Solid waste management (SWM) has grown into a mammoth problem in the Philippines. Citizens have marched in front of city halls protesting proposed new landfills that they did not want in their backyards. Metro Manila, a mega-city of about 10 million people, went from four waste disposal sites to just one, filled far beyond capacity. In the face of mounting protests, in September Philippine President Joseph Estrada created a "superbody" to tackle the problem of solid waste management.

In January, during the biggest, most disruptive protest, residents and local officials of San Mateo, Rizal Province, barricaded the road to Metro Manila�s sole landfill. Just outside the eastern border of Metro Manila, the landfill�s towering trash rises nine stories tall. Normally dumped at the landfill, waste sat rotting in the streets or in overflowing trucks along the roads to San Mateo. For over a week, 3,600 tons of garbage accumulated because of the protest.

In 1991, the site was to open as a sanitary landfill. Technical problems downgraded it to a "controlled" landfill. Neighbors complained about odors, rats and flies, contaminated water, and traffic. The protestors intend for the government to create a new landfill and shut down San Mateo�s. After negotiations with the local officials, residents and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), the Metro Manila Development Authority promised to identify a new site and to close the existing landfill by December 2000.

Metro Manila�s 17 cities and municipalities produce 6,000 to 7,000 tons of municipal solid waste each day. A 1994 estimate put the collection rate at 75 percent, with 60 percent going to the San Mateo landfill and the rest to unmanaged open dumps. The Presidential Task Force on Solid Waste Management anticipates solid waste generation to increase. Future waste will pose greater environmental quality and health issues unless solving the problem receives commensurate recognition and priority.

The Task Force identified these problems:

• Environmental Protection and Sanitation. Pathogenic infections commonly occur throughout the country because of poor sanitation, improper toilet facilities, unsafe water supplies and waste disposal.

• Public Health. Communicable diseases are the country�s primary causes of morbidity and mortality due to environmental contamination and improper waste management.

• Aesthetics. Many generators pile waste along the streets leaving it to rot. This unsightly garbage emits foul odors and projects a poor image upon the community.

Until the President�s recently created superbody, the Greater Metropolitan Manila Solid Waste Management Committee, it was the responsibility of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to administer solid waste management. The MMDA currently is operating the San Mateo Landfill. The new committee is responsible for overseeing solid waste management in Metro Manila and eight adjoining provinces. The committee, directly under the office of the President, will be headed by Flagship Projects Secretary Robert Aventajado.

Using previous studies commissioned by MMDA, the committee is preparing guidelines that will be used in proposing various solutions to Metro Manila�s garbage crisis. The committee is considering establishing three disposal sites in areas south, north and east of the metropolis. Given the impending closure date of the San Mateo landfill, the committee is encouraging proponents to expedite feasibility studies. The recently passed Clean Air Act has limited the proposed solutions because it bans incineration.

The country�s major cities generate about 10,400 tons of solid waste daily. About two-thirds is collected, and only 2,600 tons, or 16 percent, is actually deposited in controlled landfills or open dumps. Random, illegal dumping of municipal solid waste may account for about 40 percent of the total amount generated. The lack of proper disposal sites and inadequate collection equipment have made it increasingly difficult to maintain sanitary urban conditions.

Solid waste management is among the functions devolved to the local governments in the Local Government Code of 1991. The General Services Office/Department of the local government unit (LGU) handles solid waste management with office and field personnel and transporters.

Although the Presidential Task Force on Solid Waste Management established guidelines and criteria for site selection, LGUs lack technical capabilities to develop and to implement an SWM framework. Garbage is a technical problem. LGUs lack the ability to assess the environmental impacts on the potential sites. They do not understand the characteristics of waste and its proper handling and disposal within an ecologically sound system. These technical constraints hinder LGUs from embarking on a solid waste management project.

In the Philippines, most people believe that once garbage is removed from the house it is no longer a concern for the household members. They do not care when they no longer see the garbage. They believe it is the government�s responsibility to take care of it. While residents� concern for collection efficiency runs high, their appreciation for proper disposal is very low. Ironically, however, communities often have objected to establishing a sanitary landfill in their area, but they have tolerated the existence of open dumpsites. Their misconceptions surrounding sanitary landfills contribute to the unpopularity of the solution.

Solid waste management projects are capital intensive. Initial studies have shown that the establishment of a proper disposal system is expensive. With the heavy subsidy on garbage collection and services, building a sanitary landfill often seems virtually impossible to consider given the other priorities of the municipality or city. At present, the solid waste management system operates on a 100-percent subsidy. The collection fees, mainly from commercial establishments, go directly to the general fund of the LGU to cover other service costs. The current high interest rates also are making it difficult for the LGUs to secure loans.

A World Bank study shows that residents and commercial establishments in some cities are willing to pay for improved garbage services. The residents of Iloilo City are willing to pay P30 (about $0.75) a month and owners of commercial establishments are willing to pay P70 a month. Other cities like Olongapo and the municipality of Bauan in Batangas Province already charge user fees. The rest of the LGUs have not established this mechanism yet. The lack of a system to collect user fees for garbage collection and disposal exacerbates budget problems.

Solid waste projects require long periods of time for preparation. Given the high level of environmental risk in establishing a solid waste management system, each project must secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). Obtaining the certification requires an approved Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Study. Conducting the EIA, receiving the government�s review and obtaining approval can require from one to three years. By the time the ECC is issued, the mayor who advocated the SWM project is busy preparing for re-election or is out of office.

The government has taken several positive steps to address these issues. The creation of the Presidential Task Force on Solid Waste Management under the Aquino administration instituted a central policy-making body on waste management. It is chaired by the Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). A Project Management Office created within the Environment and Management Bureau of DENR is to serve as the technical and administrative support office. Specifically, the Task Force is mandated to identify an effective collection and disposal system or technology sustainable on a long-term basis. It is tasked to review all relevant proposals, concepts, and studies on waste management, and package them into technically, economically and financially viable project proposals. Currently, the Task Force promotes sanitary landfills as the best solution.

In 1993, the Task Force developed the Integrated National Solid Waste Management System Framework. It necessitates the formulation of a province-wide plan based on the criteria and standard guidelines for preparation and implementation of a solid waste management plan. The municipalities and cities by mandate must prepare their local solid waste plans in accordance with the provincial plans.

The framework states that a good solid waste management program must attain the following standards for:

• Generation. Garbage at source should be reduced, reused, and/or recycled in a cost efficient and cost beneficial manner with an adequate economic return.

• Collection. Garbage collection must be done hygienically, effectively and regularly.
• Storage and Processing. As an intermediate step, waste storage and processing must be handled hygienically and effectively and be economically feasible, environmentally friendly and socially acceptable.
• Transfer and Transport. The transfer of the garbage from one place to another must be done efficiently and hygienically and must be socially acceptable. A properly designed transfer and transport system must reduce the over-all cost of collection from on-site storage to the final disposal site.
• Disposal. Garbage disposal and technology must be hygienic, efficient, cost effective, environmentally sound and socially acceptable.

In June 1999, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered the LGUs to close existing open dumpsites and to upgrade gradually from controlled dumping to sanitary landfills. A technical guideline was published and was made available to the LGUs.

The government signed a $100 million loan agreement with the World Bank under the Solid Waste Ecological Enhancement Program (SWEEP). The program aims to assist six cities in the Philippines with pilot projects to design, construct, operate and manage sanitary landfills while phasing out the old open dumpsites. SWEEP has selected six pilot sites to serve as models. The vision of the project is in line with Ecological Waste Management. This means that the principles of waste minimization and recovery are integral to the project. It will involve separation-at-source, recycling, reuse and composting as the primary methods of handling and treating waste. The World Bank has provided technical assistance grant funds for the six cities.

The government also has entered into an agreement with the Asian Development Bank through its Urban Enhancement Program for the cities and municipalities surrounding Clark and Subic. The agreement covers social services including solid waste management.

The two government owned banks, the Land Bank and the Development Bank of the Philippines actively are conducting information campaigns to inform LGUs of the windows available for project financing.

Several LGUs have undertaken successful solid waste management efforts. These include:

• Sta. Maria, Bulacan�s waste processing and recycling plant processes biodegradable materials from public market waste into organic fertilizer. Sale of organic fertilizer and recyclable materials provides funds for the plant�s operations.
• Lipa City�s Sipaglakas Program evolved from merely street-sweeping and maintaining market place cleanliness into household waste segregation, municipal-level waste collection and improved dumpsite management. The city created the inter-agency Working Committee on Sanitation and Environmental Protection as the body responsible for the program�s management.
• Puerto Princesa City�s Oplan Linis Program involves volunteers among its citizens promoting a sense of urgency, concern and responsibility for the cleanliness of the community. Anti-littering ordinances impose sanctions. The city repeatedly has been adjudged the Cleanest and Greenest Component City in the Philippines.
• Olongapo City developed an efficient fee collection system. Launched in 1989, the fee system now serves almost 85 percent of the population. The waste management system operates on garbage fee collections. Each household receives a bill that includes the electricity charges and garbage fees.
• In San Juan, Metro Manila, the Metro Manila Council of Women launched an educational campaign in the mid-1980s on waste segregation at the household level. The campaign targeted the subdivisions and commercial establishments within San Juan and organized the existing junk shop dealers. The Council disseminated information that included the location and contact numbers of the junk shops, and the kinds of waste materials that can be recycled.

Several efforts are underway to build a national framework for action and increase the public and private technical capacity to deal with solid waste management issues. A National Conference on Solid Waste Management held in November 1999 created momentum for a more active and effective response to the solid waste issue in the country and the region. A key part of the conference included discussions on overcoming the constraints and barriers to project implementation, accommodating private sector financing in BOT-type project arrangements to move forward with major projects. The event also included the creation of a Solid Waste Association of the Philippines, envisioned as the official mouthpiece for solid waste advocacy in the country and as a vehicle for increasing the technical capabilities of the public and private sectors. The United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (US-AEP) is facilitating the formation of this association as part of its capacity building work in this sector.

US-AEP and other projects of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) are working to strengthen LGU decision-making capabilities by conducting exchanges and study tours to promote information and technology sharing. After completing a solid waste management study tour in the U.S. last year, Mayor Mary Jane Ortega of San Fernando, La Union Province, became a leader on the solid waste issue. She had the open dump in her city covered with soil on a daily basis. Ortega gave lectures and tours to her colleagues encouraging them to do the same. She is working with the World Bank to finance a sanitary landfill and to prepare an infrastructure development plan for her city. Mayor Ortega exemplifies the Philippines� newly found enthusiasm for tackling the difficult and mounting garbage crisis.