Breaking waste management law causes dumpsite disasters – Legarda

Senator Loren Legarda has accused authorities of failing to enforce the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which she helped draft, following recent landfill collapses in Cebu and Rizal that resulted in multiple deaths. Speaking during a joint hearing of the Senate committees on environment, natural resources, and climate change, and public works, Legarda highlighted the dangers of operating open dumpsites instead of properly engineered sanitary landfills. On January 8, a 10-story pile of garbage collapsed in Cebu, killing 36 people. Another incident occurred on February 20 in Rizal, resulting in one fatality. Both incidents revealed serious lapses in the operation and oversight of waste disposal sites, according to Legarda. She emphasized that these sites are not compliant with the standards set by the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which was signed into law in 2001 as Republic Act No. 9003. Legarda outlined several issues uncovered during the hearing, including workers' quarters and a Materials Recovery Facility constructed beneath an unstable waste slope, unaddressed worker safety concerns, lack of daily soil cover over waste, an inactive monitoring team, insufficient onsite inspections, and toxic leachate polluting waterways that feed into Laguna de Bay. These conditions, she argued, place communities at unnecessary risk. Legarda reiterated that the problem is not new. As a young senator in her first term, she authored the bill that became RA 9003, responding to the 2000 Payatas dumpsite tragedy, which claimed hundreds of lives. Despite her efforts, she noted that enforcement of the law has remained inconsistent. A Commission on Audit report found that only 39 percent of barangays nationwide have functioning Materials Recovery Facilities, indicating widespread non-compliance. Legarda called for an investigation into the recent disasters through her proposed Senate Resolutions 303 and 338. She urged lawmakers to consider amending RA 9003 if necessary to address ongoing implementation challenges. Her statements reflect a growing concern about the environmental and human toll of inadequate waste management practices. The repeated failures to comply with existing regulations have led Legarda to warn that the legacy of the Payatas tragedy is once again being realized. She stressed that communities should not be placed near dumpsites due to the inherent risks, just as no one would live along the banks of a river or stream. The same principles apply to waste disposal sites, she said, emphasizing that people's safety must not be compromised by negligence or lax adherence to the law. Legarda’s remarks come amid increasing scrutiny of waste management practices across the country. Recent reports indicate that several sanitary landfills are in critical condition, raising fears of potential fires and further environmental degradation. The need for stricter enforcement of existing laws and improved infrastructure for waste disposal remains urgent. Legarda’s push for reform highlights the broader challenge of implementing environmental policies effectively. While the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act provides a legal framework for proper waste handling, its success depends on consistent application at the local level. Without adequate resources and commitment from local governments, the risk of future disasters persists.