On January 26, 2001, the Republic Act (RA) 9003 otherwise known as the Philippine Ecological Solid
Waste Management Act of 2000 was signed into law. This law provides for the necessary institutional
support mechanisms and instructs all local government units (LGUs) to establish an ecological solid waste
management program within their jurisdiction. Triggered by problems emanating from the ubiquitously
improper waste disposal, the Philippine Congress [1] envisioned RA 9003 to provide integrated solutions
suited for a developing country at the time while recognizing future opportunities for policy enhancements
through the creation of a multi-agency National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC).