IN THE KNOW

Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, aims to implement a comprehensive and systematic waste management program nationwide.

Signed on Jan. 26, 2001, RA 9003 was the first piece of legislation President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law.

It created the National Solid Waste Management Commission, headed by the environment secretary and a private sector representative, to assist local governments in waste management.

The law prohibits littering, throwing or dumping of trash in public places and punishes violations with a fine of P300 to P1,000 or community service of one to 15 days.

The penalty for operating trash collection or transport equipment in violation of sanitation rules set by law and those burning trash in the open is a fine of P300 to P1,000 or imprisonment of one day to 15 days or both.

The punishment for causing or permitting the collection of nonsegregated or unsorted waste; squatting on dumps and landfills; open dumping, burying of biodegradable or nonbiodegradable materials in flood-prone areas, and unauthorized removal of recyclable materials intended for collection by authorized people is a fine of P1,000 to P3,000 or imprisonment of 15 days to six months or both.

Those convicted of mixing of source-separated recyclable materials with other solid waste in any vehicle, box, container or receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal; violating the prohibition against the use of open dumps for solid waste; manufacturing, distributing or using nonenvironmentally acceptable packaging materials, and importing consumer products packaged in nonenvironmentally acceptable materials will, on first offense, be fined P500,000 plus 5 percent to 10 percent of their net annual income during the previous year.

Second and subsequent violations of the prohibition against open dumps and nonenvironmentally acceptable packaging materials mean an additional penalty of imprisonment of one year to three years at the discretion of the court. Inquirer Research

Sources: Inquirer Archives, gov.ph