Second Semester

A.Y. 2020 – 2021

“Assessment of Solid Waste Disposal Management and Practices from

households of Brgy. Obrero”

INTRODUCTION

Humans have generated waste from man´s earliest time. Waste is referred to as
anything discarded by an individual, household, or establishment which is composed of
a complex mixture of different substances in which some are basically hazardous to
health (Rushton 2003). Developing countries often apply the western system and
advanced technologies in managing their waste; however, they have failed due to
incompatibility with their local needs and conditions (Atienza 2008).

In the Philippines, the municipal office is responsible for the management of the
solid waste of its constituents. Management of waste from collection, storage,
processing, transport, and disposal is important for both public health, aesthetic, as well
as environmental reasons. The problem of solid waste management (SWM) had always
been the burden of the local government unit. However, such burden cannot be carried
alone by most of the municipalities, and most of them had failed in the implementation
of the SWM plan. There are several reasons for the failure in the implementation of the
SWM. These include limited financial resources, lack of political will, lack of technical
knowledge about recent technologies, and lack of cooperation and participation of the
community (Atienza 2001).

The Philippine government enacted Republic Act No. 9003 in response to the
serious state of solid waste management in the country. The law declares that the policy
of the state is “to adopt a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological solid waste
management program.” In this law, the establishment and operation of new open dump
sites are prohibited. Open dump sites should be converted into controlled dump sites by
February 2004 and should be closed by February 2006. Sanitary landfills are set to be
an alternative as final disposal site but should be operated in accordance to the
guidelines presented in the Act. The Act also promotes waste minimization through
recycling, resource recovery, reuse, and composting (Atienza 2011).

Today improper solid-waste management can cause negative effects on our

health through outbreaks of diseases and our environment through pollutants, as well
as problems to the low-lying barangays. Research on environmental management,
specifically solid waste disposal, was a major setcak in Bulan, Sorsogon. From 2004
when the landfill area (Brgy. Calomagon) was turned into an ecological park, but after
years of changes in the local administration, and as the population grew even bigger,
solid waste management has always been a problem in the town.

There were some studies and report regarding the similar concept but none of
these show same content as the proposal: Asian Development Banks “Integrated Solid
Waste Management Plan: Sorsogon City” mainstreamed integrated solid waste
management in Asia; Solid Waste Management study by LGU Irosin where they
managed to maintain a final disposal facility at Patag Ecological Park; “No Barangay
Material Facility Recovery (MRF), No Collection” policy in Bulan; Republic of the
Philippines: Solid Waste Management Sector Project (2014) 10-year solid waste
management plans and feasibility studies for selected local government units (LGUs)
nationwide from January to December 2013; not only will this help low-lying areas prone
on flood, health and safety risk monitoring and control of poor sanitation and practices;
Solid waste management is an economic development tool and an environment tool
that can help the society grow; therefore, collecting data and conducting this study will
provide necessary information for improvement.

This will also be a way to mitigate measures on household where there are poor
solid waste disposal practices; moreover, other concerns underlying solid waste
disposal such as health and safety risks, burning practices and drainage system
problems will be catered as well through the conduct of this study.

METHODOLOGY
 This chapter showed the method used by the researcher in conducting the study.
It discussed the research design, the participants of the study, research instruments,
data gathering procedures and statistical treatment of the data.

 Research Design

Due to time constraints, descriptive method was needed to carry out the
research. Survey research design was also considered for this study through thirty
randomly selected respondents from Barangay Obrero in Bulan. The descriptive
analysis of the study has provided an in-depth analysis of participants’ concerns and the
like.

 Participants of the Study

The participants were the subset of the population; the process of selecting the
respondents of this research will be random. Residents from Barangay Obrero in Bulan,
in which 30 randomly selected ones, were the participants of this research.

 Data Gathering Procedure

Participants were asked to complete an online socio-demographic questionnaire

(e.g., sex, age and location) via face-to-face interviews provided with an approved letter
from authorities shall be presented and strict health guidelines shall be followed.
Participant personal information including names was anonymized to maintain and
protect confidentiality. A drafted questionnaire validated the research’s objectives which
was distributed to the respondents and was subject for analysis.

 Research Instruments

Instrument was the process of constructing research instrument that was used
appropriately in gathering data on a study. The questionnaire, interview and observation
were the most commonly used tools in gathering data.

A semi-structured questionnaire was used for data collection to gathering data.

The researchers distributed the survey-questionnaire checklist to 30 randomly selected
respondents by answering the following adjectival ratings: of Strongly Agree (SA),
Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD). Participants were required to
respond by placing a check at the appropriate column.

 Data Analysis

Data was analysed using Descriptive Statistic method. Percentage was

calculated by taking the frequency by divided by the total number of participants and
multiplying by 100%.

RESULTS

1. Socio-demographic profile

Demographic data about the participants in the study comes from questionnaires
completed by each participant. These data represent self-reported information and
each participant is identified by their surname. A total of thirty (30) participants were
part of the study.

Tables below show the summary of participants’ demographics by sex, age, and
location.

Sex Frequency Percentage

Male 18 60
Female 12 40
Total 30 100%

Table 1.1 Analysis of Respondents by sex

From the 30 randomly selected participants, 18 of them were male, with 60

cumulative percentage, while 12 frequency count for female with 40 percentage; all
ranking to a hundred.
 The next table shows the participants’ age range.

Age Frequency Percentage

18-30 3 10%
31-45 24 80%
46-60 2 6.66%
61-above 1 3.33%
Total 30 100%

Table 1.2 Analysis of Respondents by age

From the given table above, analysis of respondents by age, ages 18-30 has a
frequency count of 3 and 10 percentage; ages 31-45 have 24 frequency count with
majority of percentage 80%, while those 46-60 and with over 61 years old have two and
one frequency counts, respectively.

On the table that follows, is the presentation of participants’ location within the
barangay.

Location Frequency Percentage

Purok 1 1 3.33%
Purok 2 7 23.33%
Purok 3 2 6.66%
Purok 4 13 43.33%
Purok 5 2 6.66%
Purok 6 2 6.66%
Purok 7 3 30%
Total 30 100%
 Table 1.3 Analysis of Respondents by age

Majority of the participants are located in Purok 4 followed by Purok dos with
almost half of the former. The rest of Puroks share the almost same frequency counts of
2 and 3.

Waste Frequency Percentage

Inorganic waste 18 60

Organic waste 12 40

Total 30 100%

Table 2. Analysis of household’s solid waste physical compositions

Waste SA A D SD

Discarding along the 7 21

2 0
road in a heap/drainage

Putting in a dust bin 2 18 6 4

Burning 18 8 2 2

Disposing at designated 3 0
22 5
collection points

Recycling 0 2 1 27

Table 3. Analysis on citizens’ role and participation of current household’s waste

disposal practices
 Waste SA A D SD

Lack of concern 1 24 5 0

Lateness in the 10 8
11 1
collection of waste

Poor cooperation 0 0
among residents and 26 4
private waste collectors

Lack of appropriate 7 2
information on the 15 6
management of waste

Poor storage 28 2 0 0

Poorly managed 0 0
22 8
collection points

Increase in population 20 8 1 1

Table 4. Analysis on Challenges and limiting factors resulting to poor

participation in solid waste management

DISCUSSION

Based from the focus group discussion, key informants interview, survey, and
observation, this descriptive analysis of the result depicted the solid waste management
system in Barangay Obrero. At present, there is a hierarchy of solid waste or flow of
solid waste in Barangay Obrero. Due to unsegregated solid waste, processing takes a
long time before it can reach its final destination, the Bulan Eco park landfill. The input,
such as goods, clothing, and other materials consumed by the waste generators are
being used up. Through the process, by-products or solid waste are generated in the
system. The solid waste undergoes different process.

In the household level, some are segregating their solid waste; the recyclables
are separated and sold to junkshop collectors. Some are giving to others for future re-
use. Some households are separating their biodegradable solid waste to be used as
compost. Others who are raising hogs and cattle are using their biodegradable waste as
feed. For others, they are simply gathering all their solid waste and burying it in the soil,
burning it, or throwing it somewhere else. For most of the households, they are
gathering all their solid waste in one container and bringing it outside the street to be
collected by the garbage collector. These solid wastes are mostly unsegregated.

Every Tuesday and Thursday, two to three truckloads of solid wastes are
collected in Barangay Obrero, while three to four truckloads of solid waste are collected
every Saturday. On the average, about three to seven truckloads of solid waste are
generated by the households. Solid waste materials collected from the barangay are
transferred to the Materials Recovery Facilities located in Barangay Calomagon. Three
techniques are being used in composting the biodegradable materials: use of either
shredder for biodegradable waste, concrete static composting bins, and rib-type
composting bins. All of the solid waste that cannot be recycled and used as compost
are then transferred to its final destination. Barangay Obrero’s solid waste management
system interacts with its outside environment, such as the Municipal Office, wherein the
ordinances with regards to solid waste management are imposed and directly affect the
system.

Other barangays are also contributing some inputs to the system in Barangay
Obrero. Solid waste can be imported from one place to another; some barangays may
transfer their solid waste to Barangay Obrero by discharging them in their canals. The
canals are interconnected and flow to the canals of Barangay Obrero going to the river.
However, the final output of the system is being dumped at the private landfill.

After careful analysis of the data gathered it is imperative to conclude that

uncollected solid waste has become the most visible environmental problem. The study
was able to identify the challenges that the residents experienced in regard to solid
waste disposal and collection systems. Various challenges were identified which
include; legislation on waste management, inefficiency in waste collection and lack of
discipline.

The study identified packaging materials are increasingly becoming a critical

component of solid waste as earlier observed by Firdaus et al. who contends that as
the gross national product and urban population growth rises, paper and packaging
waste will also increase. 

Waste stored in dustbins ends up being discarded on the roadside or in drainage

channels since some residents default on payment to service providers while others
cannot afford it. When the discarded waste piles up some residents result in burning
affecting the air quality within the vicinity an argument supported Giusti who contends
that continuous burning of solid waste in the open causes health problems to those
exposed to inhalation of the ambient gases released into the air and in turn leads to
respiratory and eye problems.

According to Tiwari, though most urban authorities developed environmental

policies and legislation, implementation remains a pipe dream. To address these
challenges Boadi et al., Parrot et al. and Henry et al. highlights the need to adopt
sustainable management strategies to enable address negative consequences related
to the unregulated management of solid waste practices.

The findings of the study can be replicated in other barangay in Bulan and cities
in the country. This would help mitigate environmental issues associated with poor
waste management systems.

ABSTRACT
 The study analyzed howthe households of Brgy Obrero attend to their Solid
Waste Disposal Management and Practices. Specifically, it investigated the sources
and its physical compositions of households’ solid waste of the town; assessed the
citizens role and participation; and current households waste disposal practices;
identified the challenges and limiting factors resulting to poor participation in solid waste
management; and evaluated mitigation measures to control inappropriate households
poor waste disposal practices in the populous barangays in Bulan. The study concludes
that the behavior of the different social classes in terms of age, and hierarchy from the
focus groups varies in terms of managing their waste. The current solid waste
management system of the barangay undergoes a long process and produces an
enormous amount of solid waste. Such current practices are unsustainable. The
Barangay does not have the necessary policy program to enhance the sustainability of
solid waste management. The study recommends that the barangay captain together
with other officials and representatives from the different social classes should convene
and discuss several issues with regards to different policy programs that need to be
implemented in the Barangay. These include preparation of Barangay strategic solid
waste management plan, organization of Barangay solid waste management team,
putting up a material recovery facility, and development of appropriate technology to
reduce waste. There should be Information-Education Campaign (IEC) activities and a
regular barangay clean-up day, and rehabilitation of rivers to encourage participation.
Monitoring and evaluation of the solid waste management activities should be done to
provide continuity of the program.