On August 31, 2023, Regional and Field Office personnel of the Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region were reoriented on Office Circular No. 2020-01, otherwise known as “Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of Proper Waste Reduction, Disposal, and Segregation in the DILG-NCR Premises.”
The Circular introduced updated guidelines for proper solid waste management practices in the workplace in line with the National Solid Waste Management Commission’s Resolution No. 1363 series of 2020, banning single-use plastics in national government agencies, local government units, and other government-controlled offices.
The said office circular enjoins all personnel to observe proper waste reduction, disposal, and segregation practices in DILG-NCR work areas. The use of environment-friendly materials is likewise encouraged, not only in the office, but also during the conduct of training and meetings outside the office premises.
DILG-NCR’s Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division (LGMED) Chief Raymond Gerard E. de Asis pointed out that the DILG-NCR, being the lead agency responsible for assessing the compliance of NCR LGUs with RA 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, should set the example in the efforts to minimize waste and improve access to proper waste disposal facilities. Accordingly, posters and new trash bins with appropriate labels for different types of waste were placed in conspicuous areas in the Regional Office.
Aside from providing updates on the Office Circular, the Manila Bay Clean-Up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program Management Team (MBCRPP-PMT) enriched the discussion by expounding on: the salient features of the Philippine environmental laws relevant to the office setup, general concepts of ecological solid waste management, the different sources and types of waste, and lastly, the proper waste segregation, composting, and recycling practices at the workplace. The preceding subject areas were culled out from the Technical Education And Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) online course on “Performing Solid Waste Management in the Workplace.”