Council summons environment execs on waste disposal issue

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council approved on Wednesday a resolution calling all concerned agencies to an executive session to apprise the body on the lack of permanent Material Recovery Facility (MRF) in the city that may address concerns on garbage disposal.

Councilor Philip Zafra, in a privilege speech, brought up concerns on the proliferation of single-use plastic.  He requested the appearance of the officials of Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in an executive session to apprise the council on the phase-in or roll-out implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.

Zafra, likewise, requested the officer-in-charge of CCENRO and the Solid Waste Management Board to appear in the same session to brief the council on the problems “besetting the establishment” of a permanent Material Recovery Facility.

Furthermore, he urged the Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education to adopt “sustainable innovative programs” with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and Department of Manpower Development and Placement or other training institutions on waste reduction, recovery or recycling in school campuses.

According to Zafra, this concern is motivated over a “fact” that whenever the city government conducts its quarterly clean-up,  a lot of plastic wastes are found and are believed to be the “proximate cause” of the clogging of the drainage-system and the pollution of the city’s coastal areas and riverbeds.

Citing a report of the 2023 study by Utility Bidder, a United Kingdom-based organization,  Zafra said that the Philippines ranked first as the country with the highest plastic waste emissions into the ocean.

During the 15th Cebu Citywide quarterly clean-up drive held last March 18, 2024, it drawn a total of 87 tons of garbage collected.

“Now while this may be lower than the 97 tons collected in 2023 and the 101 tons of garbage collected in 2022, still the question that comes to mind Mr. Chairman is whether we are proactively on the right track towards the goal of minimizing our garbage collection, especially the perennial problem of plastic waste,” said Zafra.

Putting emphasis on the efforts to address the waste management in the city, Zafra cited ordinances such as Segregation at Source and the Single Use Plastic ordinance.

“Despite the noble objectives of these ordinances, the lack of appropriate activities and strategies is one of the problems that need to be seriously addressed so that we can "nip the problem in the bud, so to speak,” he said.

Furthermore, Zafra underscored the salient features of Republic Act No. 11898, dated July 23, 2022, otherwise known as the "Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022"  (EPR) which amends Republic Act No. 9003, Otherwise Known As The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Among the primary objectives of the EPR Act is to give full responsibility to producer or manufacturers “throughout the products life cycle, especially its post-consumer stage”.

“It goes to show that this problem cannot be addressed by the government alone. It needs the collaborative effort of the government, the producer and the general public most especially,” he said.

Zafra further said that to ensure its implementation, the DENR  issued the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) that sets the framework and modalities for activities and strategies in waste reduction, product waste recovery and recycling.

Among its modalities are the strategies and activities on waste reduction of non-environment friendly products, such as the adoption of a refilling system network.

This scheme is also being complemented on diversion of recovered waste into value chains or useful products that is similar to the Dept. of Manpower and Placement (DMDP) program essentially highlighting the recycling methods.

Zafra said there has been a program adopted in Cebu City wherein its target is to establish an MRF to properly handle and recycle different types of wastes.

Zafra said according to reports, establishing a permanent MRF in the barangays of Cebu City remains a challenge due to several reasons namely-- lack of resources in terms of funding to support the establishment and operation of the MRF and the difficulty of barangays to allocate a budget for this purpose and finding a qualified personnel to manage the MRF.

“The revelation in the report is rather alarming as no concrete strategies, programs or recommendations are being offered to address the glaring absence of an MRF in our locality,” said Zafra.

 Zafra said he aims to address all these concerns through the executive session. – FPL (CEBU NEWS)