MMDA holds summit in hopes of addressing Metro Manila’s garbage problem

MANILA, Philippines – Filipinos are generating more and more garbage every year. Metro Manila, the country’s top solid waste generating region, needs solutions. In a bid to raise awareness and generate support for some ideas, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) held its Road to Zero Waste Summit 2024 from November 5 to 6.

With the theme “Closing the Loop Towards a Circular Economy,” the summit sought to bridge local government units (LGUs) of Metro Manila, academic institutions, and social enterprises, among others, to introduce best practices in solid waste management to the public and encourage Filipinos to repurpose waste in their localities. 

For many years now, recycling has been perceived as one of the most effective ways to reduce waste amid the impacts of climate change. But in the Philippines, despite the effort to cut waste generation, there is still little to no impact given how groups and advocates continue to operate in silos.  

“Ang problema ng basura ay hindi lamang problema ng pamahalaan, problema ito ng lahat…kailangan po namin ang tulong niyong lahat…tulong-tulong tayo na magkaroon ng behavioral change,“ MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said. 

(The problem of garbage is not only a problem of the government, it is everyone’s problem…we need help to make this a collective effort…let us help each other to instill behavioral change.)

For decades, Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, has been plagued by glaring gaps in implementation. Barangays have failed to properly collect and segregate waste. A 2016 study by the Institute for Global Environmental Studies found that up to two-thirds of municipal solid waste are not collected, and end up contributing to flooding and disease. 

Some of the government agencies and partners who joined the summit were the Department of the Interior and Local Government; Department of Environment and Natural Resources; National Solid Waste Management Commission; City Government of Malabon; International SWIMS Inc; San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation; Cemex; STC – Packaging; Sentinel Upcycling Technologies; Urban Poor Associates; The Soilmate Collective Inc; GNS; Wasto Waste Solutions; Holcim Philippines; DCM Global Technologies Inc; Pet Value Philippines Inc; and PARMS. 

Reusing different types of waste 

According to Artes, the summit sought to feature different ways of reusing all types of waste ranging from plastics, aluminum cans, paper, glass, and compost. To materialize this vision, several organizations from the private sector have been implementing their own ways of recycling based on the nature and needs of their communities. Some of these innovations were showcased at the MMDA summit.

For instance, upcycling hubs encourage urban poor communities to sort their own waste by incentivizing them through the support of local government units. 

For Sentinel Upcycling Technologies, plastic waste coming from residents of Baseco, Manila are purchased by the local government and turned into school armchairs, trash bins, cabinets, and stools.

On the other hand, the Urban Poor Associates empowers women of Baseco and Sampaloc, Manila to sew tote bags, aprons, wallets from discarded fabrics in hotels, as well as foil and tetra packs found in factories and coastlines in Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, the San Miguel Yamamura Packaging Corporation collects used aluminum cans from communities in order to upcycle and sell them back to their partners and suppliers. In return, funds are used to grant scholarships and cover school fees to underprivileged students. 

Aside from turning waste to new products, The Soilmate Collective Inc. also promotes Bokashi composting, a Japanese method of fermenting food waste, in order to use it as fertilizer for urban gardening. This is provided both as a service and a package which can be purchased by farmers and homeowners. 

Renewable energy was also promoted by the International Solid Waste Integrated Management Specialist (Int’l SWIMS) by making use of garbage dumped in Montalban and San Mateo landfills to generate electricity. Methane from the waste would be captured, then burned to produce electricity. This mechanism has been in operation for at least 20 years now. 

However, environmental groups in the Philippines such as the EcoWaste Coalition cited that while methane capture in landfills is a standard requirement under the law as part of rehabilitating the waste facility, it should only be a temporary step, not a permanent solution. 

Bills that promote waste-to-energy technology exclude hazardous and recyclable wastes from the types of garbage to be converted to energy. The coalition has cautioned the government against adopting waste-to-energy technologies that release dioxins and furans due to the health risks. Without proper regulation, these technologies could lead to violations of the Clean Air Act’s prohibition against the burning of municipal, bio-medical, and hazardous wastes.

“The genuine goal, the climate-friendly and ecological, is to ensure that organics and biodegradable wastes should not be thrown in landfills, and instead composted or converted into biogas… Biogas is also a form of waste-to-energy technology which EcoWaste promotes,” EcoWaste Coalition member Rei Panaligan said. 

Apart from spotlighting these innovations and practices at the summit, MMDA said they are creating a roadmap towards zero waste in Metro Manila, which mainly includes coordinating with local government to “instill discipline to residents.” However, it’s still unclear how the roadmap will be integrated into actual policies that will lead to a larger garbage management plan for the capital region. Artes failed to give a clear answer to questions posed by media at the summit regarding this.

Metro Manila garbage management plan needed

While a clear roadmap is yet to be defined, the MMDA seeks to establish a 10-year solid waste management plan based on recommendations from the region’s 16 cities and lone town. The MMDA spearheads the solid waste management committee for Metro Manila.

A plan is sorely needed given the ballooning cost of garbage for the MMDA. In 2017, the agency spent P1.76 billion in garbage collection. By 2022, this had nearly doubled to P3.3 billion. While partly due to an increase in tipping fees, or payments to landfills, it was also due to growing garbage disposal. Artes back then cited an increase in waste from online shopping packaging and food. From 2010 to 2019, Metro Manila garbage rose from 7,400 tons per day to over 9,300 tons per day.

“If left unattended, they [waste] will continue to degrade our environment, pollute our waterways, contribute increasingly to flooding, and hinder our economic growth, ultimately impacting our economy and overall public health,” Artes said in a press release. 

The plan is in response to the country’s worsening flooding problem, as well as plastic pollution in the oceans — with the Philippines ranking as the number one contributor, according to Plastic Polluters’ 2023 study. No less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. attributed recent flooding in Metro Manila to improper garbage disposal clogging flood mitigation infrastructure.

Aside from still lacking an updated solid waste management plan, the MMDA is also still working on a flood management plan for the capital region.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said this lack of a plan is also hindering the cities themselves from embarking on their own big-ticket flood mitigation initiatives.

“The problem is, the MMDA doesn’t have a regional master plan for flood control at the moment. They are just about to embark on a study with World Bank funding. And then, we’re not sure that, with this study going to be done by the World Bank that the MMDA is doing, that it will be consistent with our local plan,” she said during a panel at Rappler’s 2024 Social Good Summit last October 19.

“We want to already fund whatever flood control projects that we can do in our own city. But my fear is, eventually, what if it’s not consistent [with the MMDA plan], the funds will be wasted,” she added.

On the first day of the MMDA waste management summit, Artes urged collaboration to address the garbage problem.

“Let us work together towards a sustainable Metro Manila…Today, we are creating an avenue to empower our barangays, promote environmental education, and foster a culture of responsibility for a lasting commitment tomorrow and for future generations,” Artes added.  – Rappler.com 

Proper management of garbage and the promotion of healthy and sustainable living is part of what can make Philippine cities more liveable. Rappler has a page dedicated to stories about improving quality of life in our cities. Read more about Make Manila Liveable here.