Local governments have limited legal instruments to manage solid waste. Local governments are mainly directed to implement RA No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000). They are mandated to consolidate or coordinate efforts, services, and resources to jointly address common solid waste management problems and/or establish common waste disposal facilities. The types of consolidation or coordination are the inter-government or inter-LGU partnership and the private enterprise utilised by LGUs. Both types of consolidation or coordination are implemented through memorandums of agreement or contracts.
Examples of partnership under the Act are manifested in several regulations issued by the municipality of Los Baños and Quezon City.
1. Municipality of Los Baños
Solid waste management, especially anti-littering and waste segregation efforts, in Los Baños was given much attention in 2001 when its mayor started the solid waste management programme through Municipal Ordinance No. 2001-08 (Atienza, 2008). The ordinance mandates the strict implementation of waste and segregation scheme, collection schedules for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes, and penalties for non-compliance. Municipal Ordinance No. 2008-752 was later passed to regulate the use of plastic bags and styrofoam. The ordinance prohibits the use of plastic bags for dry goods and controls the use of plastic bags for wet goods. The use of styrofoam is banned.
About 6 years after its implementation, the ordinance was expanded through Municipal Ordinance No. 2014-1316, (The Expanded Plastic Ordinance of the Municipality of Los Baños) (Los Baños Times, 2016), which now prohibits the use of plastic drinking straws, cups, plates, and spoons and forks.
2. Quezon City
The Quezon City government encourages all barangays to practise solid waste management through Ordinance No. SP-1203, S-2002 (Best Solid Waste Management Incentives in Barangays) (Atienza, 2011). This ordinance enables barangays to receive financial assistance from the city government for practising the best solid waste management. To avail itself of the assistance, the barangay must (1) have a comprehensive solid waste management plan prepared by the barangay and approved by the city, (2) have managed solid waste for at least 6 months and reduced the volume of solid waste by at least 25%, and (3) have an ecological or recycling centre or material recovery facility. Ordinance No. SP-1191, S-2002 offers incentives to barangays that use their own trucks to collect solid waste.
Atienza, V. A. (2008), ‘Breakthroughs in Solid Waste Management: Lessons From Selected Municipality and Barangay in the Philippines’, Asian Review of Public Administration XX(1-2), pp.82–98.
Atienza, V. A. (2011), ‘Review of the Waste Management System in the Philippines: Initiatives to Promote Waste Segregation and Recycling through Good Governance’, in M. Kojima and E. Michida (eds.) Economic Integration and Recycling in Asia: An Interim Report. Institute of Developing Economies, pp.65–97.
Los Baños Times (2016), A Plastic Story. https://lbtimes.ph/2016/03/02/a-plastic-story/ (accessed 25 October 2019).
Quezon City Council (2001), Ordinance No. SP-1203, S-2002. http://quezoncitycouncil.ph/ordinance/SP/sp-1203,%20s%202002-1.pdf (accessed 25 October 2019).
Local governments have limited legal instruments to manage solid waste. Local governments are mainly directed to implement RA No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000). They are mandated to consolidate or coordinate efforts, services, and resources to jointly address common solid waste management problems and/or establish common waste disposal facilities. The types of consolidation or coordination are the inter-government or inter-LGU partnership and the private enterprise utilised by LGUs. Both types of consolidation or coordination are implemented through memorandums of agreement or contracts.
Examples of partnership under the Act are manifested in several regulations issued by the municipality of Los Baños and Quezon City.
1. Municipality of Los Baños
Solid waste management, especially anti-littering and waste segregation efforts, in Los Baños was given much attention in 2001 when its mayor started the solid waste management programme through Municipal Ordinance No. 2001-08 (Atienza, 2008). The ordinance mandates the strict implementation of waste and segregation scheme, collection schedules for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes, and penalties for non-compliance. Municipal Ordinance No. 2008-752 was later passed to regulate the use of plastic bags and styrofoam. The ordinance prohibits the use of plastic bags for dry goods and controls the use of plastic bags for wet goods. The use of styrofoam is banned.
About 6 years after its implementation, the ordinance was expanded through Municipal Ordinance No. 2014-1316, (The Expanded Plastic Ordinance of the Municipality of Los Baños) (Los Baños Times, 2016), which now prohibits the use of plastic drinking straws, cups, plates, and spoons and forks.
2. Quezon City
The Quezon City government encourages all barangays to practise solid waste management through Ordinance No. SP-1203, S-2002 (Best Solid Waste Management Incentives in Barangays) (Atienza, 2011). This ordinance enables barangays to receive financial assistance from the city government for practising the best solid waste management. To avail itself of the assistance, the barangay must (1) have a comprehensive solid waste management plan prepared by the barangay and approved by the city, (2) have managed solid waste for at least 6 months and reduced the volume of solid waste by at least 25%, and (3) have an ecological or recycling centre or material recovery facility. Ordinance No. SP-1191, S-2002 offers incentives to barangays that use their own trucks to collect solid waste.
Atienza, V. A. (2008), ‘Breakthroughs in Solid Waste Management: Lessons From Selected Municipality and Barangay in the Philippines’, Asian Review of Public Administration XX(1-2), pp.82–98.
Atienza, V. A. (2011), ‘Review of the Waste Management System in the Philippines: Initiatives to Promote Waste Segregation and Recycling through Good Governance’, in M. Kojima and E. Michida (eds.) Economic Integration and Recycling in Asia: An Interim Report. Institute of Developing Economies, pp.65–97.
Los Baños Times (2016), A Plastic Story. https://lbtimes.ph/2016/03/02/a-plastic-story/ (accessed 25 October 2019).
Quezon City Council (2001), Ordinance No. SP-1203, S-2002. http://quezoncitycouncil.ph/ordinance/SP/sp-1203,%20s%202002-1.pdf (accessed 25 October 2019).
