ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Republic Act No. 9152 - An act to promote environmental awareness through environmental education
and for other purposes. This Act is known as the “National Environmental Awareness and Education Act
of 2008.”

Republic Act 9003: January 26, 2001 -- This is an act providing for an ecological solid waste management
program, creating the necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declaring certain acts
prohibited and providing penalties, appropriating funds thereof and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9275: March 22, 2004 – An act providing for a comprehensive water quality
management and for other purposes.

Republic Act 8749: June 23, 1999, “Philippines Clean Air Act of 1999” - An act providing for a
comprehensive air pollution control policy and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9147 – An act providing for the conservation and protection of wildlife resources and
their habitats, appropriating funds therefor and for other purposes.

Republic Act No. 9175 – An act regulating the ownership, possession, sale, importation and use of
chainsaws, penalizing violations thereof and for other purposes

Solid waste management is one of the various ecological challenges in the Philippines. It is how the
people control and solve challenges concerning solid wastes. There have been several ordinances from
different barangays, municipalities, cities, and provinces that aim to address this matter. Efforts of the
Local Government Units (LGUs) in the Philippines are overwhelming but it must be a joint effort of the
LGUs and its community that can actually make it work.

As part of the problem, we should break the cycle and take the initiative to be part of the solution. The
tragedy that has befallen the residents of Payatas dump site in Quezon City, when its mountain of
garbage toppled down burying many shanties as well as garbage-pickers, should strengthen our desire
to do something about our wasteful lifestyles

The Passage of RA 9003 also known as the Solid Waste Management Act mandates segregation of
waste, segregated collection, use of Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), and composting encourages
patronage of environment-friendly products and packaging, penalizes violation in all levels.

How do you dispose wastes? Proper garbage disposal is significant in the environment to help avoid
environmental challenges and its effects. This would also address our problems on waste management,
particularly solid wastes.

Here are the steps in composting.

1.Chop biodegradable wastes into finer portions. The smaller the size of organic wastes, the faster the
compost will be ready for use.

2.Mix up the biodegradable wastes and place them into the composters. Do not burn on top of the piles
or composters because the heat will kill the biological “decomposers”, thus, delaying the composting
process.

3.Sprinkle a small amount of water. Moisture is essential for microbial activity. Protect the composters
from accumulating too much liquid to avoid leaching (garbage juice).

4.Sprinkle or layer with soil so as not to invite flies and to control odors. Place the soil in between the
layers of the mixture.

5.Aerate the pile. Turn it once or twice a month to provide the necessary oxygen to hasten the
composting process.

6.When the interior of the pile is no longer hot and the material has broken down into a dark and dry
soil, the composting is finished.

Types of Small Scale Composters are:

1.Twin Pits Dig into (1m x 1m x 1m) one-half meter apart. Put small twigs at the bottom and place a
hollow tube for air inlet. Follow the rules for composting, using the pits by turns. For an average
household, it might take a month to fill each pit, thus allowing sufficient time for the materials to
decompose or mature into soil conditioners.

2.Tower Tires Make two piles of old car tires directly on the ground and use them as containers for
composting. To aerate, just insert anything in between the tires. If placed directly on cemented ground,
line the bottom with soil.

3.Bottomless Composters Old drums, cans, plastic water containers with the bottoms off, even an old
jute or rice sack with bottom seam ripped off and supported by 3 pegs or cheap posts.
4.Clay Flower Pots Compos Have ten flower pots. Use flower pots by turns. By the time the tenth pot is
full, in about a month’s time, empty contents of the first pot and use as soil conditioner for
plants/trees/lawn. Pots may be stacked one on top of another but keep contents moist.

5.Plastic Bag Composters Line plastic bags with soil, place chopped biodegradable top with soil/leaves,
moisten, then stack them on top of one another while awaiting collection. In few weeks time, these
become clearless compost, very good for plants.

6.Compost Bins These may be constructed from chicken wire or any durable “basket” material for small-
scale composting. They are designed to adequately accommodate the necessary materials or
ingredients and to allow access of air.

III.Recycling

It is the most useful and helpful way of waste management. Non-biodegradable waste can be recycled
by creating helpful and useful things out of it like the plastic bottles can be made as house decorations
while used magazines can be made into beautiful pillows. Recycling can also be a source of income in
the community, can really reduce pollution, save natural resources, and conserve energy in the
households

1.What is the cause of Climate Change?

The “Greenhouse Effect” is the warming that happens when certain gases in Earth’s atmosphere trap
heat. These gases heat from escaping, like the glass walls of a greenhouse that is why it is called
greenhouse effect. First, sunlight shines onto the Earth’s surface, where it is absorbed and then radiates
back into the atmosphere as heat. In the atmosphere, “greenhouse” gases trap some of this heat and
the rest escapes into space. The more greenhouse gases are in the atmosphere, the more heat gets
trapped.

2.What are the impacts of Climate Change?

Climate Change has impacts to a diverse range of sectors such as the following:
• Agriculture -- Too much or too little rain can lead to decrease in crop yield that
can affect food supply.

• Health -- Increase in the number of cases of vector-borne diseases.

• Biodiversity -- Certain species might not survive in areas where temperature is

changing. This would lead to the change in the composition of species of a
certain ecosystem.

• Coastal -- Sea level rise would affect communities and business situated in
coastal areas.

3.What are some strategies that may address the impacts of climate change?

-Addressing climate change requires adaptation and mitigation strategies. Adaptation refers to the
adjustment in natural or human systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli or their
effects, which moderates harm or exploits beneficial opportunities.

4.What is the international community doing to solve climate change?

-Responding to the call for action, the international community crafted and signed the United Nations
Framework Convention on Climate Change, which seeks to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations in
the atmosphere at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the climate
system. Such a level should be achieved within a time frame sufficient to allow ecosystems to adapt
naturally to climate change, to ensure that food production is not threatened, and to enable economic
development to proceed in a sustainable manner.

5.What is the Government doing to help solve climate change?

-Climate Change Commission is the sole policy-making body of the government tasked to coordinate,
monitor, and evaluate action plans of the government related to climate change. The Commission is
also tasked to formulate the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change and the National Climate
Change Action Plan. The National Framework Strategy on Climate Change is a technical document which
is the basis to protect vulnerable communities from the adverse effects of climate change.