By Kate Quiambao

Every November, the Philippines celebrates Environmental Awareness Month to bring frequently overlooked issues to light, with high hopes of raising public awareness and promoting sustainability around the whole country. Just last June, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) set the theme of this year’s Environment Month, “Aksyon Para sa Natatanging Mundo”, to highlight its persistent commitment to the environment and Filipinos, as it continues to protect the country’s natural resources despite the threats and challenges imposed by the pandemic. 

In recent times, such threats include the indispensable role of waste accumulated by the healthcare sector for the past two years. As standard operating procedures for the prevention of COVID-19 transmission demand the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), which include but are not limited to face masks, hand gloves, and face shields, the pandemic doesn’t only bring along the virus but also several negative impacts on the environment. Although given its inevitability, somehow, the transmission side-tracks everyone globally from climate action. 

In a study in 2021, it was estimated that the Philippines discards 41,202,485 face masks per day; however, given the gradual shift from online to hybrid modality in most schools and workplaces, it is guaranteed that the given amount will be heightened. As the pandemic progresses, it was also estimated that the country generates 8,218,580.85 tons of plastic waste annually, which is around 5.5 million more compared to the data gathered in 2019, where 2.7 million tons of plastic waste were produced. 

In line with this, one prominent observation found in many Filipinos concerns the citizens’ lack of knowledge about waste management, particularly on segregation, handling, and disposal of waste—the least thing one could do to contribute to attaining sustainability. In the Philippines, two main types of solid waste management include landfilling and the 3 R’s, also known as Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle. These methods are often taught to students but usually stay within the four walls of the schools as they are not reflected in their respective households. The lacking practice in waste management is, however, significantly influenced by what they see from garbage collectors, who often fail to practice proper segregation as they collect trash from different households. This is more so a product of the lack of implementation and enforcement of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, a law passed to mandate segregation in each local government unit. 

Due to the apparent lack of support and attention from the government, mismanagement and improper disposal of PPEs continue to contribute to plastic pollution. Thus, it shouldn’t come as a shock that the Philippines remains to be identified as one of the major contributing countries to pollution. As of 2022, there are still no explicit laws regarding the management of single-use plastics, which says a lot about “Aksyon Para sa Natatanging Mundo.” Upon knowing the state of the Philippine environment, the said initiative appears to be performative, given how ironic DENR displayed a theme to actually act on the problem, but seemed to be committed to both neglecting the enforcement of different laws the country has today and coming up with short-term programs for an issue that clearly requires long-term solutions. 

While the national government has been ignoring the threats of the issue, several cities have implemented regulations regarding the management of plastic bags and single-use plastics within their jurisdiction through regulatory and information-based instruments. However, despite their initiative, the plastic generation rate remains high, and waste management is still causing much trouble to the country. 

In light of current events, the consequences of the flawed administration are evidently manifested in the devastation of the country from the recent typhoons—the strength of which is all the more amplified due to the effects of climate change. With COVID-19 in the background, these consequences have also played a part in contributing to threatening the livelihoods of Filipinos. Waste runoff continues to cause clogs in waterways and drainage systems, posing a long-lasting tribulation in the environment. 

As it is, the issue, once again, is another exhibit of misaligned priorities and flawed governance. Is having a solid implementation of laws instead of using the citizens’ taxes to fund contractors to pick up trash another example of the lack of intellectual capacity of the government, or is it intended? This is one of the many questions left unanswered due to the notorious incompetence of the people in position. As of today, no one has ever figured out what the government considers as “immediate concerns” that need “immediate addressing.”

Unlike the administration, there is consistency in the strong environmental activism among Filipinos, but alongside the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, it remains neglected. As the Philippines continues to deteriorate as it suffers from the problem regarding plastic waste, we continue to demand from our leaders, even though it might seem like our voices will, as usual, be overlooked.