Why get angry over a bag of trash? Issues Regarding Barangay Tugbok Trash Collection

I really dislike how loosely Pinoys use the term "BAWAL" (banned, prohibited). Everything seems to be "bawal", even a little boy running around in a hotel is prohibited (Marco Polo Hotel Davao). Just this morning my trash was termed " bawal". A garbage man asked me to remove all plastic bottles (3 juice bottles and 1 peanut butter bottle) and while I was doing what he instructed, the garbage truck and men sped off. It really ticked me off that they couldn't just wait for me to remove those items from my garbage bag. I had to scream at them and chase after them for my trash to get picked up. Even if there is a 'no segregation, no collection' policy, my trash was already there and I was hellbent at segregating it. Why couldn't the garbage men just wait for 30 seconds? Well, after yelling at them, I got what I wanted- they stopped the truck, got out of the truck, and watched me segregate my trash. 5 men versus 1 woman. The odds weren't in my favor; you may even call it harassment because one of them even pushed his puny chest out as if he was willing to go to a fist fight. I wasn't worried- I have very long nails to defend myself.

I don't speak Bisaya and I don't understand it. I'm fluent only in English, my Filipino is really bad (but, I try) so, whatever those men said to me sounded like a threat. So before I go into the aspects of the law regarding the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, let's tackle Violence Against Women.

Davao City is one of the areas/places with the highest number of cases involving Violence Against Women (VAW). In 2011, Davao City ranked number 1 for the most number of cases, no. 2 in 2014, and recently, the highest number of rape cases even if other areas included in the scope of VAW have gone down.

According to Senator Risa Hontiveros, statistics show that every day, 2 women report a case of harassment to the authorities in Manila alone. She also noted that this did not include other forms of gender-based harassment or abuse that unfortunately, aren't part of any existing Philippine Laws. It also doesn't help that the current Philippine President makes "sexist" remarks to the public. Although the 23 instances that the President did make a sexist statement (one even telling military personnel to shoot rebels in the vagina) may be categorized as a joke or may be taken out of context (as the President's publicist usually would say in his defense), it may make the distinct impression that it is acceptable and may indirectly contribute to a culture of sexism, gender discrimination, and may instigate even more violence towards women.

Alright, I did go ballistic, but I posed no threat (well, I was armed to the wazoo in soiled diapers) and needed not be ganged up on by 5 men no less. But, I understand the demographic basis of this behavior; there are more men than women in Davao City (106:100). Also, I understand the hostility that I inadvertently drew, I was yelling in English. The President of the Philippines has made remarks against the United States. This, I believe has fueled the growing dislike of the Filipinos towards all those linked with the US.

Solid Waste collectors on a garbage truck. Image credit: Pixabay

Let us go back to the R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. According to an article from Rappler (the nemesis of the government),  Davao City spent P151.3 million for sanitary expenses since nearly all barangays failed to comply with R.A. 9003. In this law, it states that all barangays should maintain a Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) which is intended to promote recycling and segregation in an effort to minimize expenses for trash hauling. Only 4 of the 182 barangays were able to comply while the others discontinued due to loss of funding or changes in priorities.

The article went on to add that the City Environment and Natural Resources Office allowed the collection of nonsegregated wastes. They relied on the barangay officials to properly implement the Ecological Solid Waste Act. Now, the barangays are at all arms to implement this law (overlooking some provisions such as parking on the street that they drafted late last year).

I get the point, I had 3 juice bottles and a peanut butter bottle in my "prohibited" trash. The garbage man could have just said that they will be leaving that trash bag and take the other trash bags (I separate soiled diapers, biodegradable trash, from paper and plastic). Not leave everything behind as I hurriedly tried to get the bottles out. That really ticked me off. I saw red and really ranted. From the yelling, I got their attention and they stopped a whole 20 minutes as they watched me separate those few plastic bottles from the "paper and plastic" trash bag. They even had the time to argue with my partner. So, WHY IN THE WORLD WERE YOU GUYS IN A HURRY IN THE FIRST PLACE? Hmm...Barangay Tugbok Trash Collectors? The double park alibi doesn't cut it- there wasn't any oncoming traffic.

Now, according to those men, I have to wait for a visit from a Baranggay official for "alarm and scandal"; if he/she will come at all. Under the law R.A. 153, yelling at a private road in a private subdivision with no one in sight except for me and them (the trash collectors) and the dogs isn't a scandal. And it was 9 AM in the morning. It must cause a "public disturbance" to be deemed as an "alarm and scandal". No one was there. Touché!

I have always stressed to be nice about things...you don't know what that person is going through. I practically haven't had any sleep, my son was giving me problems at such an early hour ( he wanted his milk, his cookies, his art supplies and a balloon blown up), and now after being instructed to take out the plastic bottles out of my trash bag and hurriedly doing so, I and my trash bags were left behind. I am usually patient and passive about things. I try my hardest to understand. But, not like that. It felt like a bad prank. If the collectors didn't want to help me, fine. Just wait for me to sort it all out.

So, for all the Filipinos out there...segregate your trash. I thought I was doing a good job of segregating but, unfortunately, now I know the solid waste collectors of my barangay are super picky. FYI, this was only the second time I have used their service.