THE National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), the primary government agency tasked with implementing Republic Act 9003-also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000-is operating on a tight budget: It has zero appropriation and relies only on a meager budget provided by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB).
This was disclosed during the public hearing of the House Committee on Appropriations on August 26, tackling the DENR’s proposed P28.04 billion budget for 2027.
Ignatius Loyola A. Rodriguez, DENR Undersecretary for Special Concerns and Legislative Staff and concurrently the NSWMC chair, said the unit has no budget, adding that it only gets around P3.5 million a year from the budget of the DENR-EMB, which acts as the secretariat.
Because of this tight budget, the NSWMC has no staff, who are supposed to be the ones monitoring the implementation of the law.
Operating under the Office of the President, the NSWMC is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) provides secretariat and technical support to the commission. Deputy Majority Leader Jose J. Teves Jr. slammed the failure of the NSWMC for failing to implement RA 9003.
He said the DENR-EMB is mandated to monitor the implementation of environmental laws, including RA 9003.
Teves recalled that in the last budget hearing, when now DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna was only an Assistant Secretary, he promised to ‘fix the garbage problem.’ However, years later, the same problem persists, asking anew how the DENR chief plans to address the solid waste management problem that contributes to severe flooding.
In response, Cuna said an interagency meeting was held recently in response to the severe flooding blamed poor enforcement of the garbage law.
On top of proposals such as a ban on single-use plastics, he underscored the importance of implementing the law, from segregation to disposal to sanitary landfills.
‘Improper waste disposal is the root cause of the contribution of solid waste to the flooding,’ he said, adding that during the meeting, which included the DPWH and DILG, stricter monitoring and enforcement are needed.
Atty. Michael Drake P. Matias, Director of the DENR-EMB, said while 92 percent of local government units (LGUs) have approved 10-year Solid Waste Management Plans by NSWMC, only a few LGUs are actually implementing them.
‘Our focus right now would be to monitor the compliance of these plans as approved by the NSWMC. The plans include segregation at source, segregated collection, and as mandated by law, only residual waste should go to sanitary landfills,’ he said.
He also noted that what is being dumped in sanitary landfills is mixed waste, which is why the landfills are quickly filled with garbage.
Matias said an order has been handed down to the DENR’s Regional Offices to monitor compliance with the law.
Teves, however, noted that while there may be waste segregation, he asked whether the NSWMC has partners to speak off to collect the recycled garbage.
Rodriguez, however, said that since it was set up, the NSWMC has been working with various stakeholders and in partnership with the local government units (LGUs), nongovernment organizations, and community-based groups.
‘Because we have no staffing, it’s the Commissioners themselves that do the rounds to check the compliance. If I am not mistaken, only 15 to 20 [LGUs] are being inspected,’ he said.
He added that the NSWMC has already asked the DILG to create and activate the Barangay Solid Waste Management Commission, prodding LGUs to pass an LGU resolution or ordinances to that effect.
Meanwhile, in a statement, the DENR said while it is undertaking sustained cleanup of waterways, it is also looking at longer-term measures to address the recurring problem of pollution in waterways, rivers and drainage systems.
Cuna underscored the value of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) and the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (Pencas) as complementary long-term approaches in managing plastic waste.
Under Republic Act No. 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, covered enterprises are required to establish programs for the recovery and diversion of plastic packaging waste, with an 80-percent plastic waste diversion target by 2028.
Alongside prevention at the source, DENR also sees Pencas as a tool to strengthen deterrence against repeated abuse of natural resources, including water resources. Pencas provides a framework for recognizing the true value of natural resources and the ecosystem services they provide. By improving how these resources and services are valued, the environmental costs of damage can be better recognized, giving habitual violators greater reason to think twice before repeating activities that harm waterways and other ecosystems.
Currently, the Department is utilizing 196 trash traps to collect floating and accumulated waste from waterways, while mobilizing 1,500 Estero Rangers and River Warriors to monitor and clean esteros and rivers in the National Capital Region.
DENR is likewise continuing its Adopt-an-Estero Program, under which around 20 private companies, organizations, and government agency partners have adopted designated esteros to undertake corresponding cleanup, rehabilitation, and maintenance activities.
‘However, while sustained cleanup is necessary to keep waterways clear and reduce the immediate risks posed by accumulated garbage, it cannot by itself solve the country’s recurring garbage problem,’ Cuna stressed. ‘Long-term solutions must also address the problem at its source and strengthen measures that can discourage repeated abuse of natural resources.’
Cuna noted that recent cleanup operations in waterways across the country highlighted the urgency of these measures. ‘Nonetheless, the continuing presence of garbage in waterways also highlights the need for everyone to do their part in preventing waste from reaching these water bodies,’ he added.
‘With government, businesses, local governments and the public working together, the Department is working to shift the focus from repeatedly cleaning up garbage to preventing improper waste management from becoming a recurring threat to waterways, communities and the environment,’ he concluded.