Rubbish revelations:
Dumping PUP’s waste disposal process, problems in summary
WORDS Jannah Argote, Myca Guevarra, Angel Cruzada, John Edmar Pineda, Jennel Mariano
In 2000, the Philippines made an important step to address growing environmental concerns associated with waste disposal. Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, was enacted to mandate the proper segregation, collection, transport, and disposal of solid waste. This legislation aims to promote sustainable waste management practices, reduce pollution, and safeguard public health.
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Presently, however, the amount of waste that Filipinos produce on a daily basis becomes a challenge for proper waste segregation to be implemented. In Metro Manila, an estimated 10,000 tons of garbage are collected everyday. In certain communities and areas, common citizens hardly practice proper waste disposal. This greatly affects the quality of air and water in the city.
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At the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) in Sta. Mesa, Manila, the administration’s efforts to implement waste segregation within university premises have yet to see success. Their existing waste management practices have discrepancies between planned programs and their implementation.
Color-coded trash bins, as well as unlabelled ones, can be seen in the hallways of COC. Photo: Jannah Argote
The university’s primary program for garbage segregation is the provision of separate bins for different types of waste, such as biodegradable, non-biodegradable, and residual. However, there is a lack of awareness among students with regards to this program.
Waste segregation awareness among PUPians, in numbers
Among 58 students surveyed across Mabini campus and the PUP College of Communication (COC), 36 said that they were not familiar with the university’s program on garbage segregation. Only 16 said that they are aware, while 6 students said they were partly aware.
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When asked if they themselves practice garbage segregation on campus, 50 of them said yes, whereas five answered only sometimes. Meanwhile, three students said that they do not employ this practice around campus. The number of students who responded yes appears to be a glimmer of hope in this pressing issue.
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However, this data only covers a tiny fraction of the student population in PUP. More importantly, it does not reflect reality, as the bags of trash that the university’s sanitation personnel collect everyday show a persistent lack of adherence to proper waste segregation among the greater number of PUP students.
A pile of trash bags contain mixed-up non-biodegradable, recyclable and biodegradable wastes. Photo: Jennel Mariano
To underscore the importance of waste segregation, it helps conserve natural resources and minimize pollution. The failure to practice this effectively results in mixed waste streams, undermining recycling efforts and increasing environmental impact. On the other hand, compliance with solid waste management regulations fosters community involvement and awareness, leading to a culture of environmental responsibility and sustainability in communities.
On campus, sanitation personnel face challenges
Responsible for waste management in PUP, the sanitation workers of Starcom play a critical role in overseeing waste collection and disposal. However, despite efforts to implement segregation at the source, the collected waste often ends up mixed due to various factors. Strict time constraints hinder their ability to effectively manage waste segregation on campus.
A cart carrying overloaded trash bags and a bin, pending disposal by Starcom personnel in Mabini campus. Photo: John Edmar Pineda
Starcom sanitation workers collect garbage bags around Charlie del Rosario Building during midday. Photo: Jannah Argote
“Limitado din ‘yung oras namin, magagahol kami kung iisa-isahin namin ‘yan, hindi nga nasusunod ‘yung pagtapon ng mga bata,” a Starcom personnel based in PUP COC said.
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Previous environmental campaigns in PUP have focused on proper waste management. Many color-coded trash bins are also conveniently placed around campus to minimize littering. Unfortunately, these prove to be ineffective as garbage is still being left on kiosks and other areas, and waste inside bins are mixed up. Students sometimes ask what is the proper bin for their trash, according to another Starcom staff member.
Different sorts of garbage fill up a red trash bin, supposedly for residual waste. Photo: Jennel Mariano
Litters such as food and beverage containers can be seen lying on the ground in a resting spot in Mabini campus. Photo: John Edmar Pineda
All of this adds to the challenge of the sanitation workers’ job. It boils down to the students’ lack of knowledge about proper waste management, they said.
Now, who is to blame?
Upon further looking into this issue, it was slowly revealed that individuals who do not practice proper waste disposal on campus are not the only ones accountable. Limited manpower, equipment and resources allocated to waste management worsen this trouble.
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The routine of every Starcom staff member includes collecting trash bags from bins at a specific time, and replacing them with new ones. All the waste fetched in the Mabini campus is temporarily dumped beside the Gabriela Silang Building, where the local government is expected to fetch it for citywide disposal. Similarly, this is also the process being employed by sanitation workers in the other colleges and buildings of PUP.
A shed beside the Gabriela Silang Building serves as a temporary dumpsite for collected garbage in Mabini campus. Photo: Jennel Mariano
A huge pile of trash bags lie in wait for pickup by the Manila LGU for citywide disposal. Photo: Jennel Mariano
However, with only one sanitation personnel assigned per floor, the surveillance and maintenance of separate bins becomes impractical, leading to inefficient waste handling.
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Additionally, the Starcom Manpower Agency has been repeatedly called out in the past few years for their unjust treatment of workers. Sanitation workers in the university have lost their jobs due to contractualization. They also continue to experience delayed salaries and benefits, as well as gatekeeping of their incentives.
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Starcom only recently began managing the university’s sanitation workers after it won a bidding in December 2019 from Unitrend, which formerly employed PUP’s sanitation personnel
Improper garbage segregation as a systemic issue
This problem in waste management extends beyond the university campus to the larger community, particularly concerning waste collection by local government units (LGUs). Despite the utilization of separate waste collection trucks, the observed practice of collecting mixed waste highlights the shortcomings in LGU enforcement and accountability.
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In a broader perspective, the failure of proper waste management initiatives is also found in common households. This is another result of the lack of legal components in this program. The absence of strict penalties for non-compliance with waste segregation guidelines, coupled with limited resources and manpower, undermines efforts to promote proper waste management practices at the local level.
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“Tsaka kada bahay kasi, sari-sariling basurahan ‘yan. Hindi [namin] sila pwedeng pakialaman o bawalan kapag ‘di sila nagse-segregate ng basura kasi wala namang batas o parusa kapag hindi mo hiniwalay ang nabubulok sa ‘di nabubulok ano?” said by a staff of Barangay 628, a nearby community in PUP.
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Every barangay still has limited resources to address this issue. Plastic residuals and sachets are always piling up on every dumpsite. In the so-called “sachet economy”, households in the lower class consume products that come in sachet packaging. Without the proper waste management system, these plastics continue to pile up everywhere.
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On January 16, 2024, the local government of Manila received new equipment that will help with better segregation of garbage. It is called the Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) mobile which was given to them by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It can melt plastics, shred, and pulverize a glass. These features are essential in improving their waste management system. This machine is said to be the city’s concrete action plan in the problems of garbage around Manila.
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The negligence to practice proper waste segregation in the university encapsulates the non-observance of both the university and the LGU. Stricter guidelines on proper waste disposal and additional funds for additional manpower and equipment should be implemented. Moreover, individuals should also find in themselves the initiative and the discipline to comply with CLAYGO or “clean as you go”, and proper disposal of waste inside PUP and elsewhere as everyone has the responsibility to sustain a thriving planet.