'Mindset change,' discipline needed for Filipinos to manage solid waste, says DOST

MANILA — The Department of Science and Technology chief Renato Solidum Jr. reminded the public to adhere to sustainable consumption and production to address the issue of solid waste problem in the country.

This after the Commission on Audit reported that the Philippines' solid waste management program fell short of achieving its goal more than 20 years after its implementation.

The Philippine government in 2001 enacted Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (ESWMA) of 2000.

• COA: Waste management program 'not progressively achieving its goals'

"As long as anyone of us do not adhere to sustainable consumption and production then the waste we will generate will pile up. Our purpose is to develop research and development and provide technology solutions to reduce waste," Solidum told reporters during a recent press conference.

Solidum said that the agency has develop technologies to address the concern and they will continue to improve them to keep up with the plan's goals.

"This should be supported to make use of the waste that we have. Maraming puwedeng gawin e, and that waste can be used for other purposes. We will offer all the possible technologies that can address the pressing problems and we will partner with SUCs that are around," he said.

Aside from the technology, Filipinos also have a role in improving the solid waste situation in the country. This was the reminder of DOST Undersecretary for research and development Leah Buendia.

"I think one of the major challenge sa solid waste management is discipline rin ng mga tao. We just throw away our waste kahit saan, wala ring segregation. It's a total mindset change for solid waste management," she said.

"It's a mindset that we have to change and it starts from our homes, hindi lang po 'yan sa technology na ibibigay namin ... Marami pong kailangang mabago from within bago po tayo makagalaw from outside and from the community."

State auditors, in their April 2023 Performance Audit Report of the program, said the ESWMA "may not be seen as progressively achieving its goals and objectives, as manifested by the steadily increasing volume of generated solid waste, including the many gaps noted in the program implementation."

It is projected that the annual solid waste production will increase from 16.63 million metric tons in 2020 to 19.76 million metric tons in 2030 and 24.50 million tons in 2045, according to COA.

The constant increase in solid waste creation could be attributed to the "frail enforcement and compliance with the law," the COA said, citing political, financial, and technical limitations of the local government units and implementing agencies.

FROM THE ARCHIVES:

Watch more News on iWantTFC