EcoWaste Coalition to the Public: Observe the National Ban on Open Burning

March 21, 2024. Quezon City— The waste and pollution watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition is reiterating its call to strictly observe the national ban on open burning in response to the recent forest fires in Mountain Province. 

The group issued the call following the latest  news of  fires that damaged 24 hectares of forest in Bontoc, Mountain Province. In an earlier interview with Bontoc’s Mayor Jerome Chagsen Tudlong Jr. through the Philippine News Agency, most of the fire incidents were “due to negligence, burning of grasses by the residents, burning of garbage, and kaingin (slash-and-burn farming).” 

According to a 2023 survey conducted by the Social Weather Stations, one in every four Filipinos or 27 percent burn their garbage despite a two-decade-old law prohibiting the open burning of solid waste. It remains a common practice in communities lacking adequate and operational systems for managing waste,  or to free up space in landfills and dumpsites. Some members of the informal waste sector also burn electric cables to remove the plastic and retrieve the copper wire, or to get rid of the mixed low-value materials from the recycling of electronic waste or e-waste. 

“Open burning is a polluting act that harms human health. It is a significant source of dangerous carcinogens like dioxins and furans which are targeted for global reduction, if not elimination, under the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs),” said Manny Calonzo, Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), exposure to these substances “can cause reproductive and developmental problems, damage the immune system, interfere with hormones, and cause cancer.”  Aside from POPs, open burning also produces black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant contributing to climate change. 

The dangerous and polluting practice of burning waste materials in the open is banned under Republic Act 8749 known as the Clean Air Act and Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. RA 8749 states that “no person shall be allowed to burn any materials in any quantities, which shall cause the emission of toxic and poisonous fumes,” while R.A. 9003 includes “the open burning of solid waste” as a prohibited act. The National Solid Waste Management Commission has also passed Resolution 1468-2021 strengthening the enforcement of the provisions of RA 9003 on open burning of municipal solid waste, including agricultural waste.

“As we observe Fire Prevention Month and enjoy the summer season,  we would like to appeal to the public to refrain from open burning because it destroys valuable resources and exposes vulnerable groups like the elderly, children, and people suffering from respiratory illness to  by-product pollutants like particulate matter, dioxins and other contaminants resulting from the burning process. Open burning may also result in a fire resulting in loss of lives and property.” as shared by Ochie Tolentino, Zero Waste Campaigner  of EcoWaste Coalition. 

Instead of open burning, EcoWaste Coalition recommends the following: 

-Avoid and reduce the production of waste 

-Repair, reuse and recycle discards instead of throwing them away 

-Compost fruit and vegetable peelings and biodegradable wastes 

-Sell or donate your e-waste to junk shops or Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facilities near you

Fire Prevention Month is being held every March in consonance with Presidential Proclamation 115-A and Presidential Proclamation 360, series of 1986 to raise awareness on the importance of fire safety. The theme this year titled “Sa Pag-iwas sa Sunog, Hindi ka Nag-iisa” highlights the significance of unity and cooperation in ensuring fire-safe and disaster-resilient communities.