ENVIRONMENT SECRETARY Roy A. Cimatu has urged local government units (LGUs) to prioritize resolving the country’s worsening garbage collection and disposal problem. “LGUs are duty-bound to comply with the existing law on solid waste management,” Mr. Cimatu said in a statement on Wednesday. “The law provides that the primary responsibility in the implementation of waste segregation and disposal at source is lodged with the LGUs.” The agency noted that some LGUs find it difficult to comply with the law as the establishment of these disposal sites can be costly. Under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, a sanitary landfill is a disposal site engineered to control significant potential environmental impacts stemming from the development and operation of the facility, primarily for municipal solid wastes. If funding is the issue, Mr. Cimatu pointed out that LGUs may avail of financing from government lenders such as the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), which offers loans via its green financing program. LGUs, in turn, should draw up ways to pay back the loan, such as through collection of tipping fees. “Adjacent municipalities or cities may cluster together and pool their resources to establish sanitary landfills,” the official added. — Janina C. Lim

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR