MANILA, Philippines — Pro-environment group EcoWaste Coalition on Wednesday called on the local government units (LGUs) to ramp up the enforcement of Republic Act (RA) 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act amid the increasing cases of Chikungunya virus infections nationwide.
EcoWaste issued the appeal after the Department of Health’s data showed that about 1,409 Chikungunya cases were recorded from January to August this year, which is 213 percent higher than the 450 reported cases during the same period in 2022.
“We call upon our local community leaders to mobilize their Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Committee and other groups to ensure the strict implementation of RA 9003 at the household, school, and community levels,” said EcoWaste Coalition zero-waste campaigner Ochie Tolentino.
Tolentino pointed out that the country’s waste law “provides for the mandatory segregation of discards at source to facilitate their reuse, recycling, and composting in an ecological, comprehensive, and systematic manner to ensure the protection of public health and the environment” and bans “littering, throwing, dumping of waste matters in public places.”
“By ecological managing our discards as directed by RA 9003, we avoid the collection of water in discarded containers such as plastic bottles, tin cans, used tires, and anything that can collect water where Chikungunya-transmitting mosquitoes can breed,” added Tolentino.
Citing the World Health Organization, the group pointed out that Chikungunya is transmitted by Aedes (Stegomyia) and Aedes (Stegomyia) albopictus mosquitoes, similar to dengue and zika viruses.
It added that these types of mosquitoes lay eggs in containers with stagnant water.
EcoWaste encourages LGUs and the general public to follow the tips below:
- Properly manage household discards, keeping non-biodegradables dry and clean.
- Inspect and remove standing water at home, garden, and neighborhood.
- Turn over, store in a dry place, or dispose of containers that may collect water.
- Cover water drums, pails, and tanks with lids or mosquito-proof mesh.
- Empty and clean water containers thoroughly once a week.
- Change water in flower vases weekly.
- Remove water from pot plates every other day.
- Clean plant pots that may harbor mosquitoes.
- Loosen soil in potted plants to prevent water from stagnating on the surface.
- Clean animal drinking containers daily.
- Cut or puncture tires used as roof support to avoid collecting water.
- Clean clogged roof gutters of leaves and other debris.
The group likewise reminded the public to refrain from using household insecticides, mosquito coils, and other mosquito repellent products not authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to avoid health and environmental risks.