Environment and toxics watchdog EcoWaste Coalition said that the issuance of the list of non-environmentally acceptable products and packaging or the NEAPP list should be among the most pressing concerns of the Duterte administration in its final year.
In a statement Tuesday, July 27, the coalition reckoned that the NEAPP list must be made official soon along with a comprehensive ban against single-use plastics (SUPs).
"The poor enforcement of the mandatory waste segregation at source, the inefficient composting of biodegradables, and the overdue issuance of the list of , including , remain, undermining the efforts of local government units (LGUs) and communities to effectively deal with garbage and all its concomitant problems, including ocean pollution," the group said a day after President Duterte delivered his sixth and final State of the Nation Address (SONA).
The NEAPP (sometimes NEAP) is considered the soul of the two decade-old Republic Act (RA) No.9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The convoluted nature of its implementation has placed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in a bad light, although its officials have attested that coming up with the list hasn't been so simple since it involves the output of other agencies.
The emergence of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic last year also slowed down government processes a great deal.
Aside from the NEAPP list, the EcoWaste Coalition also mentioned three more urgent actions that the Duterte administration must undertake in its remaining 10 months as far as environmental matters are concerned.
These are as follows:
1. Halt the implementation of the DENR-issued “waste-to-energy” guidelines and stop the passage of any legislation rescinding the incineration ban under RA No.8749 (Philippine Clean Air Act) and RA No.9003;
2. Ratify the Basel Convention Ban Amendment, and revise DENR Administrative Order 2013-22 to ban waste imports; and
3. Ensure the safe closure, cleanup and rehabilitation of closed dumpsites, including groundwater and methane gas monitoring systems, to protect against the discharge of hazardous substances to the environment.
"We urge the government to make full use of the limited time available to carry out the above measures that can form part of President Duterte’s lasting legacy to cut back waste and chemical pollution, and uphold environmental health and justice," the coalition said.
"Along with other essential health, environmental, climate, energy and socio-economic policies and programs, these waste and toxic prevention measures should also be at the heart of the government’s COVID-19 recovery strategy toward a 'better normal' that the Filipino people deserve," it added.