DENR Region XI

In support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s nationwide campaign on mitigating the impact of climate change, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently launched a program designed to reduce solid waste generation of the country by 50% in the next six months.

Entitled the “Green Movement Agenda: Our Strategy for Local Action” (GMA-SLA), the program will focus on a “Zero Basura” Action Plan that is geared to prioritize, operationalize, institutionalize and fast-track the implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management Act of 2001 involving local government units.

DENR Secretary Lito Atienza said that the directive of President Arroyo to reduce the volume of solid waste by 50% not only reflects the country’s on-going garbage problem but also the need for more concerted and conscientious effort of local leaders and the people to implement the solid waste management program. It also calls for DENR to seriously enforce RA 9003.

“The threat of climate change to humanity cannot be overemphasized. But the ways by which the government can help address it are many, such as the proper management of our garbage. If our garbage is not properly attended to, it will produce methane, a greenhouse gas whose warming potential is 20 times greater than that of carbon dioxide,” Atienza further stressed.

Last December 26, 2008, President Arroyo signed Executive Order No. 774 entitled “Reorganizing the Presidential Task Force on Climate Change” and appointed the DENR to head the Task Group on Solid Waste Management.

With the support of President Arroyo, Atienza reiterated his call for LGUs as well as the public to “conquer garbage” through a “zero-waste lifestyle” because “it is the LGUs who are mandated as the prime movers” of the program.

Supervising the implementation of the GMA-SLA program from the national down to the local government units is the concurrent Executive Director of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) Gerardo Calderon. He is also DENR’s Assistant Secretary (ASEC) for Local Government Concerns and Lands.

During the “Zero Basura Caravan” held at the Waterfront Insular Hotel last July 17, 2009, ASEC Calderon updated the President on the undertakings of GMA-SLA program divulging that as of June of 2009, 30% of 930 existing open and controlled dumpsites in the country have been rehabilitated for closure.

Calderon added that there were also 26 facilities that have been improved to sanitary landfill facilities or have been transformed into an integrated solid waste management facility or Ecoparks by various local government units.

On the other hand, Calderon also reported that out of 42,000 barangays all over the country, 5,508 of it are being serviced by 5,070 Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs) or a compliance rate of 13.11%. The said figure is a 126% increase from the 2008 figure.

“Zero Basura Caravan” is in coordination with the FOURmula 1 Program of the Department of Health. Over the past four months, the Caravan was able to reach out to all the 13 Regional Clusters in the country to harmonize various local actions to pursue the objectives of the RA 9003.