DENR open to amending Solid Waste Law as gaps mark 25 years of RA 9003
Garbage trucks were seen lined up to unload trash in a sanitary landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal on Wednesday, January 14, 2026. After a landfill landslide in Cebu City that trapped several individuals and claimed life, environmental group Greenpeace urged the Philippine government to act with urgency and demonstrate strong political will in addressing plastic pollution. The group stressed the need for the strict enforcement of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 (Republic Act No. 9003), a law enacted in the aftermath of the Payatas tragedy, which aims to prevent waste through source reduction and proper segregation, including the regulation of single-use plastics and the promotion of reuse systems.
Photo by Analy Labor for DAILY TRIBUNE
Following the 25th anniversary of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it is open to amending the law amid persistent challenges in its implementation.
DENR Secretary Raphael Lotilla acknowledged that the law, enacted in 2000, has gaps, particularly as rapid urbanization continues to strain the country’s waste management systems. He cited the Cebu Baliwan landfill incident as a reminder of the consequences of weak compliance.
“We acknowledge that there are challenges. Implementation has been uneven. Urbanization continues to generate pressure on our waste systems, and incidents like the one that took place in the Cebu landfill tragedy remind us of the cost of weak compliance,” Lotilla said on Tuesday.
Lotilla stressed the need for stricter enforcement of waste segregation at source, noting that compliance with solid waste management plans among local government units (LGUs) remains inconsistent compared with the total volume of waste generated nationwide.
DENR data showed that 1,515 out of 1,642 LGUs, or about 92 percent, have submitted their 10-year solid waste management plans. However, only around 53 percent of the total waste generated nationwide is disposed of in sanitary landfills, with the remainder often improperly managed.
DENR Assistant Secretary and concurrent Environmental Management Bureau Director Jacqueline Caancan said that Metro Manila alone generated around 4.34 million metric tons of garbage in 2025.
“Ang NCR kasi ay nasa 9,000 metric tons per day ang waste generation. Around 4,340,000 metric tons last year, 2025,” Caancan said.
She added that strict household-level segregation could significantly reduce the volume of trash, sharing her own experience.
“Definitely, kasi ginagawa ko sa bahay. Tiningnan ko kung posible kapag nagse-segregate ka sa household mo. I only generate this much—sa isang buwan, isang plastic bag,” Caancan said.
However, Caancan emphasized that household segregation must be complemented by adequate infrastructure, such as functional material recovery facilities (MRFs), to be effective.
“Kailangan i-complement kasi ng infrastructure gaya ng material recovery facility. Ikaw sa bahay mo, mag-segregate ka, pero wala kang dadalhan ng recyclables mo, mamomroblema ka,” she explained.
Caancan underscored that proper waste management infrastructure is essential to ensure recyclable waste is converted back into raw materials, supporting the shift toward a circular economy.