LET’s face it—Dumaguete is drowning in its trash with the city churning out a staggering 75 tons of garbage every single day. This is where real environmental leadership can emerge.
To address the root of our waste problem, we must hold big brands accountable. Here’s a (suggested) detailed, Dumaguete-specific breakdown of how the local government can enforce the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act and make producers own up to the plastic they flood the city with.
EPR Act in brief
Republic Act No. 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022, mandates companies to recover, recycle, or offset their plastic waste. If you’re profiting from products sold in plastic packaging, you’re legally responsible for what happens to that packaging after it’s used.
The problem in Dumaguete
Walk into any sari-sari store, supermarket, or public market in Dumaguete and you’ll see the same thing: sachets, multilayer plastics, and disposable wrappers from Nestlé, Unilever, P&G, Colgate-Palmolive, and countless others. These brands make life convenient, yes—but they also flood our landfills, oceans, and streets with non-recyclable trash, much of it ending up in a dumpsite or worse, in our canals and coastline.
The solution? Local enforcement of the EPR Law
Step 1: Create a Local EPR Enforcement Task Force
Who: City ENRO (Environment and Natural Resources Office), City Legal Office, City Council, ENRD, and DENR regional reps.
What to do:
- Form a Local EPR Oversight Committee.
- Draft and pass a Dumaguete City Ordinance that operationalizes EPR enforcement within the city.
- Include penalties for non-compliance, rewards for compliance.
Step 2: Identify and List All EPR-Liable Companies Active in Dumaguete
Survey: Conduct a barangay-level inventory of stores (sari-sari stores, groceries, supermarkets) that sell products in plastic packaging.
Match: Match brands found with their parent companies. (e.g., Surf = Unilever, Bear Brand = Nestlé)
Notify: Officially notify companies or their local distributors of their obligations under RA 11898.
Step 3: Require Submission of Local EPR Compliance Plans
Local businesses and brand representatives must submit:
- A waste recovery plan (e.g., number of kilos to be recovered or offset per month).
- A budget for local waste recovery efforts (they can either operate their own, or fund third-party recovery systems).
- Proof of DENR EPR registration (required nationally).
If they fail to submit: publicly name them, fine them, or recommend a business permit suspension for gross non-compliance.
Step 4: Mandate Local Take-Back or Drop-Off Points
Require brands or distributors to:
- Set up plastic waste drop-off bins in retail locations (especially supermarkets and major stores).
- Coordinate with junk shops, waste pickers, and MRFs to pick up this plastic waste for proper disposal or recycling.
Example: Partner with Hypermart, Lee Plaza, and Robinsons Dumaguete to host branded plastic return stations.
Step 5: Fund Local Plastic Recovery Projects
If brands don’t want to manage their waste, fine. But then they must fund those who do:
- Collect “plastic recovery fees” from companies that exceed a certain plastic waste volume sold in Dumaguete.
Use this fund to – 1) Pay local junk shop workers per kilo of collected sachets; 2) Support community-based plastic upcycling initiatives (e.g., converting plastic into eco-bricks or school chairs); 3) Improve the MRF at Candau-ay and develop satellite facilities.
Step 6: Go Transparent—Track and Publish Compliance
Create a public EPR Compliance Dashboard on the city government website.
- List companies and their compliance status.
- Update monthly with the volume of plastics recovered per brand.
- Celebrate brands that comply. Call out those that don’t.
Transparency will pressure laggards and reward leaders.
Step 7: Empower Barangays and Civil Society
Train barangay officials and community volunteers on how to monitor brand packaging volume in their areas.
- Partner with youth groups, environmental orgs, and schools to do waste audits and EPR monitoring.
- Provide incentives (cash prizes, certifications, or recognition) to barangays that excel in tracking and supporting EPR implementation.
The bottom line
If you’re making money in Dumaguete, you should be helping clean up Dumaguete.
It’s time to stop letting big brands quietly profit while local taxpayers, waste workers, and ecosystems bear the burden. Through clear ordinances, transparent monitoring, and a tough-but-fair approach, Dumaguete can be the first city in the Visayas to truly enforce the EPR law.
No more excuses. No more greenwashing. Clean up or get out.
