Denmar L.

Cruz

CHAPTER 1

THE PROBLEM AND ITS SETTING

1.1 Introduction

Every country is now faced with serious environmental challenges

concerning waste management due to rapid urban development,
industrialization and population growth.

The disposal of waste materials has become a race between

education and catastrophe. By man’s activities, the environment is
disturbed and degraded resulting to the disruption of the ecological
balance. It also resulted to generations of wastes due to improper
usage of energy and resources. Solid waste is not partially dangerous
but it is very harmful as it accumulates. It can contaminate our
surroundings building breeding grounds for different kinds of health
problems.

According to the National Solid Waste Management Commission, the

Philippines’ waste generation continues to rise as they calculated that
from 37,427.46 tons per day in 2012, the country’s waste generation
steadily increased to 40,087.45 tons in 2016 with an estimated average
per capita waste generation of 0.40 kilograms per day for both urban
and rural. The National Capital Region (NCR), as expected, generated
the biggest volume of wastes for the past five years due to its
population size, bigger number of establishments and modernized
lifestyle. With an estimated population of 12 million people,
Metropolitan Manila generated 9,212.92 tons per day of wastes in 2016.
It is followed by Region 4A with waste generation of 4,440.15 tons per
day (11.08%) and Region 3 with 3,890.12 tons per day (9.70 %) (NSWC).

This huge amount of waste is a problem, and the question is how

to deal with this waste crisis. The situation itself is very alarming
and if not addressed, its side effects could be catastrophic. Waste
management is crucial to reducing the negative impacts of waste on the
environment and to human beings.
Denmar L. Cruz

As it caught the attention of both national and international

government, they have committed to establish efficient waste management
within their respective territories to minimize the negative effects of
wastes.

1.2 Background of the Study

Before the implementation of the ecological solid waste

management, there were no proper programs regarding disposal of wastes.

Like any other developing countries, Philippines have struggled

to manage its resources as its population grew. Rapid urbanization and
development have resulted to increase of waste. This condition have
created both environmental and health problems due to inability of both
local and national government to address the matter.

Wastes hazardous or not were all thrown together on open dump

sites.

Waste Management Commission shows that there were 677 open

dumpsites, 343 controlled dumps, and 21 landfills in the Philippines.
About 215 additional landfills are being proposed to be set up
nationwide. And because Philippines had no strong policy regarding
waste management at that time, there were instances that foreign
countries would illegally ship their wastes in containers just because
Philippines were still using open dump site.

The improper management of wastes has resulted to manmade

catastrophes.

In September 27, 2009, hurricane Ondoy caused a nationwide

flooding in the Philippines. Leaving behind 10 times the usual garbage
accumulated in Manila. Not only was the flood disastrous but the flood
water actually contained various kinds of wastes and toxic waste.

An undeniable effect of the improper management of waste would

be pollution. Through rapid development, humans have invented
containers that eventually would be the reason for environmental
destruction; the Plastic. Without proper knowledge and programs
Denmar L. Cruz

regarding waste disposal, plastics were thrown everywhere and has

already reached the deepest parts of the sea. Not only are the bodies
of water getting dirty but even the marine animals are facing life
threatening situations because of Plastic. It has reached the deepest
parts of the sea that these animals are unknowingly and unavoidably
been eating it.

Another well known example of environmental destruction due to

improper management of waste would be Manila bay and Pasig River.
Seventy-six percent of the garbage found in Manila Bay was made of
plastic and fifty-one percent were plastic bags.

These are only few of the man made catastrophes that resulted
from improper management of wastes.

The City of Calapan has a calculated waste generation of 48,000

kilograms per day. It is 45 percent higher than the 2012 waste
generation record. The per capita per day solid waste generation for
Calapan City is 0.3563kg./day. This only shows that the continuous
urbanization of Calapan City has dramatically increased its volume of
generated wastes daily.

The City has also struggled to make its own policies and
ordinances regarding solid waste management. A timeline of the city’s
ordinances showed that the waste management of Calapan started at a
very specific and simple way.

Table 1. Calapan City Ordinances on Waste Management

YEAR ORDINANCE
Resolution no. 131, Ordinance no. 9

1973 an ordinance prohibiting littering and requiring

trash cans or refuse containers to be provided
in every building and public conveyance.
Denmar L. Cruz

Resolution No. 97, Ordinance 03-95

1995 an ordinance to promote cleanliness in

calapan by prohibiting littering and dumping of
garbage in the streets, public places, rivers,
and coastal waters, regulating the disposal of
waste and garbage materials, and providing
penalties for violations thereof.

resolution no. 279, city ordinance no. 10

1998 an ordinance that will establish an ecological

waste processing center and an organic
fertilizer plant, as well as inform the people
of calapan on the concept of sorting and
recycling waste, and to appropriate funds
therefore.

2004
Resolution No. 276, Ordinance No. 9

an ordinance creating the calapan city solid

waste management board that shall prepare,
submit, and implement a plan for the safe and
sanitary management of solid waste generated in
its geographical and political coverage.

Resolution No. 636, Ordinance No. 23

2008 an ordinance amending section 13 of resolution

no. 97, ordinance no. 03-95 entitled “an
ordinance to promote clealiness in calapan city
by prohibiting littering and dumping of garbage
in the streets, public places, rivers and
coastal waters regulating the disposal of waste
and garbage materials and providing penalties
for violations thereof” and for other purposes.
Denmar L. Cruz

The relationship between population growth and industrialization

to the increase in waste materials can be observed on the continuous
amendments on the city ordinances regarding waste management. While the
city enjoys its development, it also suffers from the growing waste
generated in areas of its geographical and political cover.

To prevent further complications, an ordinance was made to

establish the solid waste management board that shall plan, prepare and
implement programs for the proper disposal of wastes. The City of
Calapan had to formulate a specific solid waste management program. By
implementing the said ordinances, it recognizes the need and importance
of waste management in securing a healthy environment.
Denmar L. Cruz

1.4 Theoretical framework

The European Council Directive on Waste defines waste management

as collection, transport, recovery and disposal of waste, including the
supervision of such operations and after-care of disposal sites. Being
a descriptive definition, waste management consequently should mean the
‘collection, transport, recovery and disposal of objects that their
holders discard.’ Clearly, this definition suggests that waste
management is merely manipulation of discarded things. Waste management
is thus activity upon material.

The word ‘management’ actually indicates manipulation of activity,

and it is argued that waste management encompass more than just merely
treatment of waste[9]. Waste management entails strategic planning,
prescribing options, prevention of the contamination of environment and
conservation of resources, minimizing the amount and toxicity of waste
creation choosing the best treatment option, with taking into
consideration legislation, assessing effects and consequences and
decision making [10].

Since waste management entails strategic planning, legislations

and decision making, this study is anchored to the Green Politics
Ideology (Naess, 1989).

Green Politics or ecopolitics is an ideology that aims to create

an ecologogically sustainable society rooted in environmentalism,
nonviolence, social justice, and grassroots democracy.

Green Politics resulted to the formation of NGO‟s like Greenpeace

and other ecological warriors‟ campaigning for the issues of pollution
and environmental movements [11]. Moreover, Green Politics addresses
three major problems; Resource, Sink and Ethical. Sink Problems, to
which this study is concerned attempts to address the issues done by
waste generation through pollution reduction, increased recycling and
develop new technologies that are less likely to give off pollution
(Heywood, 2011).

Another theory is the Rational-Choice Theory. It is a framework

for understanding and often formally modeling social and economic
Denmar L. Cruz

behavior (Lawrence E. Blume and David Easley, 2008). The basic premise
of rational choice theory is that aggregate social behavior results
from the behavior of individual actors, each of whom is making their
individual decisions. The theory also focuses on the determinants of
the individual choices (methodological individualism).

According to Sodaro (2004) Rational Choice Theory believes that

the behavior of human beings is motivated by self-interest seeking to
increase gains and reduce costs. Therefore, actions and decisions made
by every person is a product of thinking that will benefit him.

Waste management did not pose a threat and problem not until
urbanization, increase in population and decrease of land mass occur
[12]. Through Green Politics, the world fronts serious environmental
issues that if neglected will definitely be at the human races‟
disadvantage. Upon realizing these, under the Rational-Choice Theory,
the disasters that go with improper waste management, actions and
different measures were taken by institutions particularly the
government [13].

The lawmakers of the Philippines authored and passed Ecological

Solid Waste Management (ECOSWAM) also known as Republic Act 9003.
ECOSWAM presented a complete pursuit to the dilemmas of SWM. It
provides the plan of the government “to adopt a systematic,
comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program that will
ensure the protection of public health and environment” (RA 9003, Art.
1, Sec. 2). The act led the creation of Solid Waste Management and
Board National Solid Waste Management Commission in every Local
Government Unit (LGU) making LGUs accountable in implementing services
of ECOSWAM (Corinthia & Tucsan, 2008). It mandates the SWM of the
provincial/city, municipality and barangay level to implement, require
reduction, segregation, recycling and recovery of waste. Local
government units are also ordered to collect, transfer, treat and
dispose solid wastes.
Denmar L. Cruz

1.4 Statement of the problem

This study sought to know the assessment of the solid waste

management programs of Calapan City.

Specifically, this research answered the following questions:

1. What are the capabilities and constraints of the solid waste

management programs of Calapan?
2. What are the problems that affect the solid waste management
programs?

1.5 Conceptual framework

1. Determining the
1. Waste Collection capabilities and
constraints of the
programs through Further
PROCCESS

2. Materials Recovery face to face improvement of the

INPUT

Facilitiy interviews and Solid Waste

OUTPUT

observations. Management
2. Gathering of program of Calapan
3. Sanitary Landfill informations through City
secondary data
4. Information sources.
Campaign 3. Determining
problems that affect
programs of the solid
waste management.

The first table illustrates the factors affecting the solid waste
management programs of Calapan which serves as an input or independent
variable in this study.

The second table illustrates the process in which the researcher

made to gather information.
Denmar L. Cruz

And the third table illustrates the outcome or the status of the
solid waste management programs of Calapan.

The arrows that link the independent variables to the dependent

variables and both variables to their output signify the hypothesized
relationship.

1.6 Scope and limitations

This study focused on the assessment of the existing solid waste

management programs of Calapan City.

This study was limited to the selected implementers of the solid

waste management programs of Calapan and its community stakeholders who
were chosen purposively for this study. The data gathering procedure is
limited to the conducted interview method which was developed by the
researcher for the purpose of the study.

1.7 Significance of the study

Results of this study will be useful to the following:

Barangays and its citizens. Findings of the study could be used to

guide barangay officials in improving the compliance of its citizens to
the solid waste management programs of their respective barangays.

Program Administrators. This study may serve as a guide and reference

for program administrators to plan and devise new strategies for better
implementation.

Students. This study can be a reference to students undertaking similar

studies.

Future Researchers. This research can be used as reliable source of

data and information for another depth analysis and study.

Definition of Terms
Denmar L. Cruz

For better clarification and understanding of the terms related to this

study, the following are defined conceptually and operationally: