E-Waste Management In The Philippines

My topic: WHAT ACTS ARE CRIMINALIZED? ELEMENTS? MOTIVATIONS WHY CRIMINALS COMMIT THIS CRIME AND HOW THEY DO IT? (Re: E-waste Management in the Philippines)

Like other developing countries, our country (Philippines) is facing a mounting electronic waste problem. Our existing waste management policies lack a specific or solid framework for dealing with E-waste.

Our country has no official definition of what constitutes E-waste. The overall framework for managing waste, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 or otherwise known as Republic Act No. 9003, covers all forms of solid waste. Since E-waste contain hazardous and toxic substances, the nearest definition would fall under “hazardous waste” as defined in the Toxic Substances

Hazardous waste shall also refer by-products, side-products, process residues, spent reaction media, contaminated plant or equipment or other substances from manufacturing operations and as consumer discards of manufactured products which present unreasonable risk and/or injury to health and safety and to the environment”

The question now, is R.A No. 6969 a strong policy to address our problem on E-waste?

Under R.A No. 6969 or otherwise known as Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 the following acts and omissions are considered unlawful:

a. Knowingly use in chemical, substance or mixture which is imported, manufactured, processed or distributed in violation of the said Act or implementing rules and regulations or orders;
b. Failure or refusal to submit reports, notices or on the information, access to records, notices or on the information, access to records as required by the said Act, or permit inspection of establishment where chemicals are manufactured, processed, stored or otherwise

Nonetheless, we have no law prohibiting the entry of e-waste or second hand goods in our country. In fact, DENR Administrative Order 2013-22 allows the importation of these items. Though, the DENR is now exerting efforts to change the liberal regulations under the said Administrative Order and is in fact finalizing a proposed DENR Administrative Order on the “Guidelines on the Environmentally Sound Management of Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment”. Moreover, there is a pending House Bill in the senate HB No. 2806, also known as the Philippine Hazardous and Radioactive Wastes Management Act of 2007 but such legislation is still at infancy