Solid Waste Management Plan’s Implementation: Connecting the Environmental Changes and Compliance to RA 9003

Improper waste management poses criminological risks by enabling environmental crimes and organized illegal activities that threaten public safety. This descriptive study assessed the Solid Waste Management Plans (SWMPs) in Mindoro Island, specifically, described the profile of the respondents and their practices in relation to implementation of the SWMPs in terms of waste reduction, segregation, recycling, composting, collection including information awareness program and its monitoring and the extent of the environmental changes because of its implementation in terms of environmental quality, public health, economic benefits, resource recovery and sustainability, and community engagement and awareness; assessed the challenges in the compliance of the LGUs in the implementation of RA 9003 in terms of financial constraints, infrastructure and technology, regulatory and policy challenges, operational and logistical challenges, and public awareness and participation. Additionally, it tested the significant difference on the implementation of SWMPs, environmental changes, and challenges in the compliance to RA 9003 when grouped according to profile variables; and tested the relationship among the variables. The study found that most of the respondents are millennial, married, male, and college graduates. The SWMPs in Mindoro Island are mostly implemented with low extent of environmental changes, specifically in indicators, resource recovery and sustainability and community engagement and awareness. The LGUs faced significant challenges, including financial constraints limiting waste management funding and low public awareness and participation hindering effective implementation. Moreover, there is significant difference in the level of implementation of the SWMPs when grouped according to civil status and sex; perceptions of environmental changes resulting from implemented SWMPs based on sex; and challenges encountered by the LGUs in the implementation of SWMPs based on age, civil status, and educational attainment. Also, there is a highly significant positive relationship between the implementation of the SWMPs and environmental changes; a significant relationship between the implementation of the SWMPs and compliance with Republic Act No. 9003; and no relationship between environmental changes and compliance to RA 9003. Finally, an enhancement program called “Mindoro GREEN Initiative” has been developed based on research findings.