use of incineration for burning municipal, bio-
1999
medical, and hazardous waste but allows the traditional method of small-
scale community burning.

Republic Act 9003 – Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000

2001 Declares the policy of the state to adopt a systematic, comprehensive, and
ecological solid waste management program.

Despite of the presence of these policies the problems on solid waste management have
continued as before. Although the earlier policies were not successful and some of the laws have
been superseded in he Philippines government continuously implement laws in order to regulate
waste in the country with the R.A 9003 also known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Act
of 2000 on January 26, 2001 the organizational structure of the institutions and organizations and
responsibilities as mandated in R.A 9003 is shown below:

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 Office of the President

National Solid Waste Management Commision

- Chaired by the Secretary, DENR
- Outlines policies
- Prepares National SWM Framework
- Overseas the implementation of the ESWM Act
- Approves SWM Plans of local governments
- Prepares National SWM Status Report

National Ecology Center Secretariat of the NSWM

- Chaired by Director, EMB - Located at EMB
- Provides Technical Support to LGUs - Headed by an Executive Director
-Establishes and manages SWM database - Responsible for day-to-day managemnet

Provincial Solid Waste Management Boards

- Review and integrate city and municipal SWM plans into the SWM plan
- Coordinate efforts of component cities and municipalities implementing ESWMA
- Encourage the clustering by LGUs with common problem

City/Municipal Solid Waste Management Boards

- Prepare, submit and implement local 10 year SWM plans
- Review plan every 2 years
- Adopt revenue generating measures to promote support
- Provide necessary logistical and operational support
- Coordinate efforts of its component barangays
- Manage the collection and disposal of residual and special wastes
- Encourage setting up of Multi-purpose Environmental Cooperatives

Barangays
- Handle the 100% collection of biodegradable and reusable wastes
- Establish Material Recovery Facility
- Conduct information and education campaigns

‘
In this study, environmental governance refers to the process and mechanisms that
integrate the different elements of Solid Waste Management such as the policy regulators, the
different organizations, the community and the required technology. The elements of good

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governance include transparency, participation and accountability by the various stakeholders
and the conscious efforts to contribute in solving the problem. The participation or non-
participation of these sectors significantly affects the success of sustainable waste management.
In addition, the identification of appropriate technology based on the existing condition and
available resources is important in addressing the problems on solid waste management in the
country.
The Philippines is mainly an agricultural country with a land area of 30 million hectares,
47 percent which is agricultural. The total area devoted to agricultural crops is 13 million
hectares distributed among food grains, food crops and non-food crops. Among the crops grown
rice, coconut and sugarcane are major contributors to biomass energy resources.
Republic Act 9003 defines agricultural waste as those generated from planting or
harvesting of crops, trimming or pruning of plants and waste on runoff materials from farm or
fields. The most common agricultural waste in the Philippines are rice husk, rice straw, coconut
husk, coconut shell and bagasse.
Agriculture is a well-known source of water land and air pollution, the way agricultural
wastes are stored and used has profound effects on human health and the environmental waste
from operators can pollute the environment and affect water quality, in measured amounts farm
waste acts as fertilizers. But if the amounts are excessive bacteria and chemicals can flow into
the ground and contaminate waster drinking sources.
With the passing if Biofuels Act of 2006 crops grown rice, coconut and sugarcane
became the major contributors to biomass energy resources and a supplement fuel wood for
cooking.
The waste management practices have potential adverse effects on the environment
particularly in the swine and poverty farms. There were inappropriate management strategies for
both solid and liquid waste by the majority of farmers, discharged of untreated effluent into the
waterways open dumping and hazardous open-air burning the present studies calls need for
stricter enforcement and effective disseminator of local government regulations and existing
environmental laws by concerned government agencies to ensure that a sustainable livestock and
poultry production will be achieved.

Implication of the Study

Waste management problems have continued to exist despite the creation of various
policies because it failed to address the root cause of the problem which is the disposal behavior
of household’s communities and industries, despite government efforts and initiative waste
management is still a perennial problem in the Philippines. Not only in the industrial sector but
also in the Agricultural sector.

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Conclusion
Based on the review of the waste management system in the Philippines it shows that
government alone cannot solve this gigantic problem of waste. Creation and implementation of
policies dealing with different issues and concern, planning, design and operation of the solid
waste management programs is earnestly important, particularly in the agricultural sector for it
would be a big help to farmers upon realizing the pros and cons of proper waste management not
only in their area but more so to the environment we live in.
The promotion of awareness campaigns in bringing the right information to the people to
make them understand the importance of such policies the application of good governance
through participations of various stakeholders, strong awareness and campaigns is quiet
necessary.
Therefore addressing waste management issues do not only involve environmental
concerns but also economical and social concerns.