Only 15% of the city’s 182 barangays have constituted an operational Barangay Solid Waste Management Committee (BSWMC) based on the latest audit report of the Commission on Audit (COA).
This means that only 28 barangays have a functioning BSWMC, a body that is mandated in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
“The inability to fully comply with the organization of an operational BSWM Committees in all of the city’s 182 barangays adversely affect the attainment of the purpose of the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act,” the COA said.
It added that the “minimal of 28 or 15.38% of 182 barangays having operational BSWM Committees indicates a very low compliance with the provisions of the ESWM Act that will eventually affect the public health and environment of the community.”
“Protection of public health and the environment is not satisfactorily ensured,” the COA said.
The COA, an independent constitutional commission, said the establishment of BSWMC in each barangay “is essential in the effective implementation and enforcement of solid waste avoidance and volume reduction strategies, as well as segregation of wastes at the barangay level.”
The agency conducted interviews in at least 80 barangays.
According to their survey, most of the barangays that did not have the legally mandated body focused on the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) and the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC).
“Although a number of barangays were able to establish SWM Committees in the past, most of them failed to organize after the May 2018 Barangay Elections, citing time constraints due to creation of other bodies such as the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) and the Barangay Council for the Protection of Children (BCPC).”
The Commission said that had all the city’s barangays organized the committees properly according to the law, collection, sorting, segregation, composting, and the recycling of solid waste at the barangay level would have been more organized.
Some barangays, the COA said, have SWM Committees “but were composed solely of council members and were unaware to the required SWM Committee membership composition.”
“The inability to fully comply with the organization of an operational BSWM Committees in all of the city’s 182 barangays adversely affect the attainment of the purpose of the Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Act,” the COA said.
It added that the “minimal of 28 or 15.38% of 182 barangays having operational BSWM Committees indicates a very low compliance with the provisions of the ESWM Act that will eventually affect the public health and environment of the community.”
In its response, the city government said that its administrators have repeatedly ordered the barangay councils to set up the committee.
At least 46 barangays are now complying to properly install a functional committee after the 2018 elections, with City Hall being given requests for “the creation of committee and in response, orientations on RA 9003, discussion of duties, facilitation of workshops and finally the oath taking of new committee members,” the COA said, citing the response of City Hall.
Section 6, Rule VI of the IRR of RA 9003 enumerates the following functions and responsibilities of the Committee: Formulate Solid Waste Management program consistent with the City/Municipal Solid Waste Management Plan; segregate and collect biodegradable, compostable, reusable wastes; establish a Materials Recovery Facility; allocate barangay funds; look for sources of funds; organize core coordinators and submit SWM monthly reports.
Based on Section 7, Rule VI of the IRR of RA 9003, the BSWMC should be headed by the barangay chair as the chair with the following as members: a councilor, the Sangguniang Kabataan chair, a president of home owners association, a public/private school principal or representative, a Parents and Teachers Association president or representative, a religious organization representative, a business sector representative, an environmental NGO representative, president of market vendors association and a representative from junkshop owner’s association.
