Chris Macas has been a waste collector since 2018. While he is proud of his contributions to the cleanliness of his community, he has been hoping for changes.
With only gloves to protect him, he would worry about his health and also his family's. There were days, he said, when he couldn't report for work for a week because he'd often get sick.
The situation of Chris is not new in the Philippines. Although the country has several laws related to solid waste management, strict implementation remains a problem, causing adverse impact not just to the environment but also to waste workers' welfare. A compliance audit on 178 local government units (LGUs) showed that from 2011-2017, 27.53% did not comply with regulations for segregation at source while 23.03% did not comply with regulations on segregated collection.
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