MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday joined the National Ecosavers Program launch and pledged to lead the effort to teach waste segregation to children in public and private schools all over the country.
“This can be a good environmental habit which when first taught at our children’s respective homes can be reinforced strongly in schools,” Education Secretary Armin Luistro said.
Luistro added the program would encourage students to practice waste segregation at home and the collection of recyclable materials, which could teach them the value of cleanliness and diligence.
The program is part of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act 9003), which established the legal and technical framework for a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program.
Under RA 9003 DepEd is mandated to integrate environmental concerns in the school curricula, with emphasis on the theory and practice of resource conservation, recovery, segregation at source and recycling.
A storage and transaction area for recyclables will be set up in schools and an incentive system for students to exchange recyclable wastes will be established. Biodegradable wastes, meanwhile, will be composted in support of the National Greening Program.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), through the Environmental Management Bureau, shall lead in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the program and provide technical and funding support to DepEd to enable the schools and the LGUs to effectively implement the program.
It will also link the schools with junk shops and recycle associations for the marketing of recyclable wastes.
The DepEd shall assist in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the program and provide overall supervision in the implementation of the program at school level.
It will also ensure the integration of ecological solid waste management concepts and principles in the academic curricula.
During the launch, Luistro was joined by Environment Secretary Ramon Paje, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino.