Science Script

The aggressive pursuit for economic growth by developing countries like the Philippines has
resulted in the manufacture, distribution and use of products and generation of wastes that contributes to
environmental degradation and global climate change. [VIDEO OF VIDEO OF DUMP SITE] Waste
generations by residents in the Philippines, especially in the urban areas [VIDEO OF TRASH CANS IN
CITIES], have accelerated recently due to fast pace industrialization [VIDEO OF MANUFACTURING
PRODUCTS], urbanization [VIDEO OF INCREASING NUMBER OF BUILDINGS] and population
growth [VIDEO OF SQUATTER AREAS]. On the average, each person in the country produces about
in the urban and rural areas, respectively [VIDEO OF A CUSTOMER BUYING A PRODUCT PUT
IN A CELLOPHANE]. About 35,850 tons of garbage is generated every day in the Philippines but only
40-85% of the waste generated is collected nationwide [VIDEO OF GARBAGE TRUCKS], implying
that 15-60% is improperly disposed of or littered. [VIDEO OF THROWING GARBAGE
ANYWHERE] The uncollected garbage is, unfortunately, burned [VIDEO OF BURNING
GARBAGE] or dumped anywhere onto open areas, called open dumps, [VIDEO OF DUMP SITTE]
adding to the now polluted air shed and water body, and global warming in the country. [VIDEO OF
GARBAGE ON THE RIVER OR ANYWHERE BASTA BODY OF WATER, ACTUALLY MEADA
TA HADTO HINI GINSHOOT]

Solid waste management remains a major challenge in the Philippines today. [VIDEO OF
IMPROPER WASTE DISPOSAL] Improper wastes disposal, inefficient wastes collection and lack of
disposal facilities are among the dominant concerns in the country’s solid waste management. [VIDEO
OF A PERSON THROWING HIS TRASH ANYWHERE] Unless these are addressed, the wastes
generated from various sources will continually lead to health hazards [VIDEO OF PATIENTS IN A
HOSPITAL] and serious environmental impacts such as ground and surface water contamination
[VIDEO OF UNCLEAR WATERS], flooding, [FLOOD VIDEO] air pollution and spread of diseases
[VIDEO OF A PERSON COUGHING]. Solid waste refers to all discarded household, commercial waste,
non-hazardous institutional and industrial waste, street sweepings, construction debris, agricultural
waste, and other non-hazardous/non-toxic waste. [VIDEO OF SOLID WASTES MENTIONED OR
ANYTHING BASTA SOLID WASTE] The country’s solid wastes typically contain more organic
components than other materials. [VIDEO OF ASSORTED TRASH] According to NSWMC, disposed
waste is dominated by biodegradable waste with 52 percent, [VIDEO OF BIODEGRADABLE WASTE]
followed by recyclable waste which accounts for 28 percent and residuals at 18 percent. [VIDEO OF
PLASTIC WASTES] Biodegradable wastes come mostly from food waste and yard waste [VIDEO OF
RESTAURANT LEFTOVERS] while recyclable wastes include plastic packaging wastes, metals, glass,
textile, leather and rubber. [VIDEO OF RECYCLABLE WASTES] The significant shares of
biodegradables and recyclables indicate that composting and recycling have great potential in reducing
solid wastes.

Under RA 9003, collection, transport and disposal of solid wastes are the responsibilities of the
local government units (LGUs) [VIDEO OF LGUS]. At present, most LGUs administer their own
collection systems or contract out this service to private contractors. [SHAKING HANDS VIDEO] The
poorer areas of cities, municipalities, and rural barangays are typically unserved or under-served. [TAS
MAY “X” NA MA’APPEAR HA BAWBAW HAN SHAKING HANDS, OR IF DIRI KAYA,
PAGPAPABAYA NALA HIT GOBYERNO] Uncollected waste ends up mostly in rivers, esteros and
other water bodies, thus, polluting major water bodies and clogging the drainage systems, which results
to flooding during heavy rains (NSWMC) [VIDEO HAN GINSHOOT TA HA PALO, AN DAMO AN
BASURA HA LIGID HAN BAGAT RIVER]. As this dilemma grows, laws that tries to address this
dilemma, such as the Republic Act No. 9003, keeps on growing or getting revised as well [VIDEO OF
SCREENSHOTS OF LAWS PASSED]. Republic Act No. 9003 otherwise known as the “Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000, enacted on January 26, 2001, is one of the country’s acts which aims to
address the growing problem on solid wastes in the country [JUST SHOW THE WORD ECOLOGICAL
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT ACT OF 2000]. It provides the legal framework for the country’s
systematic, comprehensive, and ecological solid waste management program that shall ensure protection
of public health and the environment. [VIDEO OF PROPER WASTE DISPOSAL] However, although
these laws keep on adding up, the implementation of these acts remains ineffective and inefficient. [MAY
“X” NALIWAT NA MA’APPEAR HA BAWBAW HA PROPER WASTE DISPOSAL, OR AN VIDEO
HAN USELESS LANDFILL]

In a garbage dump located in the municipality of Palo, mountains, as the residents call them, of
assorted trash is extremely observable. [VIDEO OF PALO’S DUMMP SITE] The municipality of Palo
generate the biggest volume of wastes due to its population size, bigger number of establishments and
modernized lifestyle. [VIDEO SHOWCASING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PALO] There are times
when piles of garbage reach the gates of the dump site and needs to be pushed back further so that there
would be more space in front of the dump site. The problem with this is that the garbage which are pushed
back are disregarded while more trash just keeps on coming. [VIDEO HAN GATE HAN DUMP SITE]

[INSERT VIDEO OF WASTE SEGREGATION]

Although there are people who practice waste segregation in their households, the destination of
their wastes are still much overlooked. [VIDEO OF GARBAGE TRUCKS ARRIVING AT THE DUMP
SITE] Due to this situation, waste sorting in households come to no use. [VIDEO OF FLIES]

[INSERT INTERVIEW WITH ATE NGA PARAGBASURA]

 They became used to the environment that the pungent smell of the stinky piles of garbage has
become a normal thing for them, rather it became unnoticeable for them. [VIDEO OF GARBAGE]
Collecting and selling of plastics has also became their way of living. Residents race their way towards
the piles of trash as soon as they hear the sound of garbage trucks, hoping to collect plastics or anything
sellable such as boxes. However, these residents face a huge problem as they see more biodegradable
wastes than non-biodegradable wastes. [VIDEO OF PEOPLE NGA NAGRERACING NGAN
NAGCOCOLLECT HIN BASURA]

[INSERT INTERVIEW WITH KUYA NGA NAUKOY HA HIRANI HAN DUMP SITE]

What happens when solid wastes are not segregated? When wastes are mixed up in landfills, it
creates danger as they all leak after a period of time, resulting in leachate or toxic soup at the bottom,
which can contaminate ground water and release explosive methane gas, a greenhouse gas which
ultimately leads to climate change, extreme climates and droughts. We can see the impact already in the
world. Unseparated wastes lead to less recycling because it is not easy to l remove materials for recycling.
This means many resources are wasted. [VIDEO OF EFFECTS OF IMPROPER WASTE
SEEGREGATION]

How do the officials of the municipality of Palo, Leyte respond to this environmental issue?
[JUST THE WORD, WITHOUT DUB]

Majority of LGUs have yet to comply with the provisions of RA 9003, particularly on the
establishment of local Solid Waste Management Boards, submission of SWM Plans, establishment of
MRFs, and closure of all open and controlled dumpsites. [VIDEO OF PALO DUMP SITE] To
strengthen compliance with RA 9003, LGUs should be capacitated particularly on understanding the
provisions of the Act and in formulating SWM Plans. [SCREENSHOTS OF RA9003] They assisted in
designing innovative financing mechanisms to undertake SWM activities instead of merely depending on
subsidies from the national government. [VIDEO OF PHP MONEY] They should also be given
assistance on how to access facilities offered by government financing institutions and in engaging the
private sector in order to generate funds for SWM activities. [VIDEO OF DIFFERENT MACHINES
USED FOR PROPER WASTE MANAGEMENT] There must be a continuing education and public
awareness building to inculcate the right attitude among the people to actively participate in SWM
activities and practices. [VIDEO OF SEMINAR(S)] Hence, the integration of Ecological Solid Waste
Management (ESWM) in school curricula at all levels, which have been practiced in other countries like
Japan and Singapore, is highly recommended. [SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT IN SCHOOLS
VIDEO, MEADA HIN MATANGLAWIN NA FOOTGE] Be keen (CLIPART NA EYES), be green
(PLANT CLIPART), protect the environment! (SHIELD)