Environmental Group Pushes for Stringent Enforcement of RA 9003 to Tackle the Country’s Growing Garbage Woes
As the country marks the 23rd signing anniversary of Republic Act 9003 and commemorates the 10th anniversary of Zero Waste Month as per Presidential Proclamation No. 670, the Ecowaste Coalition calls on government, businesses, and individuals to strictly observe the landmark legislation. This timely call is due to the observation of the Ecowaste of rampant violation of the law despite its 23 years of presence. R.A. 9003 was passed into law last January 2001 in response to the gargantuan issue of waste mismanagement and garbage problem in the country which leads to serious environmental effects. It was crafted to declare the policy of the state in adopting a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological solid waste management program that ensures the protection of public health and the environment. However, the law remains to be fully realized.
According to the Ecowaste Coalition, the recent holiday revelry and observance of the Black Nazarene or Traslacion procession in Manila revealed how the implementation of R.A. 9003 is still lacking. In the recently concluded Traslacion, minidump sites all over Luneta and the nearby processional route to Quiapo Church were left by devotees of the Black Nazarene. The majority of the garbage and litter left are single-use plastics such as water bottles, food wrappers, diapers, and others. This is a violation of Section 8 of the aforementioned environmental legislation which prohibits littering, open burning, and open dumping.
“We are urging all sectors of the community to unite against improper waste management and hold hand in hand in tackling the garbage problem of the country. Let us execute the R.A. 9003 and emulate sustainable natural lifestyle and practices” Ochie Tolentino, Zero Waste Campaigner, Ecowaste Coalition.
The Ecowaste Coalition further added that espousing the Zero Waste approach to resource management will be of big boon for our communities and especially for our waterways. The group likewise called attention to the need for industries and businesses involved in the manufacture and sale of consumer goods to take responsibility for reducing their production and usage of single-use plastics.
“We are also hopeful that with the passage of Extended Producer's Responsibility or EPR 2022, the ubiquitous problem of plastic pollution will be solved from its root,” Tolentino added.
The strict implementation of RA 9003 and related laws such as the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, and the Environmental Awareness and Education Act, complemented by strong plastic reduction policies and targets by socially responsible companies, is fundamental in stopping the accelerated entry of false solutions such as burn-to-energy to the country.
Emphasizing their call for an uncompromising execution of the R.A. 9003, the Ecowaste Coalition encourages communities to invest in their waste workers and sustainable zero-waste practices as recommended under the law. Furthermore, the Coalition urges the national and local government, private sector, and households to be the champions of R.A. 9003 by practicing waste segregation at source, recycling, and composting. The group likewise called attention to the need for industries and businesses involved in the manufacture and sale of consumer products to be the stalwart champions of the environment by reducing their production and usage of single-use plastics which end up as floating dumps in some bodies of water. In the face of distressing warnings from scientists and activists on the far-reaching effects of unmanaged garbage, especially single-use plastics, the Ecowaste Coalition urges everyone to articulate their commitment to ecology by implementing R.A. 9003 at all levels of society.
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