While national and local interventions during the pandemic are largely focused on protecting lives and economies, management of waste is also essential to minimise long-term risks to human and environmental health.

In line with the celebration of the Philippine Environment Month this June, the Commission on Human Rights lauds the effort of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in completing the closure of the 335 open dumpsites all over the country, and on its continued commitment to strictly enforce Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The environmental degradation we are exposed to in our daily lives can lead to very serious and continuing violations of our human rights. People’s health, food and water safety, housing, and overall well-being can be negatively affected by improper disposal of waste and hazardous materials.

Some of the health and environmental risks of illegal dumpsites include the contamination of soil and water; increased risks of natural disasters and health issues; and disruption of wild life. Unlike sanitary landfills, illegal dumpsites do not have built-in systems and constant monitoring for environmental safety.

RA No. 9003 specifically bans the use of open dumpsites for solid waste by any person including local government units (LGUs). We commend that appropriate cases have been filed by the DENR against public officials who have not fully complied with the law in their capacity as heads of LGUs.

Waste management requires integrated assessments and holistic approaches for its solution. While we support the successful efforts of LGUs in their crafting and implementation of their own local solid waste management plan, detailing their framework for reusing, recycling, and composting waste in their jurisdiction, we emphasise that waste disposal system has to be simple and accessible for common people for it to work.

Due to the pandemic, the collection of waste from certain locations such as quarantine facilities, lockdown areas, and isolation centers pose a different set of hazards to local communities since they may be potentially infected with the coronavirus. In this view, the Commission calls for the stricter monitoring of LGU’s compliance with the National Solid Waste Management Commission’s (NSWMC) Resolution No. 1364 series of 2020 or the Interim Guidelines on the Management of Covid-19 Related Health Care Waste, especially that there is a notable increase in medical and personal protective equipment wastes.

With or without the pandemic, the CHR underscores that from national to household levels, there is an urgent call for waste management to be treated as essential public service. This will not only improve environmental sustainability and health outcomes but will surely contribute to the full enjoyment of our basic human rights. ###