10-year solid waste management plans of LGUs approved

he National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) has approved the 10-year solid waste management plans (SWMPs) of 160 local government units (LGUs) nationwide, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) disclosed.

Benny Antiporda, DENR undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Concerns, said that they are expecting cities and municipalities to fully implement their respective SWMPs and adhere to the provisions of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

NSWMC is a DENR-led body tasked to oversee the implementation of RA 9003, which provides that the LGUs are primarily responsible for waste segregation and disposal.

“We have neglected our environment, but it’s never too late. (The SWMP) is the answer to the worsening problem on waste,” Antiporda told mayors and vice mayors who were present to personally receive the NSWMC resolution approving their SWMPs.

He vowed to strictly monitor the implementation of the approved SWMPs covering the periods 2014 to 2023, 2015- 2024, 2016-2015, 2017-2026, 2018-2027 and 2019 to 2028.

Also, he warned local executives that they may be held administratively and criminally liable for non-implementation of their approved SWMPs.

“The commission is serious in its war on waste. Waste is always the last and the least, and now it is in a very alarming situation,” he said.

Earlier, Antiporda said the NSWMC was working to fast track the approval process for the SWMPs submitted by more than 1,600 cities and municipalities across the country.

The move, he said, would allow LGUs to immediately implement their respective plans for addressing garbage problems in their localities.