In addition, the rise of consumerism in the world has led to detrimental effects on our climate as more and more plastic waste is being found in the ocean. With the Philippines being a third-world country, commodities are packaged into smaller portions which have increased the use of single-use plastics. 

However, the current solution does not address or regulate the use of plastics. Aside from Republic Act 9003, there are no preexisting laws that categorically tackle the problem of plastic consumption. In April 2021, plastic waste swamped the city after a flood the night before. A Davao-based environmental group called on policymakers to come up with stricter regulations to address single plastic use (Colina 2021). The incident served as an eye-opener for the public and policymakers to adopt more sustainable practices for the city. 

In a report by Davao Today, a flood that hit Davao City on August 28, 2019 washed away wastes including plastics, sachets, and plastic bags in the Davao River. Furthermore, in October of 2021, the Interface Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) stated that large volumes of plastic wastes clog drainage systems that result in flooding especially in highly urbanized areas in Davao City. The organization also encouraged the public to be responsible and manage their plastic wastes.

Multiple concerns have been raised about the increasing amount of the use of plastic wastes. According to the IDIS, 614 tons a day was disposed of at sanitary landfills in 2019 alone, higher than the previous year, with 601 tons a day. Furthermore, they have urged the City Governments to implement banning of Single-Use Plastics to cut down the consumption of plastic and reduce plastic pollution within the city. With this, Mayor Inday Sara Duterte has drafted an ordinance to ban the use of single-use plastics. In the drafted ordinance, the regulation on the sale and use of SUPs are essential to decrease the possible pollution of the environment and improper ways of recycling. With the collaboration of the Davao City Environment and Natural Office (Cenro-Davao) and LGUs, they have specifically implemented the regulation of reducing and banning the use of SUPs on businesses around the city. This will further speed up the process of implementing the ordinance around the city which will make the city more eco-friendly and more sustainable. In addition, Envirotech Waste Recycling, a recycling company in Davao City, targets to reduce the issue of plastic waste. The said company converts plastic waste into different products for consumers, such as chairs, pots, building materials and other functional items, which aids in the plastic problem in Davao City. 

Colina, A. (2021, April 11). Plastic trash swamps Davao City after flood. Manila Bulletin. Retrieved from https://mb.com.ph/2021/04/11/plastic-trash-swamps-davao-city-after-flood/ 

Davao Today. (2019, September 9). Ban of single-use plastic sought for Davao City. Davao Today. Retrieved from http://davaotoday.com/main/environment/ban-of-single-use-plastic-sought-for-davao-city/ 

Hartman, D. (2019, March 2). The disadvantages of recycled plastics. Sciencing. Retrieved from https://sciencing.com/disadvantages-recycled-plastics-7254476.html
IDIS. (2018). Davao City: City of life, not of plastic!. Retrieved from https://idisphil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Ban-Single-Use-Plastic.pdf 

Palo, R. (2021, October 27). Davao City urged to address flooding. The Manila Times. Retrieved from https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/10/27/news/regions/davao-city-urged-to-address-flooding/1819825 

Paringit, E. (2021, June 26). We reuse your refuse, Basura Mo Tutugunan Ko! ENVIROTECH. Retrieved from https://envirotech.com.ph/ 

The Global Goals. (2022, February 28). Goal 13: Climate action. The Global Goals. Retrieved from https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/13-climate-action/ 

Along with this comes the opportunity to extract these precious minerals. While mining these resources may benefit the economy and employment in the region, it may induce adverse effects on the environment and landscape of the area. Some of the many negative impacts of mining include air and drinking water pollution, destruction of wildlife and habitats, poor soil fertility, and deforestation. While Davao City has been proactive in its campaign against illegal mining, many illegal miners remain in the region. In November 2021, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) seized an unlawful mine in Mt. Apo, about 5 meters long. Inside the tunnel were around 25 sacks containing about 2,250 kilograms of ore in total. This case of unlawful mining is just one of the many illegal mining activities uncovered in the Davao region.

A study by Canencia et al. (2015), gathered respondents who work or used to work in mining sites located in Mindanao. The respondents were asked regarding the adverse effects of mining that they have experienced. The study showed that the respondents experienced landslides, flash floods, soil erosion, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and improper waste disposal. Additionally, the study revealed that agricultural land was affected due to the presence of mining in nearby areas, which have resulted in agricultural degradation, flash floods, soil erosion, and landslides that have destroyed crops. Moreover, the study revealed that the respondents went through ergonomic hazards. These ergonomic hazards include shoulder fatigue, injuries from fire, falling or explosions, skin diseases and allergies, dengue, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

The studies presented are those of mining in general present in Mindanao. Thus, it can be projected that illegal mining may worsen the adverse effects of this activity, as illegal mining would entail a lack of proper safety and environmental protocols.

Doyle, C., Wicks, C., & Nally, F. (2007). Mining in the Philippines: concerns and conflicts. Eldis. Retrieved from https://www.eldis.org/document/A24466 

Mindanews. (2014, June 26). Davao's Public Safety Office uses drone owned by private firm. MindaNews. Retrieved from https://www.mindanews.com/top-stories/2014/06/davaos-public-safety-office-uses-drone-owned-by-private-firm/

IDIS. (2019). Sustainable Davao City: A Three-year agenda (2019-2022). Retrieved from https://idisphil.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sustainable-Davao-City-Three-year-Agenda-1.pdf 

NEDA. (2021, December 23). Davao City: Neda region XI: Davao region. NEDA Region XI | Davao Region. Retrieved from https://nro11.neda.gov.ph/davao-region/davao-city/ 

Solis, A. (2019, January 31). How digital tools help combat illegal mining and logging in the Amazon. Digital @ DAI. Retrieved from https://dai-global-digital.com/digital-tools-against-illegal-mining-and-logging-in-the-amazon.html 

The Global Goals. (2022, February 28). Goal 15: Life on land. The Global Goals. Retrieved from https://www.globalgoals.org/goals/15-life-on-land/