Gov't reports improved solid waste management under Marcos admin
Heavy equipment removes mounds of trash at a portion of Recto Avenue in the City of Manila on 26 June 2025. Photos of uncollected garbage in various streets of Manila have been circulating for days already. At least 10,000 tons of garbage are generated in Metro Manila every day, posing a great challenge among local government units in implementing solid waste management and proper waste disposal.
Photo by Toto Lozano for DAILY TRIBUNE
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Friday reported significant progress in solid waste management during the first three years of the administration of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., particularly through the increased number of local government units (LGUs) with approved 10-year solid waste management (SWM) plans.
DENR said that from July 2022 to June 2025, a total of 328 LGUs had their 10-year SWM plans approved, while 41 LGUs had their plans renewed, according to data from the DENR-Environment Management Bureau (EMB). This brings the total number of cities and municipalities with approved and implemented SWM plans to 89 percent (1,416 out of 1,592 LGUs), advancing the Philippine Development Plan’s objective of improving waste management at the local level.
“These plans serve as the foundation for maximizing resource recovery and reducing dependence on landfill disposal,” DENR Secretary Raphael PM Lotilla said. The plans also include strategies for waste collection efficiency, equipment maintenance, and operation of solid waste management facilities, he added.
“Proper implementation of these plans involves segregation at source, waste diversion, and the establishment of local disposal facilities to prevent pollution, especially marine litter,” the environment secretary said.
Recognizing that improper solid waste disposal contributes to flooding and environmental degradation, President Marcos has called on local chief executives to intensify the implementation of environmentally sound waste management practices and waste reduction measures to protect public health and the environment.
Mandated under Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, the 10-year SWM plan requires LGUs to outline programs for reuse, recycling, composting, and the efficient management of waste within their jurisdiction. In addition, LGUs are expected to conduct public information campaigns, establish materials recovery facilities (MRFs) and sanitary landfills (SLFs), and partner with organizations to enhance recycling and waste processing efforts.
The number of operational MRFs increased from 11,779 in 2022 (serving 17,636 barangays) to 12,864 in 2025, now serving 19,464 barangays—or 49.3 percent of all barangays nationwide.
Likewise, the number of operational SLFs grew from 287 (serving 567 LGUs) to 343, currently servicing 748 LGUs, or 49 percent of the country’s 1,515 cities and municipalities.