Stance/Solution Proposal

Juanquine Carlos R. Castro

I. Ensuring Proper Waste Management in South Asia

a. Research on the Country’s Current Status Related to Waste

Management
Every Country is of different status and level of progress even with
regards to waste management. Before implementation of any proposed
solution, a country must first assess its current state to scale the changes
that must be done and to provide the appropriate countermeasures. This
includes evaluating the current waste management system, the level of
its citizens’ adherence to the current law, the level of citizens’
awareness, and also the economic capability of a country to realize the
possible plans for progress.

b. Construction of Waste to Energy Plants

One of the most viable option in waste management is the construction
of waste to energy plants. Waste to Energy is a waste management
facility that combusts wastes to produce electricity. This type of power
plant is sometimes called a trash-to-energy, municipal waste
incineration, energy recovery, or resource recovery plant. Many
countries have already adopted this system and most of the progressive
countries even fight over who will burn the waste. Kindly be more specific
to this because energy plants may emit harmful gasses which is in turn,
harmful for the environment.

c. Getting the Participation from communities and investors

To realize a goal, a country must have the participation of its citizens.
They will become the manpower not only to the awareness but also to
the implementation of the proposed solutions. Additionally, if a country
cannot support its goals due to lack of funding, foreign investors can be
invited to support and grow their businesses in the country. The proposal
above is an example of an electricity business that can be privately
owned by foreign investor. South Asian countries are among the most
populated and also with the most waste and garbage products.

d. Promotion of Biodegradable Products as Alternative to Non

Biodegradables
This is not a new topic specially among the scientific society. New
products that are capable of replacing the plastics and other non-
biodegradable everyday products are emerging. However, one of its
problems is the financial factor needed to maintain the implementation
but, I believe we can pay a little more for a sustainable earth whom the
next generation can still cherish, can’t we?

e. Teach the Communities specially students to make Handicrafts

made from Recyclable Materials
Aside from the “money from trash”, teaching the citizens might not only
earn from doing handicrafts made from recyclable materials but also
 lessen the waste dumped into landfills which would lead us to “almost
no trash”.

f. Promote Research on the Other ways to Lessen/Eradicate Waste

Management Problems
Research is one of the best way to find solutions to problems. No, this is
the only systematic way. Research has recently found many ways to
lessen the problems of waste management including the plastic eating
bacteria and the invention of bioplastics. Through research, we may be
able to find different solutions appropriate for every kind of problems
related to waste management.

g. Selling of Waste Products and Garbage to Other Countries

This may sound ridiculous at first but as it stands true, many countries
especially those with waste to energy plants are buying garbage to
supply the power plants. They are even fighting over the right to buy a
country’s garbage (Norway vs Sweden).

h. Single Waste Disposal System

It may not sound so practical yet this is a problem that occurs in many
countries of South Asia. In the Philippines alone, different cities have
their own system of disposing waste management and even different
ways of sorting. A unified single disposal and garbage sorting system
system may be a little way but it might prove helpful in the long run. How
can this help? How can they implement?

i. Creation of School Student Organization Solely for Waste

Management Purposes
This proposal proposes for a national-wide creation of school-based
organization that will be initiated by students themselves. Students have
to be responsible on their garbage and wastes. Not only they need to
learn it at home, but also in the school. Additionally, it is on the school
that they can practice their skills in leadership that helps not only the
school, or the country, but the environment as a whole.

j. Public Awareness of Recent Advances in Waste Managements

The best way to gain the participation of the mass is to make them aware
of the current state and the things that is needed to be done. They need
to be aware that their participation is needed to realize this vision. They
also need to be aware of the consequence of their lack of initiative and
participation.

Kindly include here the banning of developed countries in sending their

trash to developing countries such as Philippines. Kindly read the trash
issue of Canada and Korea to the Phils.

If you have time, kindly read Oposa v. Factoran case. It is about Writ of
Kalikasan. It is a unique remedy in court available to preserve and
protect the environment. Many courts outside the Philippines applauded
such case because it is sui generis, one of a kind, since the petitioners
 are are representing the future generation, those who are unborn.
Maybe, if other countries too have this kind of remedy, they can opt to
use this to help suppress the effect of climate change.
Also, the cleaning of Manila Bay is a result of a Writ of Kalikasan remedy,
FYI.

I. Attainment of Equal Education and Health Services to Rural Areas

a. Funding for Schools and Health Center Constructions in Rural

Areas
Most of the country’s funding is focused on the capital city, in the case
of Philippines, it is the capital city of Manila and most part of Luzon.
Funding the construction of health centers and schools will not only give
the citizens of rural area the opportunity to school but also help them to
lessen other factors including the transportation.

b. Employment Opportunities for Parents

One of the reason why even if educational opportunities are present at
the localities of rural areas, they can’t either afford the school or they
might not have food on their table if their children don’t work with them.
Therefore, employment opportunities for parents will be a great help to
send their children to school without hesitation. Employment
opportunities can be those of the same nature as their prior job/work or
appropriate for the localities resources.

c. Creation of Producers Cooperatives in Rural Areas

In reference to the preceding proposal, the creation of producers
cooperative will be of great aid to the farmers and producers in the
localities. Many farmers in the secluded rural areas do not have grasps
on the prices and even proper trading relations and rules with those in
the cities, resulting to scams and other underhanded acts of the buyers.
Organizing the farmers and producers and giving them the right
knowledge about proper trading and giving them entrepreneurial ideas
might help them greatly and to stabilize their financial needs which could
lead them to send their children to school as well as their children’s focus
is only for their education.

d. Strengthen the Projects related to giving Scholarships to the Poor

This is to monitor and also strengthen the implementation of current
projects related to giving scholarships to deserving students of poor
social status. Additionally, new projects can be proposed that directly
address the financial dilemmas of the parents that prevents them in
sending their children to school. There are still students in the country
that do not even know that they can get scholarships from the
government. They lack the knowledge when it is almost free to go to
school.

e. Strict Implementation of Government Monthly Medical Services for

Rural Areas
 There are current activities from the government that is related to these
services given to the poor yet there are instances that these projects are
delayed or even come to a halt. Paid or through volunteers, these
medical services are of great aid to our brothers and sisters in the rural
areas whose medical knowledge is in the primitive level. There are
others who can afford the expenses yet they are only part of those we
can say most fortunate. Most people in the rural areas directly prefer the
cheap quack doctors and the myth related healing practices.

f. Assignment of Ambulance in Secluded Rural Areas

There are instances in the rural areas that their people will be struck with
common diseases yet ended up being dead not because they do not
have access to vehicles. Assignment and proper implementation of even
just a single ambulance in sitios and barangays could be of great help to
easily transport patients and even for emergency purposes.

g. Construction of Roads from cities to Secluded Rural Areas

To realize the preceding proposal, the construction of good roads is a
must. It includes not only roads but also bridges. There are cases that
people have to use bamboo boats to transport their patients from one
barangay to another. Some use bamboo bridges while their patients are
on their man made stretchers out of simple sticks and blankets. They are
also risking their lives on the process of transporting their patients to the
kilometres long distance between their locality and the nearest health
center or hospital. Explain more here why roads are important to
economic stability.

h. Public Awareness of Educational Schemes like ESC (Educational

Service Contract Scheme)
There are schemes of the Department of Education that are somehow
not known to the masses. Some of it can be the solution to the problems
of parents and guardians alike as to why they do not send their students
to school. The ESC for example is to decongest public schools by
sending the other students to private schools with the same or even
government-paid tuition fees.

Additional:
a. Strengthening the most economically derived sector (example:
agriculture for the Philippines. I think this is slightly included in
‘employment opportunities’ but I think sowing one’s land does not
belong to employment. But elaborate more on the most significant
sector that we can derive income from.)
b. More doctors to the barrios who will have competitive compensation
in order for them to serve more to public
c. Effective information drive especially to the barrios