EXTENT OF AWARENESS AND PRACTICES TOWARD IMPLEMENTATION OF REPUBLIC ACT 9003 IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SANTA CRUZ, LAGUNA, PHILIPPINES

This descriptive research assessed the extent of awareness and practices toward implementation of the Republic Act 9003 in the Municipality of Santa Cruz, Province of Laguna, Philippines. Three (3) groups of respondents appraised the implementation of said law in the ten (10) sampled barangays. There were one hundred eighty (180) sample household residents, six (6) garbage collectors and sixteen (16) barangay officials, a total respondents of two hundred two (202) involved in the study. Frequency count, percentage, ranking and weighted mean were used in analyzing the data. This study found out that the household residents? most common practices in disposing biodegradable waste are in feeding wastes to animal, bringing the wastes to the garbage collection point and burying the waste for backyard composting. On recyclable wastes, the most common practice is on selling wastes to ambulant buyers and on residual wastes, the most common practice is bringing them to garbage collection point. Residents are slightly aware on proper segregation and collection of solid waste. They are not aware on composting biodegradable waste material. However, they are fully aware on recycling solid wastes. The household residents moderately complied on proper segregation and collection of solid wastes. They did not comply on the composting of biodegradable waste, however, the household residents moderately complied in the recycling of solid wastes. It is recommended that the municipal government may review the Medium-Term Barangay Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan and to monitor the strict implementation and compliance to the implementing rules of Republic Act 9003.