Invest in Effective Solid Waste Law Implementation and Waste Reduction, Not WTE - BAN Toxics

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 





As International Zero Waste Month draws to a close, environmental NGO BAN Toxics urged the Philippine government to abandon plans to pursue waste-to-energy (WTE) as a solution to the country’s escalating waste problem. The call came after Congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced during the 25th anniversary of RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, that she intends to file a bill amending said law to allow the use of WTE technology for waste disposal. RA 9003 was the first law she signed as president.



According to the group, the government should first focus on effectively implementing RA 9003 and addressing persistent gaps, noting that improper waste disposal, insufficient infrastructure, and lack of public awareness remain widespread. BAN Toxics emphasized that the law has yet to be fully realized, even after 25 years.



The 2023 Commission on Audit (COA) report shows that only a fraction of barangays have operational Materials Recovery Facilities (MRFs), with just 39 percent of barangays (16,418 of 42,046) served by MRFs in 2021. Many local government units also lack adequate sanitary landfills, with only 29.25 percent (478 of 1,634 LGUs) having access to SLFs, leaving much of the country’s waste improperly managed or sent to dumpsites instead of environmentally sound facilities.



Under RA 9003, LGUs are mandated to divert at least 25 percent of their solid waste through reuse, recycling, composting, and other resource recovery activities, with targets increasing every three years. However, official assessments show that many LGUs have struggled to meet these diversion requirements in practice, with much waste still unmanaged or improperly disposed.



The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has also acknowledged a lack of recycling infrastructure and waste processing facilities as a key barrier to effective implementation, adding that waste segregation at the source remains inconsistent across local governments.



“We should first conduct a comprehensive assessment of RA 9003, and invest our efforts and resources in improving its implementation before considering waste-to-energy or other burn technologies,” said Jam Lorenzo, BAN Toxics Deputy Executive Director and Head of Policy Development and Research.



According to Lorenzo, WTE is not clean energy, as it produces a wide range of toxic chemicals, including persistent organic pollutants (POPs) that remain in the environment for a long time. Citing a biomonitoring study by Zero Waste Europe from 2023–2024, Lorenzo said that even the most advanced waste incineration technologies emit unintentionally produced POPs, such as dioxins and furans.



He also noted that WTE facilities prefer dry, inorganic waste such as plastics due to its high energy content. “WTE is often framed as a solution to plastic pollution, but burning plastics creates new environmental and health risks by releasing toxic pollutants. Instead of reducing plastic waste, it only encourages continued virgin plastic production derived from fossil fuels, reinforcing dependence on extractive industries that drive pollution and climate change.”



The DENR estimates that the Philippines produces about 61,000 metric tons of solid waste every day, 12 to 24 percent of which is plastic. This translates to around 163 million plastic sachet packets, 48 million shopping bags, and 45 million thin-film bags used daily.



BAN Toxics is advocating for a Zero Waste framework to address the waste crisis, calling for decisive action to reduce or eliminate waste at the source by cutting reliance on plastics, especially single-use plastics, and ensuring accountability from producers and corporations for the full lifecycle of their products. The approach emphasizes designing products and systems that prevent waste from being generated, while promoting reusable and refillable packaging, community-based recycling and composting, and behavioral change among consumers to adopt more sustainable habits.



“Waste-to-energy may promise an easy solution, but it is a false one. Easy fixes rarely solve systemic problems. Lasting change comes from investing in systems and infrastructure needed to properly implement our waste management laws and reduce waste at the source,” Lorenzo said.



BAN Toxics stresses the need for a fundamental shift from fragmented, “end-of-pipe” waste disposal to integrated, sustainable, and holistic approaches. The group notes that current siloed efforts by the government can be inefficient, costly, and environmentally harmful. It advocates for a systems approach that coordinates technologies, policies, and community actions to achieve more sustainable waste management outcomes.

STI’s Tagisan ng Sining celebrates next wave of Filipino visionaries

Wazzup Pilipinas?!



The spotlight returned to STI College for academic year 2025-2026 as it hosted “Tagisan ng Sining,” an annual search for creative excellence among student filmmakers and photographers.

This year’s short film competition “Director’s Cut” challenged 54 student teams to explore the theme “Memory as Resistance.”

Blending live action and animation, “Tao” by Kym Kaisha Dechoson, Narciso Dugay III, and Daniela Lainez of Girls Night Out Productions (STI Global City), emerged as the National Champion.

“Sa Duyan ng Gunita,” a recollection of a memory from 1978, by Natalie Shane Angulo, Angelica Blanche Salva, and Mark Lawrence Telles of PCL Pictures (STI College Cubao) won first runner-up.

A strong call to preserve culture, “Kalinangan” by Sean Maverick James Inaldo, Angeline Arcilla, and Loyd Denver Palisoc of Re:Take Films (STI College Angeles) was awarded second runner-up.

“Between the Lines” by Niko Liwag, Monica Lucia Aguilar, and Deida Miranda of NMD Productions (STI College Las Piñas) and “Dito at Doon” by Yaz Rohann Barrameda, Sophia Andrelyn Napay, and Matthew Job Estacio of Zenith Productions (STI College Ortigas-Cainta) earned third and fourth runner-up awards, respectively.

The films were judged by Madonna Tarrayo, CEO of Unitel Productions and Straight Shooters Media; Joel Bohol Jr., art director for commercials, film and television; and Seymour Sanchez, film educator and former technical consultant of the Film Development Council of the Philippines.

In the photography category, 56 entries transformed ordinary moments into visual masterpieces under the theme “Borrowed Light.”

Cyken Besana Caro, first year BS Business Administration major from STI West Negros University, was declared the National Champion for his photo of a serene playground scene.

Jiether Gonzales Rabor, third year, BMMA student from STI College Tacurong, was named first runner-up for his conceptual journey of learning.

Nick James Bueno Ramos, Grade 12 ITMAWD student from STI College Sta. Mesa, won second runner-up for his study on guiding light through dim phases.

Nash Hernandez Rebutiaco, 4th Year BMMA major from STI College Santa Rosa and Niño Anthony Noya Zamora, Grade 11 ITMAWD student from STI College Davao were awarded third runner-up and fourth runner-up, respectively.

The photographs were evaluated by Aron Garcia, Special Project Coordinator for Nikon Philippines and Imaging Consultant for Canon Marketing Philippines; Jay Jallorina, renowned architectural photographer and Fujifilm Philippines Brand Ambassador; and Jijo De Guzman, leading photography advisor and grand prize winner of the Batanes International Photography Awards.

As “Tagisan ng Sining” continues to evolve, it remains a vital platform for STI students to discover new perspectives and refine their creative vision.

Insurance for Philippine Coral Reefs

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

 

The Philippines is part of the Coral Triangle, a region that hosts over 500 species of coral and 3000 species of fish. Bursting with life and abundance, coral reefs are the sunken ‘treasure chests’ of biodiversity. One in four of all known marine organisms live in or around a coral reef.

Reefs, however, aren’t the toughest of ecosystems. Corals in particular are vulnerable to temperature shifts. Too cool? They get sick. Too warm? They might purge the symbiotic, life-giving algae that give them color. Bleached corals eventually die if temperatures don’t return to normal. 

Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest, was hard-hit by warming seas in 2024, with roughly 80% of its constituent reefs affected. Among the top threats to coral reefs are climate change, pollution, destructive fishing practices, storms, earthquakes, ship strikes and volcanic eruptions, especially in countries like the Philippines with many active volcanos (just look at Mount Mayon now). 

“A single typhoon, earthquake or bleaching event can spell the difference between life and death for many reefs,” explains Dr. Hazel Arceo of the University of the Philippines Cebu. “Considering the reported loss of about one-third of our corals in the last decade, Philippine coral reefs are in decline. To continue reaping the benefits of our natural resources, we must find ways to safeguard them from external threats.”

Insurance for Marine Protected Areas

Since 2025, the United Nations Development Programme’s Biodiversity Finance Initiative (UNDP-BIOFIN), the UNDP Insurance and Risk Finance Facility (UNDP-IRFF), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and allied agencies have been assessing the viability of nature-based insurance products to help coral reefs and other vital ecosystems recover from natural and manmade calamities. 

“Insurance, as a form of risk transfer, can bolster the resilience of marine protected areas (MPAs) plus our other parks and protected areas, especially when combined with traditional risk reduction and mitigation measures. It’s a management tool that has rarely been tapped for conservation,” says Anabelle Plantilla, national project manager for UNDP-BIOFIN in the Philippines.

Though known to most Pinoys as a financial safety net when accidents or illnesses occur, insurance can take many forms and has been a part of human society since the era of the ancient Babylonians. At its core, insurance is a contractual agreement where entities pay premiums to an insurer that provides financial protection or reimbursements for specific, defined losses.

“The insurance industry would be happy to be a part of this and to continue the conversation. We’re more than just businesses after all,” says Mitch Rellosa, executive director of the Philippine Insurers and Reinsurers Association (PIRA), the umbrella organization unifying the 54 member companies that cover domestic non-life insurance in the Philippines. 

Using Negros Oriental’s Mantalip Marine Reserve as a hypothetical example, UNDP-BIOFIN and its partners are exploring the feasibility of non-life insurance products for MPAs and other protected areas to support the global 30 x 30 Target, which aims to protect 30% of the planet’s land and ocean areas by 2030. The Philippines hosts over 1800 MPAs, but only around 30% are effectively managed.

Previously targeted by illegal blast fishers, Mantalip Reef became an MPA in 2003. Spurred by good enforcement, fish and corals returned to improve the lives of locals. From a paltry average of two kilogrammes in 2012, Mantalip’s 700 subsistence fishers saw their yields increase to seven kilogrammes per day. The resurgence of biodiversity also attracted droves of tourists, who brought in around PHP300,000 of revenues in 2017 alone. 

But then, Odette happened.

Smashing the Philippines in December 2021, the category-five super typhoon left 36 million homes damaged and over 400 people dead. Coral reefs, forests and other ecosystems were similarly battered. Mantalip Reserve’s hard coral cover plummeted from 60% to just 5% after Odette. Even the park’s longstanding visitor center – a reinforced concrete platform that had weathered the worst storms of the past two decades – was severely damaged.

Exploring insurance systems for such damages might help Mantalip and many other Philippine coral reefs bounce back after typhoons, ship groundings and other natural or manmade calamities. 

“Protecting our marine ecosystems is not just an environmental imperative, but an investment in the well-being, resilience and prosperity of our entire country. Nature-based solutions like MPA insurance provide us with pathways to bridge ecological conservation and that elusive sustainable economic development,” adds Mariglo Laririt, assistant director of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau (DENR-BMB).

Other types of conservation-centric insurance strategies are also being pilot-tested, from an insurance policy covering jaguar mortalities of pets and livestock in Argentina to a parametric insurance policy to recoup lost fishing days of small-scale fishers in the Philippines. 

With the participation and support of insurance corporations and other forward-thinking private-sector partners, insurance might become a part of protected area management. Tomorrow’s coral reefs might finally have a financial safety net whenever a storm or earthquake barrels through.

“We should realize that, in the end, every single investment we make is dependent on nature,” concludes Abbie Cruz-Trinidad, senior technical advisor for UNDP-BIOFIN. “Since we reap so much from coral reefs and our other ecosystems, shouldn’t it make good business sense to insure and protect them?”