Alleba Politics

It’s been more than three years since Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 have been enacted. But until now we have yet to see or feel the effects of its implementation, if it is being implemented at all. This is just one of the plethora of environmental (and otherwise) laws in our beloved country that are good, in principle, but end up gathering dust.

The government has, since time immemorial, have kept environmental issues as mere instruments to impress and get more votes. And while legislators are seemingly doing their best to make the country the forefront of environmental protection and conservation, there is very little done to actually put the laws into motion. Save for the Clean Air Act which is, for the moment, being implemented, most other environmental laws have remained mere documents. As of this time, the Implementing Rules and Regulations for RA 9003 are already set. But, as far as I can see, there is being little done to follow the said IRR. So far, there is a bit hullaballoo in implementing it in Metro Manila through the MMDA but there is apparently no form of implementation whatsoever in other parts of the country.

All the while, the public doing nothing, if not minutely little, to assist the government in solid waste management. We still continue to ive in a throw-away community. We pass by the unsightly open dumps and turn our proud noses up and wonder how the scavengers can possibly live in a dump like it. What we fail to realize is that the dump that is so smelly and unsightly are mostly our doing. We indiscriminately throw away everything we can throw away. Segregation is seen by many as nothing but tedious. Recycling, it seems, is only an elusive concept to us. And waste reduction is unheard of and unpraticed by many.

We have to realize that our garbage problem unfortunately does not rank high among the priorities of this economy-centered government. While the government is busy kissing the ass of Uncle Sam and healing its self-inflicted economics wounds, there is something that we could do. Simply buying products with lesser packaging or re-using paper would help a lot if enoug people do it. Even taking the hassle of contacing recyclers to pick up recyclables such as paper, aluminum cans, plastic containers and glass bottles would help a lot. And there is an upside to it, aside from lessening the garbage problem, one could also earn money from selling recyclables. If done collectively, there is an unquantified amount of ecological, health and even aesthetic benefits from individual proper waste management.

The next time you pass a smelly, unsightly open dump or even uncollected garbage in your neighborhood, remind yourself that you are part of the problem. And that if you do nothing to contribute, lahat tayo pupulutin sa basurahan.

If we have centers for drug abusers, spend money for the board and lodging of criminals, why can’t we care for women who have health complications due to abortion? Providing ample care for those who have had illegal abortions would not in any way encourage the pratice of illegal abortion. Punishing victims of an illegal trade is certainly not a humane policy.

Although it is arguable that having such services available would only encourage women to have illegal abortion, why is it that we have drug abuse detoxification centers? Does having drug abuse detoxification and rehabilitation centers actually encourage people to abuse illegal drugs? I do not think so. In the same way that providing post-abortion care would not encourage illegal abortion. Although abortion is currently illegal in the country (which is another contestable policy), post-abortion care should not be.

Most, if not all, women who have had abortion are mere victims of circumstance or lack of guidance. Depriving them with proper healthcare would not solve the problem of illegal abortion practice.