Legarda says the real environmental test is what happens before the trash bin

Senator Loren Legarda marked World Clean and Green Week by calling attention to the country’s “throwaway habits,” saying the environmental challenge begins long before waste reaches the trash bin, a materials recovery facility, or a landfill. She said the more important question is how products are made, used, reused, recovered, and kept in circulation before they are discarded.

“We have become too used to the idea that once we are done with something, we simply throw it away. But waste does not begin at the trash bin. It begins with the choices we make about what we produce, what we buy, how long we use it, and whether something that still has value is simply discarded,” Legarda said.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, estimated waste generation in the country reached 60.76 thousand tons per day in 2025, up 0.9 percent from 60.24 thousand tons per day in 2024. In Metro Manila alone, DENR-NCR reported an estimated 4.34 million tons of solid waste generated in 2025, with per-capita waste generation rising from 0.71 kilogram per person per day in 2024 to 0.75 kilogram in 2025. Households accounted for 35.78 percent of the region’s waste, much of it biodegradable food waste.

“These numbers show why we cannot think about waste only after it has already been created. We need to reduce what we throw away, segregate properly, reuse what still has value, recycle what can be recovered, and compost biodegradable waste. More importantly, we have to examine the habits and systems that allow so much material to become waste in the first place,” Legarda said.

For this reason, Senator Legarda put emphasis on the importance of the current progress in the country’s waste recovery infrastructure. PSA data show that the number of materials recovery facilities or MRFs increased to 20,458 in 2025, up 59.1 percent from 12,855 in 2024. More MRFs form an important part of improving solid waste management system by providing more spaces where recyclable and compostable materials can be sorted, recovered, and processed instead of being sent directly for final disposal.

“The increase in materials recovery facilities is a welcome development because it gives more communities the capacity to recover recyclables, process biodegradable waste, and keep useful materials out of landfills. We should build on that progress by making sure that less waste enters the system to begin with,” Legarda said.

Legarda has long advanced this approach through legislation. She is the author and principal sponsor of Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and the principal author and principal sponsor of the Climate Change Act of 2009. Her broader environmental legislative record includes the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, People’s Survival Fund Act of 2012, Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016, Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, and Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.

“Environmental policy has never been only about cleaning up what has already been thrown away. We also have to change the systems that create waste in the first place, use resources more wisely, and recognize that many things we discard still have value,” Legarda said.

In the 20th Congress, Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 306, or the Philippine Circular Economy Promotion Act, which seeks to establish a comprehensive framework for waste minimization, extended producer responsibility, circular procurement, and sustainable resource use. The measure seeks to keep products and materials in use longer and reduce the amount of waste entering the disposal system.

“A circular economy asks us to look differently at the things we use. Instead of treating products and materials as disposable, we should build systems where they can stay useful for longer, be repaired, reused, recovered, or returned to productive use,” Legarda said.

Legarda has also filed Senate Bill No. 811, or the Plastax Act, which proposes an excise tax on specified types of single-use plastic packaging materials. The measure forms part of her efforts to discourage excessive reliance on disposable plastics and encourage more sustainable alternatives.

The four-term senator has also filed Senate Bill No. 509, or the Zero Food Waste Act, which seeks to establish a national framework for food waste prevention, recovery, and redistribution, including the safe donation and utilization of surplus food.

“Food should not become waste simply because it was not sold or served. If it is still safe and usable, there should be a system that allows it to reach people instead of being thrown away,” Legarda said.

Her other pending measures in the 20th Congress include Senate Bill No. 162, or the Magna Carta of Waste Workers, Senate Bill No. 166, or the Low Carbon Economy Act, which proposes an emissions trading system and implementation mechanisms to achieve national climate targets, and Senate Bill No. 525, or the Clean Gateway Cities Act of 2025, which seeks to institutionalize cleanliness, accessibility, regular maintenance of public spaces and facilities, and a cleanliness audit system in major cities.

Observed every September 17 to 23, World Clean and Green Week was established through Proclamation No. 244, s. 1993, which also declared September as National Clean-Up Month and identified garbage reduction, recycling, composting, rehabilitation of waterways, garbage management, and pollution control among the activities to be strengthened during the observance.

“The trash bin should not be the first place where we begin thinking about the environment. By then, many of the choices have already been made. The real test is what happens before that, whether we can use less, waste less, keep things in use longer, and leave less behind,” Legarda concluded. (30)

Legarda: Pamamahala ng basura, dapat magsimula bago pa ito maitapon

Binigyang-diin ni Senator Loren Legarda sa World Clean and Green Week na kailangang baguhin ang nakasanayang “gamit-tapon” na sistema sa bansa, dahil nagsisimula ang problema sa basura bago pa man ito mapunta sa basurahan, materials recovery facility o landfill.

Aniya, mahalagang tingnan hindi lamang kung paano itinatapon ang basura, kundi kung paano ginagawa, ginagamit, muling pinakikinabangan, nire-recover, at pinananatiling kapaki-pakinabang ang mga produkto at materyales bago tuluyang itapon.

“Nasanay na tayo na kapag tapos na tayong gumamit ng isang bagay, itinatapon na lang natin ito. Pero hindi sa basurahan nagsisimula ang problema sa basura. Nagsisimula ito sa mga desisyon natin kung ano ang ginagawa at binibili natin, gaano katagal natin ito ginagamit, at kung itatapon ba natin ang isang bagay kahit maaari pa itong pakinabangan,” pahayag ni Legarda.

Ayon sa Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), umabot sa tinatayang 60.76 libong tonelada kada araw ang nalikhang basura sa bansa noong 2025, mas mataas nang 0.9 porsiyento mula sa 60.24 libong tonelada kada araw noong 2024.

Sa Metro Manila lamang, iniulat ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources–National Capital Region (DENR-NCR) na tinatayang 4.34 milyong tonelada ng solid waste ang nalikha noong 2025. Tumaas din ang karaniwang basurang nalilikha kada tao mula 0.71 kilo bawat araw noong 2024 tungong 0.75 kilo noong 2025. Mga kabahayan ang pinagmulan ng 35.78 porsiyento ng basura sa rehiyon, at malaking bahagi nito ay nabubulok na food waste.

“Ipinapakita ng mga numerong ito kung bakit hindi puwedeng saka lamang natin isipin ang problema sa basura kapag nalikha na ito. Kailangan nating bawasan ang ating itinatapon, mag-segregate nang tama, muling gamitin ang maaari pang pakinabangan, i-recycle ang maaari pang ma-recover, at gawing compost ang nabubulok na basura. Higit sa lahat, kailangan nating tingnan ang mga nakasanayan at sistemang dahilan kung bakit napakaraming bagay ang nauuwi bilang basura,” ipinahayag ni Legarda.

Kaugnay nito, binigyang-pansin ni Legarda ang pagdami ng materials recovery facilities o MRFs sa bansa. Batay sa datos ng PSA, umabot sa 20,458 ang bilang ng MRFs noong 2025, mas mataas nang 59.1 porsiyento mula sa 12,855 noong 2024.

Mahalaga ang MRFs sa maayos na pamamahala ng basura dahil dito maaaring paghiwa-hiwalayin, i-recover, i-recycle, at iproseso ang mga recyclable at compostable materials sa halip na agad dalhin ang mga ito sa final disposal facilities.

“Magandang hakbang ang pagdami ng materials recovery facilities dahil mas maraming komunidad ang nagkakaroon ng kakayahang ma-recover ang recyclables, maproseso ang nabubulok na basura, at maiwasang mapunta agad sa landfill ang mga bagay na maaari pang pakinabangan. Pero kailangan din nating tiyakin na mas kaunting basura ang pumapasok sa sistema sa simula pa lamang,” pahayag ni Legarda.

Matagal nang isinusulong ni Legarda ang ganitong paraan ng pangangalaga sa kapaligiran sa pamamagitan ng mga batas at polisiya. Siya ang author at principal sponsor ng Republic Act No. 9003 o Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, at principal author at principal sponsor ng Climate Change Act of 2009.

Kabilang din sa kanyang mga isinulong na batas pangkalikasan ang Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act of 2001, Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, National Environmental Awareness and Education Act of 2008, Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, People’s Survival Fund Act of 2012, Philippine Green Jobs Act of 2016, Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, at Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022.

“Ang mga polisiya para sa kalikasan ay hindi lamang tungkol sa paglilinis ng mga naitapon na natin. Kailangan din nating baguhin ang mga sistemang lumilikha ng napakaraming basura, gamitin nang mas maayos ang ating mga yaman, at kilalanin na marami sa mga itinatapon natin ay maaari pa palang pakinabangan,” diin ni Legarda.

Sa 20th Congress, inihain ni Legarda ang Senate Bill No. 306 o Philippine Circular Economy Promotion Act, na naglalayong magtatag ng komprehensibong sistema para sa waste minimization, extended producer responsibility, circular procurement, at mas episyenteng paggamit ng mga likas na yaman.

Layunin nitong mapanatiling ginagamit nang mas matagal ang mga produkto at materyales at mabawasan ang basurang tuluyang napupunta sa disposal facilities.

“Sa circular economy, kailangan nating baguhin ang paraan ng pagtingin sa mga bagay na ginagamit natin. Sa halip na ituring ang mga produkto at materyales na gamit-tapon, dapat tayong magkaroon ng mga sistemang magpapanatili sa mga ito na kapaki-pakinabang nang mas matagal, maaaring kumpunihin, gamitin muli, ma-recover, o maibalik sa kapaki-pakinabang na gamit,” pahayag ni Legarda.

Inihain din ni Legarda ang Senate Bill No. 811 o Plastax Act, na nagmumungkahi ng excise tax sa ilang uri ng single-use plastic packaging materials. Bahagi ito ng kanyang pagsusulong na mabawasan ang labis na paggamit ng disposable plastics at mahikayat ang paggamit ng mas sustainable na alternatibo.

Inihain din ng four-term senator ang Senate Bill No. 509 o Zero Food Waste Act, na naglalayong magtatag ng pambansang sistema para maiwasan ang food waste at mapalawak ang recovery, redistribution, at ligtas na donasyon at paggamit ng sobrang pagkain.

“Hindi dapat maging basura ang pagkain dahil lamang hindi ito naibenta o naihain. Kung ligtas at maaari pa itong kainin, dapat may sistema para makarating ito sa mga taong maaaring makinabang dito sa halip na basta itapon,” ipinahayag ni Legarda.

Kabilang din sa kanyang mga nakabinbing panukala sa 20th Congress ang Senate Bill No. 162 o Magna Carta of Waste Workers; Senate Bill No. 166 o Low Carbon Economy Act, na nagmumungkahi ng emissions trading system at iba pang mekanismo upang maabot ang climate targets ng bansa; at Senate Bill No. 525 o Clean Gateway Cities Act of 2025, na naglalayong magtakda ng mga pamantayan sa kalinisan, accessibility, regular na maintenance ng mga pampublikong lugar at pasilidad, at cleanliness audit system sa mga pangunahing lungsod.

Idinaraos ang World Clean and Green Week tuwing Setyembre 17 hanggang 23 alinsunod sa Proclamation No. 244, s. 1993, na nagdeklara rin sa Setyembre bilang National Clean-Up Month. Kabilang sa mga layunin nito ang pagpapalakas ng garbage reduction, recycling, composting, rehabilitasyon ng mga daluyan ng tubig, maayos na pamamahala ng basura, at pollution control.

“Hindi dapat sa basurahan pa lamang nagsisimula ang pag-iisip natin tungkol sa kalikasan. Kapag naroon na ang isang bagay, marami sa mahahalagang desisyon ay nagawa na. Ang tunay na pagsubok ay kung ano ang ginagawa natin bago ito umabot doon: kung kaya nating gumamit nang mas kaunti, mag-aksaya nang mas kaunti, panatilihing kapaki-pakinabang nang mas matagal ang mga bagay, at bawasan ang basurang naiiwan natin,” pagtatapos ni Legarda.