Chapter I

Introduction

Background of the Study

Areas in the Asian countries is the tangible environmental issues on air and water
pollution such as illegal dumping, uncontrolled dumpsites, unsegregated wastes, and clogged
waterways. These issues stem from poor solid waste management practices which have become a
consequence of fast economic growth, industrialization, and rising population with increasing
income and better lifestyle. In 2016, about 1,200 million tons of municipal solid wastes or
MSW’s (e.g. plastics, papers, glass, metal, and food) were generated in Asia and the Pacific and
this is expected to further increase in the following years. It is projected that the generation of
these waste materials will continue to surge until its universal peak as far as 2100. MSW’s are
identified to be coming from the household, commercial, industrial (due to construction and
demolition), agricultural, institutional, and a combination of any of the waste sources. In most
cases, household and commercial wastes cannot be distinguished and are categorized together as
urban wastes.

This global issue will persist unless relevant and forceful sustainability measures are
being implemented. These measures can involve strict implementation and enforcement of solid
waste management (SWM) policies on a com- munity level, which requires the active
involvement of community and waste management stakeholders to ensure successful results. At
present, SWM policies have become a vital component for institutions and governments that
should be able to put all of these elements in place segregation, collection, transport, materials
recovery, treatment, and disposal. For many developing countries, the 3R’s (reduce, reuse,
recycle) strategy is the ultimate choice, amongst many, as far as SWM policies are concerned
with the aim of minimizing the volume of MSW’s. Unfortunately, the enforcement and
implementation of SWM policies and strategies are still a challenge in many developing
countries including the Philippines.

RA 9003 aims of creating an integrated SWM system; hence it mandates the provision of
mate- rial recovery facilities (MRFs) in all barangays that are in line with the reduction, reuse,
recycle scheme. Moreover, LGUs adopt sanitary land- fills instead of illegal burning or open
dumping. However, landfills have been reaching their maximum capacity and so necessary
measures are proposed. As an example, Cebu City which is one of the highly urbanized centers
in the central Philippines set a landfill waste reduction of 50% for the year 2015 [11]. Some
notable efforts of reducing landfill disposal are the establishment of the city’s composting
schemes, extending from backyard, community-based, and business-led composting initiatives.
These arrange- ments are usually on small scale (less than 1 t d-1) and depend on segregated
waste from the local community. Moreover, City Ordinance No. 2013 (Mandating garbage
segregation at source. Categorization of waste. Establishment of fines) orders garbage
segregation at source according to four waste classifications: 1) biodegradable or compostable
wastes, 2) non-biodegradable wastes, 3) reusable or recyclables wastes and 4) bulky wastes, with
penalties for violations. Following the adoption, in April 2011 of the resolution 'No Segregation,
No Collection Scheme' and City Ordinance No. 2343, better known as the 'No Plastic Saturday
Ordinance of the City of Cebu,' the use of plastic shopping bags as primary packaging for
products in commercial establishments is banned for non- compliance every Saturday with
appropriate penalties [18]. However, the MSW manage- ment implementation of LGUs in the
Philippines is still very limited even with the thorough

reform introduced in the creation of RA 9003 [11]. The LGU’s primary responsibility is the
implementation and enforcement of the pro- visions in the law in their area of jurisdictions.
Hence, it is then thought that waste segregation and collection should be enforced at the
barangay level specifically for biodegradable, compostable, and reusable wastes. It is further
expected that the barangay will ensure 100% collection coverage of the waste from residential,
commercial, in- dustrial, and agricultural sources.

The study aimed to assess the current SWM practices of the barangay residents as com- munity
participants and the level of barangay implementation of the SWM policy to determine
compliance and degree of participation as mandated in the RA 9003 in terms of waste
segregation, collection and transport, recycling and composting practices and programs,
incentives and implementation of the penalties and fines as well as public education and
information to solid waste management plans and programs of the barangay. Other solid waste
management studies focused on gaps limited in the management of wastes [19], however,
research works both on policy implementation and stakeholder or community participation are
understudied. Management of solid waste is regarded as one of the main issues that have to be
dealt with daily to control the rapid increase of wastes generated by people passing through
towns and cities. Thus, the activities involving waste management are decided upon and carried
out by the different stakeholders including the government and the individuals populating the
city [20]. The government is the one who is mainly responsible for waste minimization and
implementing waste management [21]. The term

“responsible units” refers to the local govern- ment units responsible for implementing ways for
waste minimization such as recycling and composting and almost all of the responsible units
which represent about 99% of the popu- lation of a state receive state-funded grants for a portion
of the costs of operating the local waste minimization programs [22]. Although the programs
conducted by the government are for the common good, this may not be successful without the
help of the public. A study empha- sized the importance of public participation which
unfortunately receives very little attention [23]. A plethora of researches has stipulated that
participation, attitude, and behavior are impor- tant elements in the success of solid waste
management programs in every society [24]. The attitude and awareness of people affect every
stage in the solid waste management process - from household waste storage to waste
segregation, recycling, collection, and waste disposal [25]. The habit, attitude towards target,
punishment, and rewards are factors affecting human attitude [26]. Attitude can positively be
affected through building awareness campaigns and projects, and education that informs people
about their responsibility as waste contributors and informs the negative effects of improper
waste management in the environment and public health. To prolong and uphold a waste
management system, participation of the com- munity is a prerequisite even by simply storing
wastes in a proper way and time and segregating recyclables from other wastes. Thus, the
concep- tualization, formulation and implementation of waste management must require the
under- standing and analysis of the beliefs, behavior, and attitude of community individuals [27].

The target level for both barangay residents and implementers are 100% compliance with
the mandate of the Act whose indicators are manifested in the SWM components being assessed
in this study. These indicators include the segregation of wastes, collection, and transport, reuse
and recycle programs, composting, incen- tives, public information, and information, penalties,
and fines. The legislation describes segregation as a solid waste management method by
separating multiple waste stream products to facilitate resource recovery and reuse and decrease
the volume of waste to be collected and disposed of. The law further directs that Material
Recovery Facilities (MRFs) shall be set in every barangay or cluster of barangays. The MRF
comprises a solid waste transfer station or sorting station, a drop-off center, a composting
facility, and a recycling facility. MRFs assist to reduce the volume of wastes to be disposed of
primarily through recycling, composting, and residual treatment. The waste management act
outlines collection of waste as the policy of removing solid waste from the source or a shared
storage point. The law additionally orders the use of separate collection vehicles, schedules,
and/or separate trucks or haulers for specific types of wastes. The vehicles used for solid waste
processing and transport have sufficient compartments to allow the effective handling of
segregated waste during transit. LGUs are mainly accountable for the collection of solid wastes.
Waste segregation and collection are carried out primarily for biodegradable/ compostable and
reusable/recyclable waste at the barangay level.
 Environmental planning as defined in Republic Act No. 10587 (2012), is also known as
urban and regional planning, city planning, town and country planning, and/or human
settlements planning, refers to the multi-disciplinary art and science of analyzing, specifying,
clarifying, harmonizing, managing and regulating the use and development of land and water
resources, in relation to their environs, for the development of sustainable communities and
ecosystems. Although planning is a fundamental human activity, planned development has its
roots in colonial periods (Sandalo et al., 2022).

Intensive environmental planning and management began some centuries ago due to the
industrial revolution. There was a need to talk of environmental issues due to deteriorating
quality of life because of high migration rates from rural to urban areas leading to congestion and
poor living conditions.

The need of environmental planning became a necessity owing to the fact that man was
acting towards a complex lifestyle that damaged the environment by a wider margin than in
earlier days. Population growth had increased and so man wanted more space to live in and farm
on to produce food for the growing population. The cutting down of trees became an issue and
prompted the need of a proper plan to curb the environmental degradation due to depletion of
forests especially in the developing nations.

Some of environmental problems that brought to the world attention to the deteriorating
and careless use of the environment includes the following: The 1952 London smog disaster,
major oils spills of the 20th and 21st century, the Baia mare cyanide spill-Rumania, the European
BSE crisis, Spanish wastewater spill-Aznalcollar and many more.

With this consideration to the above environmental hazards and accidents during the 20th
Century and early 21st century it was necessary that man had to plan on how to manage his
environment for a better today and tomorrow. This prompted the need to plan and manage the
environment to avoid or reduce environmentally related impacts and accidents in the future.

Now where in an era where sustainable development is paramount, understanding

environmental planning towards sustainable development and environmental planning laws in
the Philippines is crucial. This research paper aims to provide empathetic insight into the
planning situation at the grass roots level of how a local government unit manages the
environmental impact amidst the growing economy of its locality. In this research paper also will
closely look into the planning and budgeting of a local government unit in emphasizing the
importance of preserving the environmental areas in shaping a sustainable future.
Statement of the Problem

The study aimed to assess how the theory and concept of environmental planning in the
Philippines plays a role in crafting in their plans. Specifically, the researchers sought answers to
the following questions:

1. What are the features of the theory and concepts of environmental planning in
solid waste management (SWM) in the Philippines?
2. How effective is the theory and concepts of environmental planning in solid waste
management in the Philippines in terms of:
a. source reduction of wastes generated at source;
b. resource recovery;
c. recycling and reuse of wastes at the barangay;
d. efficient collections;
e. proper transfer and transport of wastes by city/municipality;
f. efficient management of residuals; and
g. final disposal.
3. What intervention plan will be recommended based on the findings?
4. How to address the rapid urbanization and industrialization that often leads to
environmental degradation, loss of biodiversity and increased vulnerability to
natural disaster.
5. What are the strategies in implementing strong/strict enforcement of the
environmental regulations?
6. How to integrate environmental considerations in urban and regional planning?

Research Objectives

The objective of this research is to conduct an assessment of the theory and concept of
environmental planning in the Philippines. The specific goals are as follows:

1. To assess the laws that govern environmental planning in the Philippines.

2. To assess the effectiveness of the laws that govern environmental planning in the
Philippines.
3. To develop an intervention plan that is based on the findings of the research.

To achieve the aforementioned objectives, research in environmental planning theory and

concepts in the Philippines should focus on several key areas including policy analysis,
ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and
social equity and environmental justice.

Significance of the Study

This research paper discusses the pivotal role of environment governance and the
management of natural resources in a country’s sustainable development trajectory. It
 exemplifies alternative management approaches applied to water resources as a primary
natural asset and suggests alternate strategies for addressing the complexities around
environment governance. The evolution of environment governance in the Philippines is
described together with its ranking on environment performance and the strategy being
adopted in the current Philippine Development Plan 2023-2028 to mainstream ecological
integrity in the socioeconomic agenda to ensure quality of life for all Filipinos. The state
and governance of the country’s water resources is described and analyzed through the
policy, public administration system and regulatory framework that directs water delivery
to citizens. Total asset management approach is recommended as an innovative
governance mechanism to enable the administration towards achieving water security.
Given the intersectoral dimensions of environment governance, this paper further shares
insights and illustrates collaborative and competitive governance approaches as
alternative strategies that can help integrate environment governance within national and
subnational strategies. Further the paper highlights the importance of assessing and
evaluating policy effectiveness and measure of environment performance as a means for
improving environment governance for a stronger path towards sustainable development.

Scope and Limitation

The theory and concept of environmental planning in the Philippines encompass a broad
scope that addresses various facets of sustainable development, conservation, disaster risk
reduction, policy formulation and socioeconomic considerations. The scope of this field includes
the integration of environmental considerations into land use planning, infrastructure
development, natural resource management, and climate change adaptations. Additionally, it
extends to the promotion of environmental justice, community participation and international
commitments related to environmental conservation and sustainable development. It also
involves the application of principles such as adaptive management, ecosystem-based
approaches, environmental impact assessment and precautionary principle. Furthermore, it
encompasses the consideration of urban and rural development, the management of protected
areas and the sustainable utilization of natural resources.

While the scope of environmental planning theory in the Philippines is extensive, it is

important to acknowledge certain limitations which may include the regulatory enforcement,
data and information gaps, integrating traditional knowledge, capacity and expertise, funding and
resource allocation, coordination and collaboration and climate change uncertainties.
Overcoming these limitations requires concerted efforts in the capacity building, data collection,
stakeholder engagement, and policy innovation to ensure that environmental planning effectively
addresses the complexities of environmental management and conservation in the country.