Republic Act 9003

The Ecological Solid Waste

Management of 2000
An Act providing for an
ecological
solid
waste
management
program,
creating
the
necessary
institutional
mechanisms,
declaring certain prohibited
acts.
Was passed by the Congress
and Senate on December
2000.
Signed
by
the
President on January 26,
2001.
Objectives of the Law:
-measures to promote a
more acceptable system
which corresponds to the
vision
of
sustainable
development.
aims
to
merge
environmental
protection
with
economic
pursuits,
recognizing
the
reorientation
of
the
communitys view on solid

waste, thereby providing

schemes
for
waste
minimization,
volume
reduction, resource recovery
utilization and disposal.

Under RA 9003, solid waste

shall not include:
1. Waste identified or listed
as hazardous waste (either
solid, liquid, gaseous or in
semisolid form) which may
cause or contribute to
death,
serious
or
incapacitating illness, or
acute/ chronic effect on the
health of persons and other
organisms;
2.
Infectious waste from
hospitals such as:
a) Equipment, instruments,
utensils
and
disposable
fomites (things that may
carry infectious organisms
such as used gauze, surgical
gloves,
syringes)
from

patients suspected to have

or have been diagnosed as
having
communicable
diseases;
b) Laboratory wastes such
as pathological specimens
(i.e., all tissues, specimens
of blood elements, excreta,
and secretions obtained
from patients or laboratory
animals) and disposable
fomites that may harbor or
transmit
pathogenic
organisms;
Composed of 14 members
from the government sector
and three members from
the private sector.
1. DENR;
2.Department
and
Local
(DILG);

of Interior
Government

5. Department
(DOH);

of

Health

6. Department of Trade and

Industry (DTI);
7.
Department
Agriculture (DA);

of

8.
Metro
Development
(MMDA);

Manila
Authority

9. League
Governors;

Provincial

of

10. League of City Mayors;

11. League
Mayors;

of

Municipal

12. Association of Barangay

Councils;
13. Technical Education and
Skills
Development
Authority
(TESDA); and
14. Philippine
Agency (PIA).

Information

3.Department of Science
and Technology (DOST);
4. Department
Works
and
(DPWH);

of Public
Highways

Role of the DENR as the

Lead Agency :

- Provide technical and other

capability
building
assistance and support to
LGUs.
- Recommend policies to
eliminate barriers to waste
reduction programs.
- Issue rules and regulations.
Prohibited
acts
and
Penalties (Sec 48 and 49)
The fines and penalties
depend on the Prohibited
Acts that is committed. It
ranges from P300.00 to
P1,000,000.00
and/or
imprisonment of 1 day to 6
years.

action has been taken by

the alleged offender.

The law provides that the

fine and/or penalty shall be
imposed
UPON
CONVICTION.
The
requirement
of
conviction means that a
case has to be filed in court
against
a
person
who
commits a prohibited act
and judgment has to be
rendered by the court
finding the person guilty of
committing the prohibited
act.

Kind of Cases may be Filled:

1.Civil
2.Criminal
3.Administrative
RA 9003 provides that no
case or suit can be filed
until after a public officer or
alleged violator has been
given a 30-day
notice
during which no appropriate

Criteria for Siting a Sanitary

Landfill
(a) The site selected must
be consistent with the
overall land use plan of the
LGU;
(b) The site must be
accessible
from
major
roadways or thoroughfares;

(c) The site should have an

adequate quantity of earth
cover material that is easily
handled and compacted;
(d) The site must be chosen
with
regard
for
the
sensitivities
of
the
community's residents;
(e) The site must be located
in an area where the
landfill's operation will not
detrimentally
affect
environmentally
sensitive
resources such as aquifer,
groundwater reservoir or
watershed area;
(f) The site should be large
enough to accommodate
the community's wastes for
a period of five (5) years
during which people must
internalize the value of
environmentally sound and
sustainable
solid
waste
disposal;
(g) The site chosen should
facilitate
developing
a

landfill that will satisfy

budgetary
constraints,
including site development,
operation for many years,
closure, post-closure care
and possible remediation
costs;
(h) Operating plans must
include
provisions
for
coordinating with recycling
and
resource
recovery
projects; and
(i) Designation of a separate
containment
area
for
household
hazardous
wastes.

Section
21.
Mandatory
Segregation of Solid Waste
The LGUs shall evaluate
alternative roles for the
public and private sectors in

providing
collection
services, type of collection
system, or combination of
systems, that best meet
their needs: Provided, That
segregation of wastes shall
primarily be conducted at
the source,
to
include
household,
institutional,
industrial, commercial and
agricultural sources
Section
37.
Prohibition
Against the Use of Open
Dumps for Solid Waste
No open dumps shall be
established and operated,
nor any practice or disposal
of solid waste by any
person,
including
LGUs,
which constitutes the use of
open
dumps
for
solid
wastes, be allowed after the
effectivity
of
this
Acts: Provided, That within
three (3) years after the
effectivity of this Act, every
LGU shall convert its open
dumps
into
controlled
dumps

Miscellaneous Provisions
1. Aim to develop public
awareness of the ill-effects
of and the community
based solution on solid
waste management.
2. Concentrate on activities
which are feasible and
which will have the greatest
impact on solid waste
problem on the country, like
resource conservation and
recovery,
recycling,
segregation at source, reuse,
reduction,
and
composting of solid waste.
3.Encourage the general
public, accredited NGOs
and peoples organization to
publicity
endorse
and
patronize
environmentally
acceptable products and
packaging materials.