INITIAL ASSESSMENT ON THE KNOWLEDGE AND PERCEPTIONS OF MALOLOS

CITY RESIDENTS REGARDING SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

 CHAPTER 1

The Problem and Its Background

Introduction

Humans have always produced trash and have always disposed the garbage on different
ways, so waste management is not a new issue. Proper waste management is a complex task
which requires appropriate organizational capacity and cooperation between numerous
stakeholders in the city setting. According to Aldrin B. Plaza, an urban development officer for
the sustainable development and climate change department at the Asian Development Bank,
the management of city wastes has been a worsening problem in rapidly urbanizing
communities of infrastructure and ecosystem although it is essential to public health and
environmental protection.

The Philippine government implemented the Republic Act no. 9003 or known as the
Ecological Solid Waste Management of 2000 in response to the garbage problem of the
country. The law mandates the public officials from the national level down to the barangay
level to observe and discharge their duty herein mandated in this act so that it may reach the
ends of its purpose why the law was enacted, to solve the problems of garbage. The act provides
the systematic procedure from generation down to the disposal and also provides standards and
controls of the generation, storage, collection, transport, segregation, and disposal of wastes.

The act also mandates the local government units to develop a city and municipal solid
waste management plan. The approved solid waste management plan includes strategies on
residual, recyclable, biodegradable and special wastes such as the strict implementation of the
“No Segregation, No Collection” policy, recycling of single-use plastics, and composting and
construction of vault for health care wastes. Under this act, each city or municipality shall form
a City or Municipal Waste Management Board that shall prepare, submit and implement a plan
for the safe and sanitary management of solid waste generated in areas under in geographic and
political coverage. The ultimate goal was to achieve twenty-five percent waste reduction
through establishing an integrated solid waste management plans based on reduce, reuse and
recycling.
Background of the Study

There is much written about the worsening problem of solid waste in different areas in
the Metro Manila and urban areas, and other places in the country. There are more penalties
imposed by the local government in different barangays, as well as various for a, seminars, and
conferences conducted to discuss ways of solving the problem.
 Significance of the study

The findings of this study are expected to be great value to the following;

Local government officials. The findings of this study will serve as a basis for action
plan and other related programs and activities for development of proper solid waste
management.

Malolos City Residents. The findings of this study may make the residents aware of
the practices on disposal of their waste the benefit to their health and to their community.

Stakeholder. The results of this study may help guide stakeholders on how to dispose
their waste, and benefit of a well maintained cleanliness within Malolos City.
 Conceptual Framework

INPUT Process output

Figure 1. Framework of the Study

Figure 1 presents the framework of the study in determining the solid waste
management practices of Malolos City Residents. Input-Process-Output chart was utilized in
the framework. As stated by J. Richard Hackman, an Edgar Pierce Professor of Social and
Organizational Psychology, the IPO chart is based on classic systems theory, which states that
the general structure of a system is as important in determining how effectively it will function
as its individual components. Similarly, the chart has a causal structure, in that outputs are a
function of various group processes, which are in turn influenced by numerous input variables.

The figure presented indicates the input wherein it consists the demographic profile of
the residents that contains the following: gender, age, and years of residency.

Moreover, the process being used is through --

The output is --
Statement of the Problem

Escalating volume of garbage has been a major problem in the municipality of Malolos
yet landfills and dumpsites are not enough to hold the numerous garbage of residents. Improper
waste management in Malolos City leads to an influence to the residents’ health as well as the
environment. Knowledge about solid waste management is a necessity for the residents in order
to achieve a healthy environment. Insufficient knowledge about this aggravating matter may
compromise human health leading to more serious complications. If the people of Malolos
were to have enough an adequate amount of knowledge towards waste disposal they can help
in maintaining our environment clean as well as preventing diseases from undisciplined waste
management.

For the purpose of this investigation, the researcher sought to the following questions:

1. What is the profile of Malolos City Resident in terms of:

1.1 gender
1.2 age
1.3 years of residency
2. How may the waste management practices of Malolos City Residents be described?
3. What solid waste management problems were encountered by Malolos City Residents?
4. ---
5. ---
Definition of Terms

In the course of presenting the case study, some terms that are not commonly used and
some that assume a meaning peculiar to the local area discussed to avoid ambiguity. These
words are listed below for technical or conceptual definitions:

Biodegradable waste. It refers to a type of waste, typically originating from plant or

animal sources, which may be broken down by other living organism such as dead plants and
animals.

Community. It refers to a group of people living together in some form of social

organization and cohesion; its members share in varying degrees of political, economic, social,
and cultural characteristic as well as interest.

Community participation. It refers to the process by which individuals and families

assume responsibility for their own health and welfare and for those of community and develop
the capacity to contribute to theirs and the community development. They come to know their
own situation better and are motivated to solve their common problems.

Composting. It refers to the purposeful biodegradation of organic matter, such as yard

and food waste.

Incineration. It refers to a waste treatment technology that involves the combustion of

organic materials and/or substances.

Non-biodegradable. It refers to the waste that cannot be broken down by other living
organisms such as rubber, metal, and plastic.

Proper Waste Handling. As used in the study, this refers to the actual waste which is
produced by users by industries and which should be collected properly and carefully
transported to an appropriate treatment plant in such a way that it is not hazardous to health
and environment.

Recycling. It is the processing used materials into new products to prevent waste of
potentially useful materials, reduce the composition of fresh raw materials, reduce energy
usage, reduce air pollution (from incineration) and water potential (from landfill) by reducing
the need for ”conventional” waste disposal, and lower greenhouse gas emissions as compared
to virgin production.
 Reuse. The use of an item more than once. This includes conventional reuse where the
item is used again for the same function and new-life reuse where it is used for a new function.

Solid waste. This refers to waste products in the form of biodegradable, non-
biodegradable, residual, and special waste.

Waste management. The collection, transport, processing, recycling or disposal, and

monitoring of waste materials. The term usually relates to materials produced by human
activity, and is generally undertaken to reduce their effect on health, the environment or
aesthetics.

Waste minimization. The process and the policy of reducing the amount of waste
produced by a person or society.

Scope and delimitation of the study

The general intent of this study is to explain the knowledge of Malolos City's residents
on the existing rules of proper waste management. It will also be focusing if enough knowledge
on proper waste management affects the actions done by the individuals with regards to their
wastes. This study will mainly identify and assess different thinking or understanding of the
people living in Malolos City and how they act upon it after learning the existing laws about
waste management. This study would also determine the ideas that the residents have in order
to come up with a precise recommendation as to how rules should be enacted much properly
in order to have clean environment in the City of Malolos. However, while this research aims
to find out the knowledge of the residents in connection with the proper waste management
imposed by the government, this will not further discuss on the City's Material Recovery
Facility and how the wastes which are collected being thrown. Also, this will be focusing on
the residents of Malolos City alone and not with the nearby municipalities. Although part of
Malolos City is composed of commercial establishments and big companies which greatly
contributes to most of the City's waste, this study will be focusing only on the residents and
their household.