Perceived Impacts of a Community-Based Solid Waste Management Initiative in Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines

This study analyzed the perceived social impacts of Basura Mo, Edukasyon Ko, a community-based environmental program in Santa Cruz, Laguna, Philippines. This program encourages student-beneficiaries and their families to collect and segregate single-use plastic and receive monetary incentives upon submission to the program implementers, the local government of Santa Cruz, Laguna. Implemented for seven years now, the program has helped thousands of students in the municipality. One hundred twenty-one program beneficiaries were study respondents and two implementers were key informants. Responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed that the Program produced social, environmental, economic, and political impacts that positively affected the lives of the respondents, their families and their respective communities. These include the development of social responsibility and improved social ties, environmental protection and resource conservation, increased community engagement, and reduced household expenses on education. Despite these positive impacts, the program implementation faced several challenges, limited financial resources and no monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. Furthermore, it also needs to improve its planning and implementation of activities, consultation with the beneficiaries, distribution of the grant, and communication of the program requirements to the present and future beneficiaries. This way, the sustainability of the program may be ensured.