Proper waste management is one of the prevailing issues during this pandemic. The current COVID-19 pandemic is rapidly spreading, thus intensifying its impact upon the world’s healthcare systems and economy. During this time, ensuring reliable and safe municipal solid waste management services provision is a must for all local governments to protect public health and contain the spread of the virus. There are many questions regarding the management of household and hospital wastes that could be impacted by the Coronavirus, or COVID-19. Generally, the management of wastes should continue as normal. Care should be taken to limit direct exposure to waste using best management practices. Waste and recyclable material handlers and haulers should continue to wear personal protective equipment including gloves and eye protection while handling solid wastes. The Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) organized an online forum Flattening the (Waste and Covid-19) Curve: An Online Forum on Waste Management amidst COVID-19 Pandemic on April 27, 2020, which provides a wonderful opportunity to address the protocols and updates on how are we managing and properly disposing of medical/healthcare wastes during this pandemic, updates about the banning of SUP policy in Davao City.
IDIS invited credible resource personnel. Each speaker is an expert of their respective field. The speakers of the forum were Dr. Sophie Manuel (EMB Region 11 Director), Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr., Engr. Lakandiwa Orcullo (CENRO IEC-Head), Curtis Lazarraga the Chief of Health and Sanitation Division (City Health Office), Aileen Lucero (Ecowaste Coalition). The activity was participated by almost 60 participants.
According to Dr. Sophie Manuel, one of the resource persons of the forum, “any crisis presents the opportunity to help us cultivates compassion and increase resilience while building safer and caring community”, with this being said, if we want to contain this pandemic everyone should be part of it and right now, all of us have a contribution in the accumulation of garbage and wastes, a concern was raised in this discussion which is the increasing use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) of medical practitioners and on the latter part plastics for take-out food.
World Health Organization (WHO) and the Department of Health (DOH) mandates that equipment like PPEs should only be used ones, after that it should properly be disposed of. In connection with this every day, our city is expecting thousands of garbage bags being collected in the hospitals and/or medical facilities, 90-95 trucks per day. Engr. Lakandiwa Orcullo, CENRO-IEC Head, mentioned that garbage collectors are not the one who is in charge of medical waste collection. Since solid waste is defined as non-hazardous it means there is a separate entity that collects these kinds of wastes, this registered transporter were the ones who collects medical waste. They always follow standard protocols such as 15 meters allowance from vehicles to vehicles and also a report of compliance shall be made after collection, for their protection and safety. The registered transporters should be exempted from any travel ban and should also not be hampered by any checkpoints. Right after the collection, this will be directly delivered to Maya Med Waste Corp. a company that Recycles and treats miscellaneous waste products. Going through the discussion, Engr. Lakandiwa Orcullo said the CENRO is in big challenge knowing the risk of the highly contagious disease is in serious disposition for the employees.
“There is really a risk on our garbage collectors here in Davao, the city government considers garbage collection as an essential service to the people despite the quarantine,” Orcullo stated.
On the second part of the forum, the question and answer portion, a question was raised by one of the participants stating that there is an increase of plastics for take-out food since everyone resorts to take-out instead of dining in, this was then justified by Ms. Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of Ecowaste Coalition, since relief goods, food delivery is all packed in a single-use plastics. Orcullo doubted that this is true because no statistic will show that it has been increasing. Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr., seconded Orcullo’s statement, regardless, they still acknowledge that somehow this might be true in some areas, but unfortunately, their hands are tight because of COVID-19. They said, what we can do for now is to reuse and recycle these plastics, there is no way we can repack these relief goods without using single-use plastics. Councilor Mahipus also mentioned that because of the pandemic, the ordinance of Banning-Single-Used-Plastic was postponed, they will not able to implement until such time that submitted condition will best for its approval. Atty. Diosdado Mahipus Jr. reminded the people of our shared responsibility for taking care of the environment. Atty. Mahipus emphasized that we should act as one, especially during this pandemic.
Mr. Curtis Lazarraga, Chief, Health and Sanitation Division, City Health Office, stated that the treatment facility is taking care of the medical waste. CENRO is also taking responsibility for solid waste. While Ms. Lucero explains her concern about the decrease of the statistics of garbage collection may it be hazardous or not because the possibility of transmission of COVID 19 from these wastes is still higher since the virus can stay longer on surfaces. Everyone should be reminded of proper sanitation and safety in this so-called new normal, always wear a mask, wash your hands, physical distancing, and proper disposal of garbage.
The forum covered several issues in proper disposal of garbage may it be hazardous or not and it has been addressed properly. Now the ball is on us, if we are to follow basic protocols in the new normal or not, it may be simple if you think of it, but some of us still try to defy the new normal, maybe it is difficult for us to adapt change in just a little amount of time, perhaps the reason why we are always left behind. It is time to reflect, are we going to continue with our old ways or simply adapt to the change that can save and contain this pandemic?
“The earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” – John Paul II
Below is the full video of the webinar.