DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla on Tuesday emphasized the need for a unified and systematic waste management system among local government units (LGUs) to address persistent flooding worsened by climate change.
Speaking at the Post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) discussion on Environmental Protection and Disaster Risk Reduction, Remulla highlighted the decades-long lack of cohesive solid waste management planning in Metro Manila, which has contributed significantly to clogged waterways and flooding. He said small municipalities often lack space for dumpsites, while larger cities face improper waste disposal overflow.
“Dapat may systematic approach na east, west, north, and south sa buong Metro Manila, [dapat] meron na tayong integrated waste management systems na maservice ang buong city,” he explained.
He cited challenges stemming from a provision of Republic Act No. 7160 (Local Government Code of 1991), which delegates waste disposal as a municipal concern, limiting comprehensive planning across cities and provinces. “We have to revisit and rewrite the Local Government Code and create a more holistic approach to garbage disposal,” Remulla emphasized.
Remulla also stressed the need to instill discipline among citizens regarding proper waste disposal. “Yung magdi-drain ka ng kanal or river, ang makukuha mo refrigerator, kama, furniture. That’s all human behavior. And that is correctible if we enforce it properly ,” he explained.
He added that the efficient garbage collection at the municipal level and barangay level is crucial to supplement the ongoing clean-up operations of creeks by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
He said the DILG is set to convene a summit with Metro Manila mayors to institutionalize public discipline on waste management and emphasize that natural waterways are not dumpsites but vital ecosystems that must be protected. “Ang daan ng kalikasan, hindi basurahan ‘yan. Para sa kalikasan ‘yan talaga.”
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