Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas (Facebook)







Exchanging one's trash for cold cash could become a reality if and when this bill from Quezon City 5th district Rep. PM Vargas gets approved by Congress. Vargas filed House Bill (HB) No.4556 or the Basura to Ayuda Act, which seeks to incentivize solid waste management recycling among Filipinos. In the Filipino language, "basura" means garbage, while "ayuda" is associated with cash assistance. The measure is pending before the House Committee on Ecology. "Rewards and incentives have limitations and must be innovated to adapt to the needs of the 'new normal'. The social and economic climate brought about by Covid-19 pandemic has presented challenges on food security and environmental protection," Vargas said in the explanatory note of HB No.4556. The neophyte solon noted that the multitude of consumption during the pandemic has increased solid waste production, "thus bringing up the need to properly organize solid waste management and segregation at the level of the household". He cited as an inspiration the Quezon City government's point system program on waste management titled, Trash to Cashback Program. He said that under the program, residents can trade their recyclable materials to environmental points, which can be exchanged for basic commodities such as rice, eggs, vegetables, and other essential grocery items. "The bill seeks to institutionalize innovative efforts to incentivize solid waste management and recycling through the exchange or rewarding of basic commodities such as rice, eggs, vegetables, canned goods, basic household consumer items, other essential grocery items, or even cash," Vargas said. "The legislation further provides that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Agriculture (DA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) shall determine the reasonable and compliance inducing exchange values for graduated weights or volumes of solid waste provided," the measure read.