Running head: SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 1

Causes and Effects of

Improper Solid Waste Management in Baguio City

Duguis, Blessy Penn K.

Kumanab, Nitzchelle L.

Sabelo, Lorie Grace

Sablada, Jessica R.

ENGL 100

April 2020

College of Engineering and Architecture

University of the Cordilleras

Causes and Effects of Improper Solid Waste Management in Baguio City

Solid waste management has been commonly referred to as the act of

gathering and discarding solid materials generally from everywhere specifically from

residences, industrial and commercial facilities, various institutions like schools, prisons

and hospitals, treatment plants and sites, different agricultural related activities and

some other establishments. But in reference to Le Blanc (2019), solid waste

management is rather defined as “the discipline associated with control of generation,

storage, collection, transport or transfer, processing and disposal of solid waste in a way

that best addresses the range of public health, conservation, economic, aesthetic,

engineering and other environmental considerations “(para. 6).In connection, Baguio

City has been undeniably experiencing solid waste management problems these past

few years up until now. Eventually, the city decided to further the campaign of proper

Solid Waste Disposal in all of its existing barangays which could then bring back its

former glory as the City of Pines not just its infamous label as the Summer Capital of the

Philippines. In line with this, the improper solid waste management at the city brought

about by the annual rise of population, lack of discipline among citizens and visitors,

and the lenient implementation of RA 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management

Act of 2000 in the city resulted to consequences being currently experienced by the

locality itself and its citizens even before. The observed, recorded and expected effects

were environmental dilemma, depletion of city resources, and risks of pollution-related

diseases respectively.

Initially, 33, 470 citizens lived in the mountains of Baguio in the year 1950 but this

year, it was estimated to have risen at 372, 680 as the city has grown 27,763 since 2015
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which represents a 1.56 % annual change as the latest revision of the UN World

Urbanization Prospects showed. But with the rise of population in Baguio was also the

increase of garbage and disposable wastes in the city. In a case study entitled Waste

Analysis and Characterisation Study of a Hill Station conducted by Buyucan, Duran and

Lunag (2019), they found that the total waste generated in Baguio City is 402, 776.38 kg

per day, wherein the average per capita waste generation for domestic sources is 0.49

kg per day. In which, solid wastes are composed of biodegradables (41.67%),

recyclables (33.78%), residuals (24.15%) and special wastes (0.40%), with the average

moisture level of the solid waste sample at 57.462%. Concurrently, tourists have been

contributing 19.69% of those wastes during peak events and the only recoverable

wastes were biodegradables and recyclables which have a diversion percentage of

23.28%. In addition, Commission on Audit (COA) said garbage collections in the city

had an average of 50,000 tons in the previous years, but the haul increased to

approximately 56,000 tons in the year 2017. Hence, the inevitable annual growth of

population, and production due to the increase of demand in the city also contributed

to the built up of wastes which were improperly managed.

Meanwhile, the number of undisciplined people roaming around the corners of

Baguio is expected to go double during the holidays as the city would be flocked by

waves of visitors from various areas. An article entitled City Revs up Anti-littering Drive as

Waste Problem Worsened during the Holidays; Eyes Congestion, Environmental Fees by

Refuerzo (2019) indicated that Mayor Benjamin Magalong lamented over the lack of

discipline and mindfulness in trash disposal especially at the central business district

where people have started to mill for the holiday last December 23. He then asked for

everyone’s cooperation as he admitted that the city has been overwhelmed with trash.
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In which, he was prompted to order Baguio City Police Director P.Col. Allen Co to

launch an aggressive anti-littering drive. As an immediate response, Co started with the

campaign on December 28 which resulted to the apprehension of 49 violators. The said

drive had been sustained even after the peak of tourist season since negligence of the

ordinance was also observed among the local residents of the city. Furthermore on

December 27, Mayor Magalong had also directed the police to arrest those who

indiscriminately throw their refuse and penalize restaurants and business establishments

in the city to strictly observe the proper time for trash disposal. These recent incidents

have proved that the lack of discipline among the inhabitants and visitors of the locality

played a pivotal role in the city’s germinating Solid Waste Management problems.

But as a matter of fact, an almost-2-decade-age law distinguished as Republic

Act 9003 or otherwise known as Ecological Solid Waste Management Law of 2000,

approved on January 26, 2001, was implemented for the state to give proper attention

to problems concerning solid waste management. According to The Lawphil Project-

Arellano Law Foundation, Inc. (2018), this is “an act providing for an Ecological Solid

Waste Management Program creating the necessary Institutional Mechanisms and

Incentives, declaring certain acts prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating

funds therefore, and for other purposes” (para. 1). Moreso, this act had specified under

its Section 2 Declaration of Policies that the state shall strengthen the integration of

ecological solid waste management and resource conservation and recovery topics

into the academic curricula of formal and non-formal education in order to promote

environmental awareness and action among the citizenry (h). In this sense, its lenient

implementation in Baguio City for the past years deprived the awareness of the
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 5

residents and tourists about such law and its underlying policies which had enabled

them to be unconsciously or intentionally unruly.

By the same token, the aforementioned cause had gradually resulted to the

temporary closure of Irisan open dumpsite last year in line with the city’s rehabilitation

as Baguio City has begun to experience environmental dilemma especially with the

seeming garbage crisis. In a news article entitled Baguio Orders Temporary Closure of

Irisan Dumpsite as Rehab Begins, it was explained that the site was only allowed to

receive biodegradable garbage since its closure in 2012 after five people died in a

trash slide at the height of Typhoon Mina in 2011 but environment officials said after

inspections that mixed recyclables were found in the area. Further, under a writ of

kalikasan issued in 2012, the dumpsite should have been converted to an eco-park

which the city have also failed to comply (Bonquin, 2019, para. 3-4). Hence, the

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) concluded that the manner

of operation of the dumpsite violated Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid

Waste Management Act of 2000.

What’s more is that after an annual audit report for country’s summer capital on

2017, the Commission on Audit (COA) called out the city officials to quickly address the

problem of solid waste management disposal as it drains city resources, making it

cough at least P472.46 million since 2011 as narrated in a news passage entitled

Garbage Problem Plagues Baguio City by Rosario (2018). Additionally, COA also

disclosed that the budget for hauling and dumping garbage could balloon further

unless the city government would be able to put in harness a solid waste management

disposal facility. This aftermath of an unsound Solid Waste Management has also
SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT 6

brought the state auditors to lament over the fact that the expenses have denied the

city government for the implementation of other development plans which could

better the city’s economy.

More importantly, the health of every resident in Baguio was risked into having

pollution-related diseases. With reference to an article entitled Impacts on Health and

Environment by Babington (2016), it had implied that air pollution is an outcome of

overflowing waste bins, often times seen in Baguio City’s public areas, which causes

various respiratory diseases and other adverse health effects as contaminants are

absorbed from lungs into other parts of the body. Also, overflowing waste bins are an

ideal breeding ground for bacteria, insects and vermin. For instance, the flies that sit

upon the garbage are also the same flies that roam around the lunch buffet and drop

their offsprings on the plate or transfer the dirt they got from the waste bins. By doing so,

they increase the risk of contracting with salmonella, which causes typhoid fever, food

poisoning, enteric fever, gastroenteritis, and other major illnesses. Likewise, direct

contact with waste can result in skin and blood infections through infected wounds,

various illnesses resulting from the bites of animals feeding on the waste, and intestinal

infections transmitted by flies feeding on the waste.

With the presented causes and effects, it is safe to conclude that the continuous

increase of population in the city as the years pass by is an inevitable cause of Solid

Waste Management problems whereas, the lack of discipline among individuals and

the lenient implementation of RA 9003 or the Ecological Waste Management Program

by the city government of Baguio could still be worked upon as these can be repaired

with sincere efforts to prevent further depletion of city resources, environmental

dilemma, and possible break out of pollution-related diseases. It was indeed a big step

for Baguio City to fire up the battle in addressing the problems regarding Solid Waste

Management as recent ordinances were made and implemented and violators were

apprehended accordingly. And so with the given instances, it is then recommended

that information dissemination in social media platforms and in public places about RA

9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Problem and new ordinances would

be made known to the public through effective and eye-catching mediums such as

posters, video presentations, and others. This way, the locals and tourists of Baguio

would be then enlightened about such law and the campaigns being made by the

city. Moreover, there should be strict and regular monitoring processes for waste

collection as it would keep the locality constantly clean and prevent any possible

outbreak of communicable diseases such as dengue and cholera. This would also

ensure that segregation of wastes is always observed by every barangay wherein

penalties await for those who would not abide by the regulation. It would also be a

necessity to provide adequate and fully accessible waste bins at public areas in the

city to avoid overflowing waste bins and unsegregated mountains of garbage. Lastly,

the recognized efforts of the authorities and concerned citizens in the recent Anti-

Distracted Walking Ordinance in the city would also be highly recommended in the

implemented Anti-Littering Drive and other related campaigns or ordinances to

effectively discipline those who are indifferent with the law.

References

Babington, CJ. (2016). Impacts on health and environment. Retrieved March 21,2020

from https://www.ecubelabs.com/overflowing-garbage-bins-5-impacts-on-

health-and-environment-and-how-to-prevent/

Bonquin, C. (2019). Baguio orders temporary closure of Irisan dumpsite as rehab

begins. Retrieved April 25, 2020 from

https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2019/6/26/baguio-rehabilitation-irisan-

dumpsite-closure.html

Buyucan, E.D., Duran, J.Z., & Lunag, M.N. Jr. (2019). Waste analysis and characterisation

study of a hill station: A case study of Baguio City, Philippines. Retrieved March

22, 2020 from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31469052

doi:10.1177/074242X19866249

Leblanc, R. (2019). An introductiion to solid waste management. Retrieved March 22,

2020, from https://www.thebalancesmb.com/an-intoduction-to-solid-waste-

management-2878102

Refuerzo, A.(2019). City revs up anti-littering drive as waste problem worsened during

the holidays; eyes congestion, environmental fees. Retrieved April 25, 2020

http://www.baguio.gov.ph/content/city-revs-anti-littering-drive-waste-problem-

worsened-during-holidays-eyes-congestion

Rosario, B. (2018). Garbage problem plagues Baguio City. Retrieved March 21, 2020

from https://www.news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/01/garbage-problem-plagues-

baguio-city-coa/
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The Lawphil Project- Arellano Law Foundation, Inc. (2018). RA 9003. Retrieved April 24,

2020 from https://www.lawphil.net/statues/repacts/ra2001/ra_9003_2001.html