Interior chief seeks law overhaul to centralize regional waste management

MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla has urged Congress to amend the Local Government Code to enable coordinated waste management programs across regions, citing limitations in the current legal framework during a House appropriations committee hearing on Thursday.

Remulla told lawmakers that Republic Act No. 7160, the Local Government Code, restricts waste management responsibilities to municipal and city authorities, creating fragmented approaches that hinder effective solutions to the country's growing solid waste challenges.

The interior secretary's push for legislative amendments comes as the Philippines grapples with mounting waste disposal concerns across urban and rural areas. Regional coordination of waste management programs could potentially streamline operations, reduce costs, and improve environmental outcomes, according to proponents of the measure.

The proposed changes would grant regional government units greater authority in planning and implementing waste management initiatives, allowing for standardized protocols and resource sharing among local government units within their jurisdictions. Remulla presented the proposal during the Department of Interior and Local Government's 2027 budget deliberations in the House.

The amendment would represent a significant shift in how waste management responsibilities are distributed among government levels in the Philippines, potentially reshaping local governance structures that have remained largely unchanged since the enactment of the Local Government Code in 1991.