Analysis: Alternative Solutions to Garbage Problem to

Davao City.

1.1 GARBAGE EVERYWHERE AND FAILED COMMUNICATION

In Davao City 182 barangay was focused on its situation, which the Barangay 23-C has the
largest number (19) of tribes such as the Christian, the Moro tribes and the Indigenous people like the
Badjaos. In the barangay were the Badjao has been for how many decades now. Many of them are
migrants from Zamboanga and some of them was already born in the village.

According to their barangay office garbage disposal was the main problem they were encounter. The
problem really spread from other barangay which the cause of barado, sickness and flood

According to Rey Cabaron a barangay official “The disposal of wastes is the main problem of our
Barangay especially in the Badjao area,”

Trashy and Smelly

It trashy and smelly the reasons of being sick of every Filipinos in Davao city mainly in the
barangay and in the place where the people trying to clean, but the problem is the person does not care
about it.

In Barangay 23-C were the houses are organized according to their tribes including the Badjao’s. It is the
decision of the Barangay office and the government to separate them so that each tribe has their
privacy.

And it is obviously the reason to organized the community of Badjaos residence is that they have no
proper sanitation and don’t know how to dispose and throw their waste properly in their areas.

(We don’t have comfort rooms here so we just put our wastes in plastic bags and throw these to the
sea),” said Diego, a resident.

In addition the Barangay 23-C also conducting their coastal clean-up program monthly in every area to
secured and to maintain the cleanliness and this program is mandated by the DILG
According to Cabaron “They have been telling the Badjao community about how and where to dispose
of their wastes”.

(They'd do as they have been doing before), he said.

In this case they are assigning the purok leaders to commit or hold the responsibilities were assigned.

Health impact of toxic wastes

A toxic waste has a big impact in our health especially to the children’s in our community. On
the other hand we also need to protect ourselves to avoid and protect us from danger.
The dirty environment carries with its harmful diseases that cause of the death, including mosquito-
borne ones.
In Davao City, had the highest level of dengue incident throughout the City according to Department of
Health Davao although barangay officials would rather point to visitors who are already afflicted as the
cause for the high numbers.

The Failed Solution

There is a solution but the things were the main problem is that the solution they did still the
barangay council recognizes this as a problem.
When the Barangay also implemented the “Isang kilong basura, isang kilong bigas”.
Which the council gives rice in exchange for the gathered garbage. This project was failed and it’s
because some people did not participate and volunteer still they did what they did.

(The Barangay did everything but still the residents have no discipline and we can’t force them about
it)," said Norane Mustapha, Administrator of the Barangay.

And the Good news is that the higher organizations and office that helped the Barangay 23-C to fixed
their problem like the Community Environment and Naturals Resources Office and other NGO’s like
Tambayan and still the residents will continue throwing their wastes

1.2 NGOs press zero waste method for Davao City

In this standards the Technologies burn discard, destroy resources, weaken recycling and create
extremely toxic egression should not be employed if Davao City wants a greener and sustainable future
for all.
This is the message that a citizens’ forum co-organized by the Sustainable Davao Movement and the
EcoWaste Coalition would like to resonate among the city’s policy makers and planners. The former is a
network of civil organizations in Davao City advocating for a greener and sustainable home for all
Dabawenyos, while the latter is an environmental health coalition based in Quezon City. The forum was
held at the Ateneo de Davao University.
Instead of incinerating its waste, estimated at 570-600 metric tons daily, Davao City will be better off if
proven approaches in preventing and reducing trash are put in force, the groups said.
“The 600-ton waste-to-energy incineration plant being mulled by the city government has to be carefully
assessed against the hierarchy of waste management options that puts reduction of waste at source as
the top choice,” said Mylai Santos, Director, Ecoteneo, a member of the SDM’s waste management
cluster.
“The city’s landfill has overloaded its capacity because we have failed to ensure that the generation of
waste is minimized through mandatory segregation at source and other Zero Waste solutions stipulated
in national and local laws,” Santos said.
Both the Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and Ordinance
0361-10, or the Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2009, provide for the
compulsory sorting of discards at source by all waste generators, as well as the establishment of
barangay-based materials recovery facilities (MRFs).
According to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office, only 17 of Davao City’s 112 barangays
have MRFs such as those in Barangay Cabantian, Catalunan Grande, Hizon, Mahayag and Mintal.
Speaking at the forum, Dr. Jorge Emmanuel, a DOST Balik Scientist and adjunct Professor at Silliman
University, said: “Gasification, plasma arc and pyrolysis waste-to-energy technologies that require waste
as input to operate and make a profit will encourage more consumption of materials, more use of
energy, and the generation of more waste.”
Emmanuel is especially concerned that incinerators will not meet increasing stringent dioxin standards
due to cost, lack of enforcement mechanisms, and the inability to effectively monitor and test
emissions, adding there is no such thing as “clean incineration.”
“Even with pollution control devices, the toxic pollutants will not disappear; they are concentrated into
other media that have to be treated as hazardous waste. Importantly, ash from incinerators is toxic,
heavily contaminated with dioxins and leachable metals, and under the Stockholm Convention Best
Available Techniques/Best Environmental Practices (BAT/BEP) guidelines, ash requires special land
disposal as hazardous waste,” he explained.
Lora Mc-ren Abengoza, Campaigner, EcoWaste Coalition, warned “waste incineration will burn precious
recyclable and compostable resources, hurt recycling enterprises and take jobs away from the informal
waste sector (IWS), depriving poor households and communities of employment and livelihood
opportunities.”
At last Saturday’s workshop organized by the EcoWaste Coalition in San Pedro College, participants,
including 99 informal recyclers from Davao City, affirmed the need to integrate the IWS in formal waste
management toward clean, safe, decent and secure jobs and livelihoods.
For her part, Anne Larracas, Managing Director, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives – Asia Pacific
said: “Waste-to-energy incineration will be a burden, not a boon, to Filipinos. It is the most harmful,
most expensive, most polluting, most energy intensive and most inefficient way to generate electricity.
Countries in the developed world are already shifting away from incineration and are now pursuing Zero
Waste approaches. The Philippines must leapfrog to Zero Waste and leave incineration behind.”

GREEN GROUPS OPPOSE WASTE INCENERATION PROJECTS

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A nationwide coalition of environmental advocates sees no positive gain in
Davao City’s planned P2.5 Billion Waste-to-energy project with the Japanese International Cooperation
Agency (JICA).

Davao City is planning to build a waste-to-energy facility to reduce the city’s solid waste and convert it
into electricity. The waste-to-energy plant to be built in Biao Escuela, Tugbok, Davao City is expected to
accommodate 600 tons of waste per day and can generate around 12 MW of electricity.
No Burn Pilipinas, an environmental advocate group led by Ecowaste Coalition says that while waste-to-
energy seems appealing as a solution to waste management and energy issues, “they undermine
recycling efforts and renewable energy alternatives and they may actually consume more energy than
they produce”.
“We at No Burn Pilipinas call on LGUs to discontinue such projects as they are not only harmful and
unsustainable. They may also derail efforts at proper solid waste management. Instead, planning and
funding should be directed towards the reduction of waste products including the promotion of
comprehensive efforts at recycling and investment in renewable energy sources” say Glenn Ymata of No
Burn Pilipinas.
A similar waste incineration power plant was planned to be built in Brgy. San Agustin, Tagum City. Other
plants are being set up across the Philippines with the National Solid Waste Management Commission
approving plans by the city governments of Quezon City and Cebu City. Puerto Princesa and Laoac,
Pangasinan are also intending to build waste-to-energy facilities.
Ymata also told media that Mayor Sara is “misled with a false idea” that the problem of excessive waste
of the city can be solved through technology as Solid Waste Management is part of her 10 priority
agenda to address an efficient and sustainable waste management in the city. The group said that they
are willing to sit down again with the city mayor to talk about waste management and propose possible
solutions to the waste disposal problems of the city.
The law was crafted in response to the looming garbage problems in the country. It also promotes the
benefits of recycling not only in addressing waste management problems but also in alleviating poverty.
“The local government of Davao sees the waste-to-energy project as a solution but it has a limited
understanding of why we have a huge problem with our waste. We are lacking political will to strictly
implement the law” said Lagahit.
Lagahit pointed out that the non-compliance with the law resulted with the ignorance of public on the
segregation of waste.
Meanwhile, No Burn Pilipinas calls on LGUs to discontinue such projects as they are not only harmful
and unsustainable andthey may also derail efforts at proper solid waste management.
“Instead, planning and funding should be directed towards the reduction of waste products,
comprehensive efforts at recycling and investment in renewable energy sources.
They argued that cities in Mindanao are more than capable to become leaders in renewable and eco-
friendly energy solutions, “thus there is no need to regress into waste incineration practices”.
“We also call for greater inclusivity in the deliberation of waste management and energy
generation so that affected communities and the wider public are more informed and have a greater
capacity to partake in decision making processes regarding these matters.” (davaotoday.com)

Possible Solutions for Solid Waste

We do have some sustainable solutions, options that let us meet our current needs and provide for
future generations as well. Our most promising alternatives are waste reduction and recycling.
Waste Reduction: Stop Throwing Things Out
A simple and obvious choice is to cut back on the amount of waste by using and throwing out less in the
first place. Some states have adopted regulatory strategies to discourage dependence on landfills. In
1990, for example, California enacted a law that established a baseline for the amount of solid waste its
cities and towns send to landfills. By 1995, that amount was to be reduced by 25 percent; by the year
2000, by 50 percent. California now diverts more than 25 percent of its waste, resulting in disposal of
approximately 33 million tons per year. Such heavy cuts are usually accomplished by recycling.
Waste Reduction: Use Less Packaging
Packaging is one of the major sources of waste paper and plastics. According to EarthWorks Groups, it
accounts for approximately one-third of all the garbage Americans send to landfills. Packaging should be
minimal. Its production should be environmentally clean and it should be made up of materials that can
be reused or recycled repeatedly. Some packaging is purposely elaborate to make the contents more
attractive--cosmetics are notorious for this. Smart buyers can support the use of environmentally
friendly packaging by purchasing products with minimal packaging or with packaging made of recycled
or recyclable materials.
Recycling: Turning Waste Material into Raw Material
Recycling works, and it does so in several ways. It reduces the monetary and environmental costs of
landfilling and incineration. It substitutes used materials for virgin materials, thereby reducing the
demand for natural resources. It conserves energy. And it creates jobs in the community.
Many U.S. communities now actively recycle. Common programs include
• Curbside recycling containers. The community provides containers in which individual families
deposit such materials as newspapers; glass bottles and jars; tin and aluminum containers; plastic
bottles and bags; mixed waste paper (cardboard, phone books, magazines, junk mail, office paper,
brown bags); and used motor oil. The community arranges for curbside pickup and delivery to a
recycling facility.
• Drop-off recycling zones. Groups of large recycling bins are installed on public property in one or
more locations throughout the community.
• Recycling centers. The community provides the center itself and encourages residents to drop
off or sell refuse materials there.
• Green waste diversion and composting programs. Leaves, grass clippings, and other organic
waste materials are composted and used to enrich soil or as mulch or landfill cover.
Is there a downside to recycling?
Opponents of recycling argue that recycled goods are more expensive and that recycling takes away
needed jobs. However, as more consumers choose to purchase recycled products and as recycling
technology improves, the cost of these goods goes down, making them more competitive in the
marketplace. And while diverting materials from landfills does take away disposal jobs, these jobs are
often replaced by jobs in the growing recycling industry.

The activities associated with the management of Davao City government officials under (City Ordinance
No. 0371-10) Section 10 as Davao City Ecological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of 2009 from the
point of generation to final disposal can be grouped into seven functional elements.
• Waste generation
• Recycling
• Storage
• Collection
• Transportation
• Segregation & Processing
• Disposal
1.1 GARBAGE EVERYWHERE AND FAILED COMMUNICATION

Problem:
 Nearly all barangays in Davao City failed to comply with the requirements of the Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act last year, causing the local government to spend P151.73 million for sanitary
expenses.

COA added that the City Environment and Natural Resources Office allowed the collection of
non-segregated wastes. Biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes were also mixed after collection.

“The problem is the people who lack discipline”

Solution:
Davao City implement the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF)
- This is intended to promote recycling and segregation of waste to curb expenses for trash
hauling fees.s
-
Conclusion this study