The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) urged local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila to come up with ideal initiatives to combat the rising volume of solid waste, especially at the barangay level. Through the Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation and Preservation–Program Management Team (MBCRP–PMT), the DILG National Capital Region (NCR) formulated and updated the local government units (LGUs) in the region with the Solid Waste Management Plan (SWMP) and the Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Program (BESWMP) as mandated by Republic Act (RA) 9003. DILG-NCR Assistant Regional Director Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez highlighted the significance of equipping the LGUs local governments, “barangays in particular,’’ with the knowledge and skills necessary to build disaster-proof communities. She pointed to the issue of the increasing volume of solid waste generated in Metro Manila and its impact on the environment, stressing the urgency to fully enforce RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management of the Philippines, which mandates the LGUs to create a 10-year SWMP. Jhonmarie Caoyong from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) emphasized the key role the barangays play in the context of the BESWMP. He explained the salient provisions of R.A. 9003, specifically the definition of solid waste, the roles of concerned National Government Agencies (NGAs) and LGUs, including the barangays, in Solid Waste Management. He also discussed the structures and templates for formulating a SWMP. For his part, Just Edrich Monter from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources  (DENR) provided an overview of the 10-year SWMP, discussing its various components including the measures adopted for the processing of solid waste. He also touched on the criteria used in assessing LGU compliance with relevant environmental laws and regulations based on submitted data. During the activity, participants sought clarification on a range of issues, including the roles and responsibilities of concerned entities as outlined in RA 9003, the guidelines covering the assessment of LGUs’ compliances under the  SWMP, and other concerns raised during the ensuing discussions. The resource persons from the MMDA and DENR-EMB agreed to review and resolve outstanding items that surfaced during the open forum. Barangay chairman Rolando “Duka” Alvarez, Jr. of Barangay San Isidro in Makati City presented the ‘best practices’ adopted by his barangay in managing solid waste. “The presentation aimed to inspire other barangays to undertake similar approaches in their own communities,’’ the DILG said.