A Davao City Councilor has proposed an ordinance that seeks to institutionalize safe disposal and recovery of discarded oil while envisioning it as a renewable resource for biodiesel and lawful industrial use.
The proposed ordinance builds on existing laws, including the Republic Act 6969 known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Waste Control Act of 1990 and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regulations, as well as the Executive Order No. 32 issued by Former Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte in 2015, which mandated proper handling and disposal of used cooking oil in Davao City.
Councilor Temujin B. Ocampo, Chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said during his privilege speech that the proposed ordinance requires establishments to properly dispose of used oil through authorized collectors to ensure monitoring and accountability.
“After more than 10 years, I believe it is time to institutionalize and strengthen this policy, through an ordinance,” he said.
Under the ordinance, establishments generating used cooking oil shall dispose of it only through duly authorized collectors and processing facilities while collectors and transport vehicles shall be registered with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) for local monitoring.
Beyond the regulation, Ocampo emphasized that the ordinance also seeks to used cooking oil as a renewable input, emphasizing that when it is properly processed and compliant with applicable standards, it can be converted into biodiesel for agricultural machinery or used in lawful industrial applications subject to environmental and safety regulations.
“Instead of treating used cooking oil simply as waste, let us look at it is as a resource,” he said.
“Do not return used cooking oil to our food, do not dump it into our environment. Recover it, and where safe and lawful, turn it into something useful,” he added.
The measure has been referred to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, jointly with the Committee on Health for further deliberation. CIO
Written by: N. Malasado
Edited by: A. Nawal