More than 20 years after the passage of Republic Act No. 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the Commission on Audit said “waste management is still an issue” in the country.
Citing its audit report, COA said that a total of 9.07 million metric tons of waste was generated in municipalities for 2006 and the figure actually climbed to 16.63 metric tons in 2020.
It said that based on predictions, solid waste in municipalities will increase to 19.76 metric tons in 2030 and up to 24.5 million metric tons in 2045.
"Therefore, assuming a steady rate of waste generation, solid waste production shall continue to increase in future years, negating its goal of reducing waste," COA said.
It noted that the distribution of waste generation differs from urban to rural, as more wastes are produced in densely populated cities and municipalities.
Citing figures of waste generation in Metro Manila, COA said that the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) stated that in 2015 the amount of waste generated was 6,499,825.00 cubic meters. After five years, in 2020, the waste increased to 22,003,784.58 cubic meters, it said.
"Based on the six-year period from 2015 to 2020, the total estimated waste generation grew by 33.36 percent, or at a rate of 5.56 percent annually," COA said.
It said that one of the primary goals of RA 9003 is to reduce waste through prevention, reduction, and recycling.
COA identified the root causes of the failure of the successful implementation of the law. The primary reasons, it said, were the increase in population and the prevalence of Covid-19, among many other things.
It pointed out that Filipinos remain ignorant about proper recycling procedures as there is lack of information and studies. It also said there are insufficient solid waste facilities that can help divert and safely dispose of solid waste, and those living in urban areas also remain highly dependent on single-use items.
At the same time, the country continues to accept waste imports from developed countries, it lamented.
It said that some local government units (LGUs) have already taken steps to educate their constituents about solid waste management.
"We gathered from LGU interviews that changing people’s attitudes were critical to a successful waste avoidance program. However, shifting towards positive social acceptance and responsibility has also remained challenging for them," it said.
"Unless the above causes are addressed, furthering the extent of waste generation’s effect will result in the projected annual waste generation of 19,764,384.95 metric tons in 2030 to 24,499,946.53 metric tons in 2045," COA warned.