Solid waste management, sanitary landfills, recycling

REVIEW OF THE PHILIPPINE SOLID WASTE

MANAGEMENT SECTOR PROJECT
Jakechris Sicad, PMP

Case Profile

The development of an integrated and systematic Solid Waste Management

System is one of the top priority projects of the government. The Project, herein named
as the Philippine Solid Waste Management Project (PSWMSP), encompasses the 1,635
urban and rural communities in the country. PSWMSP is aligned with the long-term
objectives set forth by the National Solid Waste Management Strategy 2012 – 2016 and
complements the implementation of the Republic Act 9003, also known as the Ecological
Solid Waste Management Act.

In 2013, the Philippine Government sought the assistance of the Asian

Development Bank through a technical assistance grant that will cover the
institutionalization of the solid waste management system in the country. The grant
intends to develop a 10-year strategic solid waste management plan and pursue a
viability study of the proposed long-term plan on identified pilot local government units
(LGUs). The Project Preparatory Technical Assistance was projected to last from
January to December 2013. The project aims to implement a Solid Waste Management
at the local government level, develop solid waste management system infrastructure,
human capabilities, and organizational capability, and strengthen public health,
environment, and ecosystem in the country.

Four local government units (LGUs), which will serve as pilot locations, had been
selected and prioritized based on the criteria and matrix developed by the Asian
Development Bank and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. The
pilot locations are composed of consolidated LGUs under one municipality (Janiuay,
Iloilo), tourist destinations (Boracay Island and Del Carmen, Siargao Island), and an
independent project (La Trinidad, Benguet).

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Situation

Presently, the Philippines is comprised of 42,000 barangays, of which only 8,842

have an established materials recovery facility (MRF). This number of MRFs represents
a compliance rate of 21.05% in the country. MRFs are usually composed of a sorting,
composting, and recycling facility and a drop-off station. As of 2013, only 956 barangays
in Metro Manila have MRFs, representing a compliance rate of 56.07%. Out of the 995
disposal facilities in the country, only 331 of these are controlled dumpsites, while 602
remain as open dumpsites.

The country has 72 sanitary landfills (SLFs) that are operational while another 53
SLFs are still being constructed. Collection of solid waste in the country is only limited to
urban areas where collection efficiency usually varies from 15% to 90%. Waste disposal
from these areas have amounted to 32,300 tons in 2013 and is equivalent to 9.0 million
tons of CO2 per year. Urbanization and projected population growth further aggravate
the solid waste situation of the country. From 1999 to 2013, the annual population
growth of the Philippines average of 1.62 million. This population growth corresponds to
3 live births per minute. This population growth, based on estimates, would require a
$2.9 billion capital investment for the delivery of solid waste management services.
However, only $1.0 billion have been built during this period, an accomplishment that
only meets 34% of the requirement of the exploding population growth of the country.

Critical gaps noted in the present solid waste management practices include: Old
collection trucks; Limited trash bins, MRFs’ space and capacity of dumpsites;
Inadequate manual sorting; Delayed residuals hauling; Inadequate composting ability
and absence of market for generated composts; Lack of proper disposal areas;
Inadequate reporting, safekeeping, and recovery of SWM data; and non-charging of
collection fees on residential areas. These gaps, if not addressed, introduce the risk of
contamination of ground and surface water, flooding in major urban cities, and wastage
of a possible energy source.

The proposed Philippine Solid Waste Management Sector Project is planned to

be piloted in four selected local governments, all of which are selected and prioritized
based on the criteria set by the ADB through the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects
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Office and the DENR through the Environment Management Bureau. The individual
characteristics of each municipality where these projects will be initiated are discussed
below.

Municipality of Janiuay. Janiuay is a municipality in the province of Iloilo that is

host to 16 rural and urban barangays, which covers a population of 66,000 in 2014. This
populace generates a total of 21 tons per day (TPD) of solid waste, while only 16% or
3.5 tons are collected daily. Local government units in Iloilo operate their garbage
collection trucks and utilizes outlawed open dumpsites. Vehicles utilized for garbage
collection are either deteriorating or obsolete.

Municipality of Del Carmen. Del Carmen is a 5th class municipality in Siargao

Island, Surigao Del Norte, which is host to 20 barangays with an estimated total
population of 20,000 in 2014. The solid waste generation in the area is estimated at 5.7
TPD, of which only 10% or 0.54 tons are being collected daily. This dismal collection
performance is invariably linked to the inconsistent frequency of waste collection and the
practice of open dumpsite in the municipality.

Municipality of Malay. Malay, Aklan, one of the dominant hubs of tourism in the
Philippines, had been classified as a first-class municipality. Malay is principally
comprised of 14 barangays in the mainland and four barangays in Boracay Island. The
total population of the municipality of Malay is estimated at 36,000. This population
estimate does not take into account the annual tourist influx in Boracay. Annual tourist
arrivals had been estimated at 1.3 million in 2013 and are expected to exponentially
reach 2.7 million by 2018. This estimated tourist arrival is equivalent to a daily addition of
3,560 people to the current population estimate of Malay, Aklan. In 2014, the equivalent
waste production of this burgeoning population was estimated at 45 tons per day. Unlike
the previously cited municipalities, the Boracay had an established materials recovery
facility system that processes the segregated waste from the island and the Malay
mainland. Residuals from these MRFs are disposed through a sanitary landfill that had
reached its maximum capacity.

Municipality of La Trinidad. La Trinidad, Benguet, a 1st class municipality that is

home to the famous Strawberry Farms, consists of 16 barangays and holds an
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estimated population of 120,0000. Waste generation in the municipality is estimated at

72 TPD while collection efficiency peaks at 83%. This relatively high performance is
attributed to the significant investment of the local government over the past ten years to
improve the quality and state of its solid waste management system. This system and
facility, however, are still inferior compared to those of other developing countries (ADB,
2014).

Review of Related Literature and Studies

It is globally accepted that urbanization and economic progress directly impacts

the volume of waste disposal. A country’s population and gross domestic product (GDP)
are invariably linked to the increasing trend of municipal waste generation. The majority
of the current waste generation around the world is composed primarily of organic and
paper wastes, accounting for 60% to 75% of the total generated wastes. The remaining
percentage of the waste generated is divided into plastic, metal, glass, and other wastes.
The percentage of organic and paper waste is expected to increase in the coming years
given the changing lifestyles in urban and rural areas and the acknowledgment of the
impact of solid waste on the environment, health, and climate. The complexity of the
waste management process, the high cost involved, and intensive coordination required
the involvement of different stakeholders in each stage of the waste process steam.
Hence, an integrated approach to waste management is a necessity in most
municipalities (Memon, n.d.).

The concept of integrated solid waste management (ISWM) had progressively

evolved over the years. Initially, ISWM mainly focused on segregation, collection,
transport, transfer, treatment, and disposal of solid wastes. Eventually, though, ISWM
developed into an overarching management system for all types of wastes and sources
such as residential, commercial, construction, and agriculture, among others. In
essence, ISWM evolved into a process that endorses the achievement of 3R (Reduce,
Reuse, and Recycle), which aims to minimize the volume of solid waste being disposed
of and optimize recovery of materials and energy that can be harnessed from generated
wastes (Memon, 2010).

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In the Philippines, an effort to develop a National Solid Waste Management

Strategy (NSWMS) kicked off and spearheaded by DENR in 2012, almost a decade after
Republic Act 9003 was passed and signed into law. The developed strategy covered the
years 2012 to 2016 and was a collaborative effort between various local governments
and a third party hired by the government. The development of the NSWMS involved
several situational analysis local government units, workshops, formulation of the
strategy, stakeholder consultations, and focused group discussions before a draft
strategy was submitted for review. The Philippine NSWMS captured ten (10)
components, for which critical initiatives were identified. These initiatives are further
detailed with specific key objectives, action items, schedule, target population, and
necessary resources (Acosta et al., 2012).

The initiative to develop the Philippine National Solid Waste Management

System is rooted in the remarkable and exponential growth of the country’s population.
As of 2011, the country already ranked 16th out of 195 countries in terms of population.
The accelerated urbanization of most municipalities and cities contributes and
exacerbate further the solid waste management challenge in the country. For instance,
the urban population of the Philippines was estimated at 43 million in 2010, representing
58% of the total population. In 2010, the urban population hiked to 59 million or about
66% of the total population. By the year 2030, it is projected that the total urban
population shall represent 75% of the total country population (Atienza, 2011).

The Senate of the Philippine Report (2017) estimated that as of 2016, the total
waste generation of the country has already reached 40,087.45 tons per day. Metro
Manila, Calabarzon, and Central Luzon are the top contributor regions for solid wastes.
Hoornweg and Bhada-Tata (2012) projected that municipal solid waste is set to double
by 2025. Almost half (57 percent) of the total generated waste are classified as
residential wastes while remaining wastes are sourced from commercial (27 percent),
industrial (4 percent), and institutional (12 percent) sources. The majority of the waste
being disposed of is composed of biodegradables, which represent 52 percent of the
total waste disposal. Recyclable and residual waste represents 28 percent and 18
percent, respectively, of the total waste composition. The remaining two (2) percent is
composed of special and hazardous wastes (Senate of the Philippines, 2017).

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Actions and Solutions

The technical assistance provided by ADB to the Philippine Government focused

on the three significant deliverables: development of a solid waste information
management for the pilot local government units, identification of proposed investment in
the development of solid waste management facilities at the aforementioned local
government units, and improvement of project and organizational capability during the
implementation of the developed solid waste management plan. The technical
assistance was implemented in two phases. The first phase involved the identification
and prioritization of candidate pilot test local government units. The second phase
involved the development of the actual solid waste management development plans for
the selected LGUs.

Output 1: Solid Waste Management Investments. The first output of the technical
assistance from ADB highlighted the proposed priorities for the SWM investment in each
LGUs. These priorities are discussed below:

 Municipality of Janiuay. In Janiuay, Iloilo, the ADB technical assistance,

proposed the purchase of new waste collection trucks, trash bins, and
sanitary landfill equipment. The old Gibolo dumpsite in the municipality is also
endorsed for closure. A semi-automated materials recovery facility and a
Category 2 Sanitary Landfill is also being proposed for construction.
 Municipality of Malay. The purchase of new waste collection trucks, trash
bins, SLF, and MRF equipment is one of the main proposals for the
municipality of Malay in Aklan. Additionally, SWM facilities that need to be
constructed are also being proposed. These facilities include a resource
recovery facility and energy recovery facility in Kabulihan, sanitary landfill Cell
2 and centralized MRFs in Manoc Manoc, and community MRF in Kaiticlan.
The technical assistance further recommends the practice of landfill mining
and MRF cleanups in established landfills and MRFs in the municipality.
 Municipality of La Trinidad. ADB’s technical assistance encouraged the local
government units in La Trinidad, Benguet, to buy new waste collection trucks,
trash bins, and SLF equipment. The access road to the sanitary landfills are

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being proposed for rehabilitation and the existing composting plant in the
municipality upgraded. A new Category 2 Cell 2 SLF is endorsed for
construction, while Cell 1 in the existing landfill is proposed for rehabilitation.
Finally, the practice of landfill mining is also being endorsed.
 Municipality of Del Carmen. In Del Carmen, Siargao Island, the ADB
proposed the purchase of new collection trucks, trash bins, and SLF
equipment. A new MRF and Category 2 SLF is also proposed to be
constructed. Finally, the existing dumpsite in the municipality is
recommended for closure.

Output 2: Information and Knowledge Management Across Several

Stakeholders. The second output of the ADB technical assistance provided
methodologies and platforms for which information is properly disseminated for public
consumption and knowledge from various SWM projects are properly maintained. The
target is to make this information accessible for various stakeholders, ensuring the
availability of lessons learned from other local government units. The individual
stakeholders and proposed information and knowledge management initiatives are
outlined below:

 NSWMC Secretariat/EMB. The technical assistance proposed the

development of a Solid Waste Management database, being a mandated
function of the National Solid Waste Management Commission, which
covered the data from national and regional offices.
 DENR-EMB Regional Offices. ADB recommended the reinforcement of the
DENR-EMB organizational capability in the regional offices in order to ensure
the monitoring of environmental standards, including waste analysis and
characterization. Organizational capability building includes the hiring of
additional human resources and institutionalization of structured training
modules.
 National Ecology Center and Regional Ecology Centers (REC). The ADB
technical assistance recommended upgrade of current training modules for
local government units and incorporated knowledge and skills that are related
to the waste analysis and characterization. The modules are geared towards

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the development and enhancement of the technical skills of SWM-related

agencies, SWM training institutions, and LGU staff.
 Local Government Units. At the local government level, the report from the
ADB recommended the development and enhancement of the monitoring and
evaluation capability of the LGUs in determining compliance with established
standards and criteria for solid waste management. The training was also
recommended to ensure members of the local government units are
articulate in the accounting of solid wastes, fixing of tariffs, operations of
established sanitary landfills, and collection of solid wastes.

Output 3: Improvements in Project Management and Organizational Capability

during Implementation. ADB suggested the utilization of support services from
consultants to handle several aspects of project management such as preliminary and
final engineering design, supervision of the construction of SWM facilities, support in
procurement of materials and disbursement of funds and payments, and monitoring and
evaluation of project performance among others.

The execution of the ADB technical assistance was initially planned to be

performed for eight months, starting from September 2012 to April 2013. The completion
date was automatically revised to synchronize with the completion of the engagement
with technical consultants. The technical assistance experienced further setbacks and
finally was completed in December 2015. The extension was brought about by several
activities such as the expansion of the coverage of the original work scope, inclusion of
other viable technical solutions in the proposed pilot projects, and several engagements
with LGUs and the national government. Since the completion date was already very
close to the May 2016 elections, all of the LGUs put on hold any decisions related to the
proposed solid waste management facilities. The newly elected government officials
introduced new ideas after the general elections. These additional ideas were captured,
and a detailed analysis of the proposals led to an additional request for funding in ADB.
The proposed ideas were submitted to DENR and were submitted by the said agency in
November 2017 to the National Economic Development Authority for implementation.
However, by January 2018, the Philippine Government had shifted already its
focus. Instead of focusing solely on solid waste management, the government took a

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more holistic view and proposed an integrated approach to urban development. The
solid waste management aspect is just a component of this initiative. The change in
focus is brought about by the need to have an updated plan in addressing the solid
waste management challenges in the country as the National Solid Waste Management
Strategy 2012 – 2016 had already lapsed during this period. Hence, the government
canceled the majority of the proposed solutions.

Evaluation

The technical assistance provided by ADB was able to achieve the target outputs
of the initiatives. Four pilot local government units were identified and prioritized based
on the criteria set forth by ADB and EMB. The technical assistance provided a detailed
solid waste management plan for the selected LGUs. The proposed solid waste
management facilities were assessed based on viability, economics, social and
environmental impacts, and organizational capability support required.
Overall, however, the project can be considered as less relevant and less
efficient. The delayed implementation of the proposed solutions made the proposed
solutions obsolete and irrelevant to the new government strategy. Thus, the majority of
the proposed facilities were not materialized. The change in leadership during the May
2016 election also affected the likelihood of the proposed facilities being implemented.
This project performance highlights two important things. First, project
implementation should always be considered in the context in which these projects will
be implemented. The impact of possible changes in leadership in local government can
not only impede its implementation but can also lead to the cancellation of the project if
deemed not a priority of the new leadership. Second and more importantly, the
timeliness of the project implementation should always be aligned to the overall strategy
for which these projects are supporting. Otherwise, late implementation and conclusion
could lead to the obsolescence of the proposed solutions and initiatives of the project.

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REFERENCES
Acosta, V., Paul, J., Lao, C., Aguinaldo, E., and Valdez, M.D.C. (2012). Development of
the Philippines National Solid Waste Management Strategy 2012-2016. Procedia
Environmental Sciences, 16(2012), 9 – 16. doi: 10.1016/j.proenv.2012.10.003
ADB. (2014). Republic of the Philippines: Solid Waste Management Sector Project
Technical Assistance Consultant’s Report. Retrieved from
https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/project-document/76788/45146-001-phi-
pptar.pdf
Memon, M. A. (2010). Integrated solid waste management based on the 3R approach.
Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management, 12(1), 30-40. doi:
10.1007/s10163-009-0274-0
Memon, M. A. (n.d.) Integrated Solid Waste Management [PowerPoint Presentation].
Retrieved from Sustainable Development Goals Knowledge Platform Website:
https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/content/dsd/csd/csd_pdfs/csd-
19/learningcentre/presentations/May%202%20am/1%20-%20Memon%20-
%20ISWM.pdf
Atienza, V. (2011). Review of the Waste Management System in the Philippines:
Initiatives to Promote Waste Segregation and Recycling through Good
Governance. In Kojima, M. and E. Michida (Eds.), Economic Integration and
Recycling in Asia: An Interim Report (pp.65-97). Chosakenkyu Hokokusho:
Institute of Developing Economies.
Senate of the Philippines. (2017, November). Philippine Solid Waste At A Glance.
Retrieved October 21, 2019, from
https://www.senate.gov.ph/publications/SEPO/AAG_Philippine%20Solid%20Was
tes_Nov2017.pdf
Hoornweg, D. and Bhada-Tata, P. (2012). What a Waste: A Global Review of Solid
Waste Management Urban Development Series Knowledge Paper No. 15.
Washington, DC: World Bank.

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