Ombudsman Jesus Crispin “Boying” Remulla said the government must first improve waste segregation before relying on waste-to-energy systems to address the country’s garbage problem.

“It is easy to say to put up waste-to-energy, but still we need to understand the culture of waste,” Remulla said during his Saturday radio session, responding to his co-host’s comments about waste-to-energy systems in foreign countries and their application in the Philippines.

“Because wet garbage has a different composition, it should really be separated,” he added.

Remulla pointed out that waste segregation is not widely observed in the country, emphasizing that local government units must enforce proper waste collection and segregation.

“It is up to the LGUs; they have the budget,” he said, noting that local governments are the enforcing agencies responsible for implementing solid waste management.

The Ombudsman stressed that LGUs should not collect unsegregated waste and should impose fines on individuals who fail to properly segregate their garbage.