Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for stronger national action to address the country’s waste problem as the Philippines observes National Zero Waste Month this January, warning that delayed reforms could lead to irreversible environmental and public health consequences.
Legarda said growing awareness and community-level initiatives are not enough to match the scale of the country’s waste challenge, stressing the need for decisive action and coordinated enforcement.
“Zero Waste initiative is a national imperative,” Legarda said. “We must move beyond awareness into stronger, decisive action. Every Filipino has a responsibility, and every institution must rise to the challenge of safeguarding our environment and future generations.”
Her appeal comes as global data highlight the magnitude of the problem. The World Bank’s 2025 What a Waste global database ranked the Philippines 27th among 50 countries generating the most municipal solid waste, with an estimated 14.6 million tons produced annually. Plastic waste accounts for a significant portion, raising concerns about public health risks, urban flooding, and climate resilience.
Legarda pointed to recent flooding incidents as evidence of how mismanaged waste worsens disaster vulnerability. In July 2025, authorities collected more than 600 tons of garbage across Metro Manila during heavy rains, while hundreds of thousands of sacks of debris were removed from rivers and esteros to ease flooding. Officials confirmed that clogged waterways caused by improper waste disposal intensified flood conditions.
“Flooding is never just about rainfall; it is worsened by garbage choking our rivers and esteros,” Legarda said. “Every piece of trash becomes a barrier that endangers lives. Stronger waste discipline is the safeguard we can build together.”
She emphasized that the legal framework for Zero Waste is already in place through Republic Act No. 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, which mandates waste segregation at source, the establishment of materials recovery facilities in every barangay, and waste reduction through recycling, composting, and reuse.
“RA 9003 gives us the roadmap: segregate at source, recycle, compost, and reuse,” Legarda said. “If every barangay enforces materials recovery facilities and every household practices proper segregation, we can drastically reduce our waste and protect our communities.”
Legarda also cited Republic Act No. 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, which requires companies to recover and recycle plastic packaging waste under defined programs. She said the measure strengthens accountability among producers and complements existing waste management laws.
To further reinforce implementation, Legarda said she refiled the proposed Magna Carta of Waste Workers in the 20th Congress. The measure seeks to standardize working conditions, extend social protection, and formally recognize both formal and informal waste workers as essential contributors to environmental management and public health.
As Zero Waste Month 2026 begins, Legarda said she remains committed to advancing reforms that strengthen producer responsibility, empower communities, and institutionalize support for waste workers, with the goal of translating policy into measurable results nationwide.
