R.A. 9003

When writing about the Philippines it is difficult to not rehash subject matter. I went back to City Hall to ask about my trash. Specifically my glass which the law requires to be recycled. Talk about deja vu! I did the same thing last year and even wrote about it. 

The guy I spoke with told me the same thing as last time. He promised to send a truck to come take the glass. He also discreetly informed me that next time I should just toss the glass in the regular garbage. After our conversation I asked if I could take a picture of a poster hanging in the office.  The ladies sitting in front of it playing on their phones kindly vacated the area so I could get a nice unobstructed shot.

Republic Act 9003 is what I want to discuss in this post. Ever so briefly of course because it is only a blog post. This law is basically the nation's garbage plan. 

https://www.lawphil.net/statutes/repacts/ra2001/ra_9003_2001.html

AN ACT PROVIDING FOR AN ECOLOGICAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, CREATING THE NECESSARY INSTITUTIONAL MECHANISMS AND INCENTIVES, DECLARING CERTAIN ACTS PROHIBITED AND PROVIDING PENALTIES, APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

Like any law it is full of all kinds of definitions and schedules and provisions which are all quite general but do not exactly spell out how this plan will work in real life. For our purposes I want to look at the provision for recycling.  This would be article 1, sec.17.

(f) Recycling - The recycling component shall include a program and implementation schedule which shows the methods by which the LGU shall, in combination with source reduction and composting components, reduce a sufficient amount of solid waste disposed of in accordance with the diversion requirements set in Sec .20. 

The LGU recycling component shall describe the following: 

(1) The types of materials to be recycled under the programs; 

(2) The methods for determining the categories of solid wastes to be diverted from disposal at a disposal facility through recycling; and 

(3) New facilities and expansion of existing facilities needed to implement the recycling component. 

The LGU recycling component shall described methods for developing the markets for recycled materials, including, but not limited to, an evaluation of the feasibility of procurement preferences for the purchase of recycled products. Each LGU may determine and grant a price preference to encourage the purchase of recycled products. 

The five-year strategy for collecting, processing, marketing and selling the designated recyclable materials shall take into account persons engaged in the business of recycling or persons otherwise providing recycling services before the effectivity of this Act. Such strategy may be base upon the results of the waste composition analysis performed pursuant to this Section or information obtained in the course of past collection of solid waste by the local government unit, and may include recommendations with respect to increasing the number of materials designated for recycling pursuant to this Act. 

The LGU recycling component shall evaluate industrial, commercial, residential, agricultural, governmental and other curbside, mobile, drop-off and buy-back recycling programs, manual and automated materials recovery facilities, zoning, building code changes and rate structures which encourage recycling of materials. The Solid Waste Management Plan shall indicate the specific measures to be undertaken to meet the waste diversion specified under Sec. 20 of this Act. 

Recommended revisions to the building ordinances, requiring newly-constructed buildings and buildings undergoing specified alterations to contain storage space, devices or mechanisms that facilitate source separation and storage of designated recyclable materials to enable the local government unit to efficiently collect, process, market and sell the designated materials. Such recommendations shall include, but shall not be limited to separate chutes to facilitate source separation in multi-family dwellings, storage areas that conform to fire and safety code regulations, and specialized storage containers. 

The Solid Waste Management Plan shall indicate the specific measures to be undertaken to meet the recycling goals pursuant to the objectives of this Act.

Section 20. Establishing Mandatory Solid Waste Diversion - Each LGU plan shall include an implementation schedule which shows that within five (5) years after the effectivity of this Act, the LGU shall divert at least 25% of all solid waste from waste disposal facilities through re-use, recycling and composting activities and other resource recovery activities; Provided, That the waste diversion goals shall be increased every three (3) years thereafter; Provided, further, That nothing in this Section prohibits a local government unit from implementing re-use, recycling, and composting activities designed to exceed the goal.

Number 3 is undoubtedly the most important because without recycling facilities nothing can be recycled. But apparently there are no recycling facilities in Bacolod or else the official I spoke with at City Hall would have directed me to one where I could drop off my glass. With no proper recycling facilities the end result is that in Bacolod no garbage is being segregated and recycled.

That makes law R.A 9003 completely useless because the provisions in the law cannot be implemented. R.A. 9003 also contains provisions against open burning and we all know that part of the law is not being enforced.

It's not enough that Bacolod City is neither following nor implementing R.A. 9003 but take a look at this sign. That's Mayor Bing Leonardia's smiling mug in the bottom corner. How can Bacolod be on track when they are not implementing R.A. 9003 at all?  It's a complete lie. This city is covered in litter and garbage and the air is smoky from open burning and here is the Mayor telling us Bacolod is Back on Track as far as R.A. 9003 goes. How shameless this man is. What a joke!

After all the hassle trying to get rid of my bags of glass I finally did manage to dispose of them. It turns out that on the first Friday and Saturday of the month at SM Mall there is a Trash to Cash program. They accept all kinds of recyclables.

Here are the four bags of trash I brought to turn into cash. Three of them are full of glass and one of them is filled with plastic.

Sadly I was informed that they do not accept glass which means I had wasted my time in trotting these bags out to the mall. I got rid of them later by giving them to some neighbours who are building a fence and needed glass to top it. The bag of plastic was weighed and for 2 kilos I received a whopping 6 pesos.

See that Jolibee bag full of money? Neat huh? They are certainly expecting to turn a lot trash into cash. This program has been happening for 11 years now but the man at City Hall in charge of sanitation did not tell me about it. Why not? Does he not know about it? Did he simply forget? I don't know the answer.

However I have come to a decision and that is to throw everything away. No more saving plastic and glass. Every bottle goes into the garbage. It's not worth the hassle of trying to properly dispose of segregated garbage. No one cares. Why should I?

Basura Run

How trashy and disgusting is the Philippines?  It its so trashy and disgusting that there is a Basura Run where runners jog around town picking up trash in a competition to see who can collect the most and heaviest sacks of trash!

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/256689/basura-run-volunteers-collect-sacks-of-garbage-from-cebu-rest-of-ph

September 7 may seemed like an ordinary Saturday for the rest of us, but for the Earth warriors who collected sacks of plastic garbage that were dumped in parts of Cebu and the rest of the country, it was a special day for doing their mission of saving Mother Earth. 

Cebu City supporters of the 5pcs Daily Habit collected at least five sacks of plastic garbage while they did their run along Osmeña Boulevard starting at 6 a.m. 

Basura run participants in Carcar City collected 14 sacks of plastic garbage.  The group also included teachers from the Carcar City district. 

Tony Galon, founder of the 5 pcs Daily Habit and Basura Run, joined a group of volunteers in Naga City. He alone collected a sando bag full of plastic garbage during his one kilometer run. 

In Cebu, at total of 14 Basura Run groups did their clean-up in the cities of Cebu, Carcar and Naga and the municipalities of Minglanilla and Cordova.  Simultaneous runs were also held in other parts of the country including the cities of Davao, Butuan and Bacolod City and Biliran. 

But their effort was not enough. 

Galon said that starting 2020, he wanted to already invite all the barangays in Cebu and the rest of the country to join their annual Basura run to expand their coverage. 

“To have a Basura Run on every barangay in the Philippines,  we need to improve the message, awareness that basura run exists,” says Galon. 

“Basura Run can’t clean a place entirely, but we can teach the people how to clean their place,” he says. 

The Basura Run is a community service by volunteers, who play the role of Earth warriors, to raise public awareness on the importance of responsible garbage disposal. The group holds an annual run where in volunteers would pick up every piece of plastic garbage that they would see along the way. 

Look at those guys smiling with their bags of garbage like wow they did a great thing. What a low when you have to resort to game theory in order to clean up the environment because there is so much garbage. It is exactly like when a parent plays airplane to get their child to eat.  You know when they pretend the spoon is an airplane and the mouth is a landing strip? That is baby stuff.

Tony Galon is the founder of the Basura Run as well as 5 pcs Daily Habit. Let's see what that is all about.

Its a habit armed to raise awareness to all the people that we need to do something for our current garbage situation not only in Cebu but all over the Philippines 

Started on January 1, 2015 as a New Year's resolution of TONY GALON, a runner, after seeing most of the runners while running just throw away their water bottles anywhere, an add up to the growing problem knowing the existing condition on our garbage not just in CEBU but all over the Philippines. 

It is an advocacy of runners and that of ordinary people that are looking forward for the future of our children by way of picking up 5 pieces of plastic daily and throw into the proper trash bin. We did this because we believe that doing so will we can convince you to NOT TO THROW TRASHES anywhere especially PLASTIC. 

We know that the 5 pieces of plastic waste shall not cleanse a city or town or even a village, but we believe that we attract notable that there is concern for the problem of litter or happen to be the main cause of FLOODS.

https://www.facebook.com/pg/5pcs-Daily-Habit-893731587366671/about/?ref=page_internal

Is this a joke? What kind of person tosses their water bottle just anywhere? I am a runner and I have never seen that. I also don't ever carry a bottle of water with me. Who does that? My average run is about 5 miles and even when I worked myself up to longer runs including half-marathons just for fun I never carried a water bottle. Are these runners so weak that they need to carry a water bottle? No way are they running so far and long that they risk dehydration. Maybe they are out in the sun? But I have gone running in the heat of the day around 2pm and still I had no need to carry a water bottle. There really is nothing like wearing yourself out and then drinking an ice cold bottle of water when you return home. Very refreshing and worth the wait.

Zamboanga had their second Basura Run in October 2018 and they gave out prizes to the heaviest bag of garbage.

The participants filled up their empty sacks with plastic wastes while they run and upon reaching the Tugbungan Elementary School, the trash collected were weighed and sorted and the groups or individuals with the heaviest trash were awarded with prizes.

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1770924

The nature of the prizes isn't revealed. 

Well you can't fault these guys. The Basura Run is well intentioned and is a good thing. But the fact that such a run exists says a lot about the state of the Philippines. A nation awash in garbage. They even admit it!

Night Trash 7

It's called night trash but it's not found until early morning. You could find it at night though if you said up real late. In fact you can find toppled over garbage cans and ripped bags at any time of day.  There is morning, afternoon, evening, and night trash in the Philippines all thanks to the many stray dogs.

Grass Fire

Shortly before noon today a fire broke out in a grassy field near the highway as the result, I am told, of someone tossing a cigarette butt. Whatever the cause the hot and dry conditions of summer allowed the fire to spread rapidly.

While there may be a 911 system in place it was the Barangay Hall which was called and who alerted the fire station. Since it was only a small grassfire a two man team with a water truck arrived and bravely extinguished the blaze.

Here are they are after returning to the station. I did not get their names.

Their battle against the blaze lasted eight minutes but I have drastically sped up the video and added an abridged section from the William Tell Overture for the soundtrack.

Remember, don't litter.  Don't toss bottles and trash out of your car window and absolutely never toss a cigarette butt into the grass. 

Night Trash 5

Stray dogs are still roaming around at night looking to fill their hungry bellies with garbage. That is what night trash is all about. But you have to wake up early to see it.

Picture of the Week: Garbage Collection Schedule

It's election season which is the time when all the incumbents emblazon their faces on banners throughout the city reminding the voters of their existence. Reminding them that without their tireless efforts the city would fall apart. 

Yes folks these men are the ghost in the machine that make sure the garbage collection runs on time every single day. Every morning and every evening the truck zooms by and picks-up all the filthy refuse amassed over the past few hours and hauls it away to the dump all thanks to the Mayor and the City Council. Out of sight and out of mind but in your sight, in your mind is the motto of these politicians and is why they have put their faces on this banner which only appeared recently.

Was there previously a banner alerting the shopkeepers at the market of garbage collection times? I never saw one and it is doubtful they need reminding of these times since garbage collection is an every day occurrence. Doubtless the shopkeepers all know what time the truck comes and when to have their trash ready.

Look at the times for collection! 8am-12 noon and 6pm-9pm. Talk about Pinoy time!  That is such a wide nonspecific timeframe they might as well have written morning and evening instead. Furthermore there is a large container out back where all the trash is tossed so no one really needs to know when the garbage truck swings by, they only need to know where to toss their garbage which renders this banner absolutely unnecessary and a total waste of money and resources. 

Is this who the voters want running their city? Politicians who wastefully spend money on a totally superfluous banner just to have their faces gazed upon while since January a crossing light signal has been tilted back leaning on the roof of the market and no one has done a thing about it!?

Political Garbage

In the Philippines politicians put their names on everything. Everything. What better place to put your name than on a garbage can?

Councillor Renecito Novero has set up these garbage cans with his name on them all over town. The thing is they are worthless as far as garbage cans go.  Sure you can put your trash in them but the receptacle is on the ground and has no lid which makes it a veritable buffet for any hungry dog who happen to come along.

What a waste of money to pretend you give two flips about the environment. They look like plant pots. Like a huge shrub should be growing out of them. I suppose they are better than nothing but here is what effective public waste cans look like:

No stray dogs will be getting into those bins.

Tarps In The Wind

It's not just politicians who post tarps on every electric pole and forget about them allowing these banners to slowly decay in the elements. Businesses are guilty as well. All across the country poles proudly display battered old tarps which have been reduced to garbage. Globe, SM, Smart, and more are all guilty of this practice.

That is just at a tiny sampling of all the trashy garbage tarps tangled in electrical wires and flapping loosely in the wind. A whole blog could be dedicated to this very visible type of littering of which corporations are guilty. Like those who cleaned up Manila Bay are there any volunteers who will remove these tarps? Those that are caught up in the electrical wires pose the gravest danger. If there aren't rules against hanging tarps indiscriminately all around town there should be. These ubiquitous  advertisements are eyesores as well.

Some businesses even allow weather-beaten tarps to flap from the top of their stores!

The tarp in the bottom picture might not belong to Robinsons but it's on their property and they should toss it. Having that mess of a tarp hanging down the pole as well as the remnants of the tarp on the building looks spectacularly awful. The message it sends is that Robinsons does not care about their image and presenting themselves in the most attractive light. Who wants to enter a trashy building or park next to a flapping tarp?

I can only imagine this problem is a million times worse in Manila and Cebu. Will it ever be addressed?

Night Trash 4

Night trash is not the only kind of trash there is. Day trash exists too. Both kinds of trash are created in the same manner: scavenging stray dogs. 

One baby's soiled diapers is a stray dog's tasty treat.  Yum-yum!