Exploring Current Disaster Waste Management in the Philippines

Abstract

A review of national policies on disaster waste management reveals that preparation for disaster waste management is not always sufficient. In Southeast Asia, however, some countries are developing guidelines for disaster waste management. This paper reviews this trend in the Philippines as a specific movement, reflecting frequent natural disasters that the country has faced, the growing interest in disaster waste management in the Philippines, and several movements which have emerged. There has been no comprehensive review of such movements thus far, and this paper explores and summarizes the movements happening within the national government, local governments, and other sectors. As a noteworthy point, the paper presents a comparative analysis of preparations underway in the central government and Metro Manila to establish guidelines for disaster waste management. In conclusion, perspectives are proposed to better understand the current status of disaster waste management and to examine policies in detail. The term “legal basis” must be clarified to increase its effectiveness, and such policies need to be formulated in a more realistic and effective way by encompassing a wider variety of “stakeholders”. The paper also addresses the possibility of more contributions from academia as well.