Assessment of Republic Act 9003 Implementation in Selected Colleges in Albay: A Basis for Developing A Sustainable Solid Waste Management Plan

Abstract

Republic Act No. 9003, known as the “Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000,” is a Philippine law that provides for a systematic, comprehensive, and ecological solid waste management program. This law mandates the creation of necessary institutional mechanisms and incentives, declares prohibited acts related to solid waste management, and penalties for violations. This study was conducted in Malinao, Daraga and Polangui of the Province of Albay covering the period from CY 2023-2025. This study used a Mixed Method Research Design. The Focus Group Discussion was used to gather more detailed data from the respondents. The respondents are the students, faculty and non-teaching staff in college. The study reveals that colleges have initiated compliance measures on solid waste management implementation. Section 56 of RA 9003 on the level of awareness reveals that colleges have sufficient knowledge of the law, putting the law into practice needs ongoing trainings and education. On the evaluation on the level of implementation of the law, colleges demonstrated more on moderate performance. On identifying the constraints of the solid waste management practices, effective implementation and initiatives depend heavily on addressing institutional and structural challenges. Constraints can be addressed through sufficient budget allocation, stronger coordination and regular monitoring and evaluation.