Senator Loren Legarda has called on Filipinos to transform environmental policies into everyday practices, as the country marks National Clean-up Month this September under Proclamation No. 244 (1993) and Presidential Proclamation No. 470 (2003), which also designates every third Saturday of September as International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day.

“As the principal author and principal sponsor of the Climate Change Act of 2009 (RA 9729), and author and principal sponsor of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (RA 9003), I have seen that laws only bring real change when people embrace them,” Legarda said.

“This September, let us rise to the challenge. Protecting our environment demands more than compliance; it requires unity, urgency, and daily commitment. Let us turn this moment into a movement toward a cleaner and more resilient Philippines,” she added.

Citing Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) data, Legarda noted that the Philippines produces about 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, with plastics making up 12 to 24 percent. Each Filipino consumes an average of 20 kilograms of plastic annually, with 15.4 kilograms ending up as waste. The country contributes roughly 36 percent of global ocean plastic pollution, making it the world’s top source of marine waste. She also highlighted that last year’s ICC collected more than 352,000 kilograms of trash from 250 sites in a single day.

“These numbers are visible scars,” Legarda warned. "Flooding and mass displacement are no longer isolated events; these are symptoms of clogged waterways, deforested uplands, and years of poor waste management. The effects of pollution and climate change are not distant threats; they are happening in the present and are costing Filipino lives.”

Legarda pointed to pending measures in the 20th Congress aimed at strengthening environmental protection and enforcement. These include Senate Bill No. 1250, which seeks to establish an Environmental Protection and Enforcement Bureau (EPEB) under the DENR, and Senate Bill No. 1251, or the Philippine Environmental Assessment System Act, which proposes three mechanisms—Strategic Environmental Assessment, Environmental Impact Assessment, and Health Impact Assessment—to align governance with sustainability and health standards.

“Legislation alone won’t solve our environmental challenges,” Legarda emphasized. “We need public participation, local innovation, and sustained community action. As we mark National Clean-up Month and ICC Day or any environmental awareness initiative, I urge my fellow Filipinos to treat these events not as one-time activities but as catalysts for lasting change.”

She added: “Environmental laws are not just words on paper; they are tools for transformation. Let us deepen our commitment to bridge policy and practice, not just this September, but every day. The real change begins when we take ownership of the laws meant to protect us.”