Assessment of RA 9003 Implementation in Barangay Mabca, Sagñay, Camarines Sur: A Study

on Solid Waste Management Practices and Community Awareness

Cabrera, Ferlyn
Carelo, Eashie May Jean
Del Castillo, Kristine Mae
Espedillon, Kim
Tenerife, Jenevy

Background of the study

We only have one planet! A planet that sustains and provides most of our daily needs. A
planet that also needs to be loved and be taken care of. A planet that is being affected or even
being destroyed mostly by anthropogenic or human activities. If we look at what is happening
here in the Philippines, we can see that there are places where garbage disposal or solid waste
management is one of its biggest concern. Solid waste management refers to the collection,
treatment and disposal of solid material that is discarded because it has served its purpose or is
no longer useful (Nathanson, 2010). It reduces or eliminates adverse impacts on the
environment and human health rather supports economic development and improve the quality
of life (Paghasian, 2017). In today's polluted world, learning the correct method of handling the
waste generated has become essential (Marello and Helwege, 2014).
As a national policy, the RA 9003 adopts a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological
solid waste management (SWM) programme that recognises the LGUs as the leader in its
implementation. The policy mandates the creation of Solid Waste Management Boards (SWMB)
from the national, provincial, city/municipal, down to the barangay, the lowest-level political and
administrative body in the Philippines. As a support system for establishing an integrated SWM
system, the RA 9003 mandates the establishment of material recovery facilities (MRFs) in all
barangays based on 3Rs in order to achieve its 25% waste reduction target by 2010.
Consequently, instead of using open dumping or illegal burning, the RA 9003 advises LGUs to
adopt sanitary landfills (Antonio, 2008).
In addition, the increasing population, urbanization, and changing lifestyle have
contributed to the continued increase of waste generation in the Philippines. Based on the 2015
census of population (POPCEN), the country has a total population of 100,987,437 persons
(Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA], 2017). The waste generation per person is 0.70kg/day in
highly urbanized city areas, 0.60kg/day in urban city areas, and 0.30 kg/day in rural areas
(Aguinaldo 2009, as cited in Atienza, 2017). The National Capital Region (NCR) has the highest
waste generation rate of 0.71 kg per capita per day while the Autonomous Region of Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM) has the lowest with 0.30 kg per capita per day. It was estimated that the total
waste generation was 35 tons per day or 13.1 million tons per year (National Solid Waste
Management Commission [NSWMC], 2016).
Moreover, Municipal solid waste (MSW) is one of the important challenges to the
environment. Municipalities; generally; are responsible for the waste management. They have to
provide an effective and efficient system to the inhabitants. Nevertheless, they are; often; facing
with many problems beyond the ability of the municipal authority to handle the MSW . This is
essentially due to financial resources, lack of organization and complexity (Mansour et.al, 2018).
Barangay Mabca, situated in Sagñay, Camarines Sur, serves as a microcosm for
evaluating the implementation of RA 9003. This study aims to scrutinize the solid waste
management practices within the barangay and assess the level of community awareness and
participation in waste management initiatives.This study will focus on the existing solid waste
management systems within Barangay Mabca. This includes evaluating the segregation,
collection, recycling, treatment, and disposal processes. Key factors to be examined encompass
infrastructure availability, operational efficiency, and compliance with RA 9003 guidelines.
Understanding the community's level of awareness, knowledge, and involvement in solid waste
management initiatives is pivotal. Factors such as education campaigns, participation in
segregation and recycling programs, and community engagement in waste reduction efforts will
be examined to gauge the effectiveness of awareness programs.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to determine the Practices and Community Awareness in the Assessment of
RA 9003 Implementation in Barangay Mabca, Sagñay, Camarines Sur:
Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions:
1. What is the profile of the respondent in terms of
1.1 Age,
1.2 Sex,
1.3 Educational Attainment, and
1.4 Length of Stay in Barangay Mabca
2. How aware are the respondents about the RA 9003 and the right practices in Solid Waste
Management like waste segregation and 3R's of Waste Management?
3. What are their practices when it comes to their waste disposal?
4. What are their knowledge with regards to the benefits of having the right practice towards
solid waste management.
5. Based on the findings of the study, how important is it for every household head to be
properly educated regarding solid waste management practices?
6. What are the possible recommendations to improve the practices and community awareness
of the respondents in Barangay Mabca, Sagñay, Camarines Sur?

Objectives of the Study

The objectives of the study are the following:
1. To determine the demographic profile of respondents in terms of age, sex, educational
attainment, and length of stay in Barangay Mabca.
2. To assess the level of awareness among respondents regarding RA 9003 and the right
practices in Solid Waste Management, including waste segregation and the 3R's of Waste
Management.
3. To investigate the waste disposal practices of respondents.
4. To explore the knowledge of respondents regarding the benefits associated with
adopting the right practices in solid waste management.
5. To evaluate the perceived importance, based on study findings, of proper education for
household heads concerning solid waste management practices.
6. To propose actionable recommendations to enhance both practices and community
awareness of solid waste management among respondents in Barangay Mabca, Sagñay,
Camarines Sur.

Review of Related Literature

Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 also known as Republic Act (RA) 9003 is a
Philippine law providing for an ecological solid waste management program, with necessary
mechanisms and incentives, to respond to the issue of solid waste in the country (Philippine
Congress, 2001). It was approved into a law in 2001. It should serve as the blueprint of local
government units (LGUs) in the establishment and implementation of their respective solid
waste management programs. However, after two decades, most LGUs are still struggling on
how to successfully implement the said law including matters of landfill.
Ideally, RA 9003 was expected to resolve the problem on Solid Waste Management specially in
reducing the wastes being dumped in city and municipal landfills. It also aims in strengthening
the participation of the private sector and other stakeholders in managing the solid wastes in the
locality. One of the reasons why the said law fails to deliver its expected results lies in the
policyrelated aspect at the LGU level such as absence of city/municipal ordinances adopting RA
9003, outdated ordinances, unimplemented ordinances, and policies which do not have budget
appropriations or with budget allocation which is difficult to tap by implementers (National Solid
Waste Management Status Report, 2015)
Thus, solid waste management is a must. Solid waste management pertains to the control of
generation, storage, collection, transfer and transport, processing, and disposal of solid wastes
in a manner that is in accord with the best principles of public health, economics, engineering,
conservation, aesthetics, and other environmental considerations, and that is also responsive to
public attitudes. However, solid waste management tend to be ignored (Masood, Barlow, &
Wilson, 2009). Improper waste disposal, inefficient waste collection and lack of disposal
facilities are some concerns on solid waste management in the Philippines (Matunog & Awa,
2013; Senate Economic Planning Office, 2017). In addition, poor management of solid waste
may cause health hazards to inhabitants, environmental problems such as water and soil
contamination, air pollution and flooding and other socio-economic problem (Abu Qdais, 2007;
Sharholy et al., 2008; Senate Economic Planning Office, 2017).
In response to the challenge, San Juan (2019) revealed that participation of community
members on solid waste management program depends on the action taken by their leaders
or officials. More so, Al-Katib et al. (2010) emphasized that solid waste management requires
technical, political, legal, socio-cultural, environmental, economic factors and available
resources. The absence of any of the resources will make solid waste management program
failure. Thus, the community members will be unsatisfied (Lad, Chauhan, & Gole, 2020).
Aside from these, mass cooperation and active participation is also necessary. Therefore,
educating people through information dissemination on how to handle produced solid waste
has become essential (Marello & Helwege, 2014; Nolasco, Baguia, & Padua, 2019).
Here in the Philippines, another study in which the population involve are the rural households
shows that the participating households are ill-informed about the various aspects of waste
management. It was also found out that minimal effort is done in reusing and recycling of waste
materials among households. Participants also demonstrated beliefs and practices that are
environmentally unacceptable or unfriendly. Consequently, these beliefs and practices have
resulted in the careless disposal of wastes among people since strict monitoring and
implementation of SWM has not been prioritized (Limon, et. al, 2020).
In previous literature, it was revealed that the majority of the community people did not have an
idea or inadequate knowledge regarding household solid waste management and have a
negative attitude towards waste management in their homes. Awareness and practices can be
improved by providing proper knowledge regarding household solid waste management. Waste
management education and awareness strategy, mass media, radio, television as well as social
media can play a significant role in the improvement of awareness and practice regarding
household solid waste management. There is a huge gap between awareness and household
solid waste management practice among the community people. In the Philippines, most of the
community people were aware of household solid waste management, but their practice level
was poor. The existing literature found a negative relationship between awareness and practice
regarding household solid waste management (Sultana et.al, 2021).

Research Design/Methodology
This study will utilize a cross sectional research design. The study design is a type of
observational study, or descriptive research, that involves analyzing information about a
population at a specific point in time. This design measures the prevalence of an outcome of
interest in a defined population. It provides a snapshot of the characteristics of the population at
a single point in time (Simkus, 2023). To gather information about the profile of respondents, the
researchers will use a structured questionnaire with closed-ended questions for age, sex,
educational attainment, and length of stay in Barangay Mabca. For questions 2 to 5, a
combination of survey questions and perhaps interviews or observations will be employed. The
researchers will use Likert scale questions to assess the awareness of respondents about solid
waste management practices (question 2), and open-ended or semi-structured questions for in-
depth information on waste disposal practices (question 3), knowledge about benefits (question
4), and opinions on the importance of education in solid waste management (question 5).

The researchers will use stratified sampling technique because it allows for a more
representative and nuanced understanding of the community's diverse demographics. By
stratifying the population based on factors such as age, sex, educational attainment, and length
of stay in Barangay Mabca, researchers can ensure that each subgroup is adequately
represented in the sample. This approach enhances the accuracy of the findings, enabling the
identification of patterns and variations within specific demographic segments. It also ensures
that the analysis captures the unique perspectives and experiences of individuals across
different strata, providing a comprehensive view of the community's views and practices related
to solid waste management. In terms of respondent profiling, the study aims to gather
information on key demographic variables, namely age, sex, educational attainment, and length
of stay in Barangay Mabca. Understanding these aspects of the respondents' profiles is crucial
for contextualizing the findings. Age can influence awareness and practices, while educational
attainment may impact knowledge levels. Sex and length of stay in the barangay could also be
factors affecting individuals' perspectives on solid waste management. By systematically
examining these demographic variables, the research can uncover correlations and insights that
contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the community's dynamics in relation to solid
waste management practices.

Research Schedule

January 8-10 Formulate research objectives and questions

Identify target recipients for letters
Draft a template for the letters

January 12-15 Customize and finalize the letter template

Complete a list of recipients and their contact information.
Print or prepare materials for mailing

January 17-19 Begin mailing letters to the identified recipients.

Implement a tracking system for sent letters.
Follow up on any returned or undelivered letters.

January 22-24 Set up data collection methods (surveys, interviews, etc.).

Monitor and document responses from recipients.
Organize collected data for analysis.

January 29-31 Begin analyzing the gathered data.

Identify trends or initial findings.
Consider adjustments to the research approach if needed.

February 1-2 Complete the data analysis process.

Draft a comprehensive summary of the research findings.
Ensure data accuracy and consistency.

February 3-5 Begin crafting the research report.

Include key findings, methodology, and any recommendations.
 Review and edit the report for clarity and coherence.

Budget Plan

CATEGORY ITEMS AMOUNT

Materials and Supplies bonpaper 200
ink 100
folder 50
Equipment Printer
Laptop
Costs Transportation 500
Printing 150
Internet 200
Participant Incentives Food for survey 500
Miscellaneous Contingency fund 500
TOTAL AMOUNT 2,200

References
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