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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider DENR asks for P181.6 M budget for COVID-19 healthcare wastes

DENR asks for P181.6 M budget for COVID-19 healthcare wastes

Published Nov 27, 2021 12:03 pm

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is seeking a P181.6 million budget allocation for the establishment of a preliminary treatment and storage facility for COVID-19-related health care waste.

In a statement Saturday, DENR said it wants the multi-million budget to be taken from its 2022 solid waste management program budget worth P774 million.

Through the agency’s Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), DENR said it plans to provide funds for 227 local government units (LGUs) in the country for the proper collection, treatment, storage and disposal of protective personal equipment, syringes, vials and other COVID-related healthcare wastes from households, vaccination sites and testing and quarantine facilities. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said that while COVID-19 cases in the country started to decline, healthcare wastes generated by the pandemic "have continuously become a challenge among cities and provinces.”

“Through this program, we hope to support LGUs in improving the collection of COVID-19-related healthcare wastes, especially in remote areas and among small generators that are not serviced by treatment, storage and disposal (TSD) facilities," Cimatu said.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGUs Concerns Benny Antiporda said the proposed treatment and storage facility will serve as a temporary and transit point for healthcare wastes.

These include personal protective equipment, syringes, needles and vials for chemical disinfection and storage before they are transported to a TSD facility.

The proposed waste management program was announced by Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change Chairperson Senator Cynthia Villar, who sponsored the DENR budget during the upper chamber’s plenary session on November 15.

The proposal was developed by the DENR, based on the recommendation of Villar and Senator Francis Tolentino during the Senate budget hearing to extend more assistance to LGUs for the management of COVID-related healthcare wastes.

The proposed P181.6 million budget will be coursed through the DENR regional offices. Each LGU will receive P800,000 for the establishment of special waste facilities.

However, DENR clarified that the COVID-19 healthcare waste program for LGUs does not cover medical wastes coming from hospitals.

Aside from the preliminary treatment and storage facility, the solid waste management program budget for 2022 will include support for the establishment of trash traps, collection and disposal services for garbage patches, provision of solid waste management equipment such shredders, composters, and plastic recycling equipment for LGUs nationwide and hauling services for solid waste collected in Boracay.

Related Tags

Senate 2022 budget Budget covid-19 Solid Waste Management Program DENR healthcare waste
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