Davao Oriental’s fight against waste has recently gained a huge breakthrough with the national government’s approval of the province’s ten-year Solid Waste Management Plan.
On May 18, Thursday, following the deliberation by the National Solid Waste Management Commission Executive Committee and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau, Davao Oriental’s plan was unanimously approved and endorsed.
Through the approved plan, the province can now source funds for implementing projects and strategies designed to effectively manage the solid waste collection, transportation, treatment, and disposal.
Based on the data on Waste Generation per sector as of 2015, Davao Oriental produces more than 14,000 tons of waste annually. With the province’s growing population and expanding economy, the provincial government resolved to have a sound solid-waste management plan.
The projects and strategies under the plan are consistent with the national solid waste management framework. It emphasizes “reduce, reuse, recycle, and composting” to minimize the negative environmental and public health impacts associated with solid waste generation.
Among the projects identified under the plan are the establishment of sanitary landfills and the mandatory establishment of a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) per barangay, among many others.
Division Chief of DENR-EMB, Ms. Juvinia Serafin, lauded Davao Oriental’s plan, noting it as one of the best plans the agency has deliberated. She further praised the province for its commendable efforts in supporting its Local Government Units, noting the agency considers the province to present its best practices in the upcoming national summit.
She added that Davao Oriental is only among the few provinces in the county with an approved Solid-Waste Management Plan.
In a message, Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon expressed her heartfelt gratitude to the commission and the DENR-EMB for considering the province’s plan, which corresponds to her administration’s thrust in addressing the protection and conservation of the province’s natural resources.
Present during the deliberation via teleconference were Vice Governor Niño Sotero Uy, Natural Resource Conservation and Operations Division Chief Retired Brigadier General Leopoldo Imbang, Jr., and Mr. Leogene Solamo, who presented the province’s plan.
Under Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, LGUs, through their local solid waste management boards, are tasked to formulate their respective 10-year SWM plans consistent with the National Solid Waste Management Framework of the NSWMC. By Karen Lou Deloso
