More roles for NGOs

As mandated by Republic Act (RA) 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, a representative from a nongovernment organization (NGO) that advocates environmental issues shall sit in the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC). This is a recognition of the important role of ordinary citizens in governance. The NSWMC is the highest policy-making body on solid waste management.

Now a new law, RA 11898, or The Extended Producer Responsibility Act (Epra) of 2022, amended RA 9003 and gave more voice to NGOs. From a single seat, there will now be three representatives from NGOs in the reorganized NSWMC. The Epra is an act institutionalizing the extended producer responsibility on plastic packaging waste. It lapsed into law last July 23, 2022.

I’m proud to say that I started my involvement in environmental issues in the national level with an NGO. I joined the Zero Waste Recycling Movement of the Philippines Foundation Inc. (ZWRMPFI) in the late ‘90s as a lifetime member and later as an officer and member of the board of trustees. Our group was one of the NGOs that pushed for the passage of RA 9003 in Congress.

In the early ‘70s when garbage disposal was not yet a national concern, Dr. Metodio Palaypay, a resident doctor at the University of the Philippines Health Services, started a movement to eliminate waste through simple steps like composting and recycling. In 1978, this movement was formally organized into ZWRMPFI with Dr. Palaypay as chairman and the late Luz Sabas, co-founder, as president.

The ZWRMPFI has trained thousands of people in various schools, universities, markets, barangays, military bases and towns throughout the country on the principles of zero waste management. There was even an instance when members were held hostage in Mindanao during a training stint. My first visit in Mindanao was when I gave a lecture to the soldiers of the 1st Infantry Division on recycling together with members of ZWRMPFI.

Luz Sabas, a nurse by profession, made a research on waste though her masteral thesis. Her work featured the Four “Fs” which is a total recycling scheme. Her thesis is still used by many groups advocating solid waste management. Incidentally, the song composed by Sabas’ daughter entitled, “Anong Saya,” is our jingle in my radio program BUKAS Bayan.

From the ranks of the ZWRMPFI emerged top environment officials of the country like Elizea “Bebet” Gozun who was appointed Deparment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) secretary in 2002. She went back to NGO work after her DENR stint until she was appointed as presidential assistant for climate change by President Noynoy Aquino. Our very own Dr. Palaypay became a commissioner in the NSWMC representing NGOs.

They are volunteers. They work without pay. They put their heart and mind in their advocacies. They are partners in governance. They are the NGOs.