Abstract
Municipal Solid Waste Management (MSWM) is considered to be one of the serious environmental
and public health issues confronting local government units (LGU) in the Philippines. Daily waste generation in the country is estimated as 39,422 tonnes in 2015 and is expected to double by 2025 due to rapid urbanisation and economic growth. Related to this, the Republic Act (RA) 9003 (otherwise known as the Philippines Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) was enacted providing an institutional framework and policy guidelines to create systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management (ESWM) programmes within LGUs. However, its implementation and compliance at the LGU level is still very limited and challenging even though more than a decade has passed since the law was enacted. Based on the experience of three case study cities, this paper demonstrates that policy formulation at the national government level does not necessarily guarantee its implementation at the LGU level. Effective implementation of RA 9003 is therefore dependent upon a degree of political commitment/leadership; supportive institutional/organisational framework and structures; technical and
financial capacity; development of strong partnerships among different stakeholders, and adequate incentives and enforcement systems. Thus, technical capacity, financial and incentive systems are recommended.
