Rapid Initial Criterion Key (RICK) Model for Selection of Suitable Disposal Site Using GIS Technology1 by Rick Jayson A. Tatlonghari2 I. Introduction Careless disposal of municipal solid waste can create unsanitary conditions. Large heaps of domestic waste spill across narrow streets, causing traffic delays. Dumping garbage along streambeds constitutes a major health hazard and contributes to floods. These conditions in turn can lead to pollution of the environment and outbreaks of vectorborne diseases, e.g., diseases spread by rodents and insects. In fact, this has been a prime source of disease for centuries, either through the infection of water supplies or as a breeding ground and feeding source for flies, rats, and other carriers of disease such as schistosomiasis (a parasitic disease). These also pose a wide variety of administrative, economic, and social problems that need to be addressed and solved. Pollution, whether it is air, water, or land, has accompanied mankind ever since. In fact, in the pristine period, human settlements could easily be recognized by their pollutants. Pollution is associated with the incessant growth of our society. Industrialization resulted in an enormous increase in the amount of waste generated per person. One major evidence is the continuous accumulation of solid waste in Payatas, Metro Manila, and even at any disposal site. Actually, in the late 1970s, between 50,000 and 58,000 pounds (22,700 and 26,300 kilograms) of refuse per person per year were produced in the United States alone. In the Philippines, an average of 419 grams of waste/person/day was generated. Every day, volumes of garbage or any form of waste material have been recorded, and this amount can fill the surface of the moon. Thus, various disposal strategies have been developed to decrease the volume of waste generated every day. Among these are sanitary land filling, incinerating, recycling, and ecological solid waste management. In the province of Laguna, the tasks of collecting, treating, and disposing of solid waste present complex technical challenges for the provincial government as well as the municipal level. Open disposal sites are the most common waste management strategy in the province for municipal solid waste. Actually, most of the municipalities in this province have their own open dumpsite. However, most of the open dumpsites in each municipality are located in places technically inappropriate for the purpose. Like the disposal site of Paete, Laguna, which is located near the major road of the town and a 1 Seminar Paper submitted to Dr. Teodoro R. Villanueva. IRNR-CFNR, UPLB. Graduate Student. ULPB Graduate School, Master of Science in Forestry, major in Forest Resources Management and minor in Environmental Science. 2002. 2 2 block away from the town proper. Thus, pollution becomes proximate in the communities and neighborhoods, affecting sanitation and hygiene. It had become evident that open dumping and improper incineration of solid waste were causing problems of pollution and public health. The effects of pollution can be minimized if disposal sites are located in the right places. It must be located far from residential areas, lakes, rivers, and streams. It must be on level ground so that runoff doesn’t carry waste out of the disposal area, in less populated areas to reduce health hazards, and in places with no occurrence of flooding to avoid the transportation of pollution. The selection of a suitable disposal site is one major issue today. In fact, the mayor of Rodriguez, Rizal, is on the NPA hit list due to the dumpsite (PDI, Sept. 8, 2001). A disease outbreak is feared around Taytay, Rizal, due to refuses. Also, in Barangay Daniel Fajardo, Las Piñas City, young residents joined their elders in a recent rally against the dumping of garbage in their community since they’re being affected by filth and stink (PDI, Sept. 10, 2001). Proper environmental planning using rapid appraisal is very important in identifying suitable sites and reducing the risk of any activities. Conservatively, the development of landuse plans and management in a very short period of time will reduce the quantity of waste at its source; nonetheless, it will reduce the hazardous effects both on the physical environment and living organisms. The fact is given: garbage or any form of waste is a daily by-product of man, and a one-day failure of collection will result in a huge accumulation of refuse. Thus, an appropriate rapid initial criterion key model for the selection of disposal sites is imperative to avoid such problems. Rapid disposal site selection requires consideration of an initial criterion key, a comprehensive set of factors, and the balancing of multiple objectives in determining the suitability of a particular area. Current spatial decision-making could benefit from more systematic methods of handling multi-criteria problems while considering the physical suitability conditions. However, an appropriate rapid initial criterion key model of landuse planning for identifying suitable disposal sites requires desirable, accurate, timely, accessible, comprehensive, reliable, and affordable spatial information. Hence, the use of geographic information systems to provide such information is imperative. II. Significance of the Study A model is a representation, example, or pattern of something to be made. Obviously, a model is a simplified representation of the real world and includes only those variables relevant to the problem at hand. This is usually used to assist us in understanding, describing, or predicting how things work in the real world through the representation of factors that are basically important to the study. The rapid initial criterion key model could play a vital role in determining suitable areas for disposal sites at minimum requirements, essentially based on the preferences of 3 the local community. Among these minimum requirements for suitable areas for disposal sites are the following: (1) far from built-up areas or town areas, lakes, and rivers for the protection of the community and to avoid contamination of the aquatic ecosystem; (2) with a minimum distance of 50 meters from the road to avoid traffic due to large heaps of domestic waste spilling across narrow streets, but it should be accessible at the same time; (3) no occurrence of floods to avoid transport of bacteria and pollution; (4) slight to no apparent soil erosion to avoid incidents and contamination of groundwater; and (5) less populated areas to avoid health hazards and unsanitary living conditions. Determination of a suitable area for disposal sites using a simple GIS-based model with minimum requirements to come up with realistic suggestions in a very short period of time is very important. This provides information at a low cost without sacrificing effectiveness and efficiency. With this, decision-makers are expected to address and, at the same time, satisfy the current issues rising both in socio-economics and the environment, since GIS is a great tool to have necessary information for any particular purpose. Also, since this is a GIS-based model, from time to time it can be modified, shared, or changed according to the preferences of the community and the objectives of the government. This will serve as a pattern to achieve a balanced ecosystem through a sound environment and natural resource management. III. Objectives The primary objective of the study is to provide techniques for examination and information on current disposal sites for the whole province of Laguna. GIS will be used as a guide in choosing a suitable disposal site that will provide a balanced ecosystem through its incorporation in the decision-making process in the realm of environmental and natural resource management. Specifically, the objectives of the study are: 1. Develop a simple Rapid Initial Criterion Key (RICK) model for the selection of suitable dumping sites using the Geographic Information System (GIS) for the province of Laguna. 2. Demonstrate the application of GIS in assessing current disposal sites and evaluating suitable areas for disposal sites. Research will focus on the major issues affecting suitability analysis, like population density, landuse, slope, elevation, soil erosion, flooding characteristics, built-up areas, and road networks that influence the suitability of the site for dumping; 3. Provide computer-based information technology in the selection of suitable disposal areas to be used by decision-makers. This will provide desirable, accurate, timely, accessible, comprehensive, reliable, and affordable spatial information for making better decisions; 4 4. Provide a three-dimensional image of a suitable area for the disposal site. This will enhance the convincing power of the model and, at the same time, produce realistic output for any form of validation (because the world isn’t flat); and 5. Provide a GIS-aided, user-friendly spatial information database for the province of Laguna that will serve as a decision support system that answers questions on location, conditions, trends, and patterns, among others. This will also be used as the foundation of any decision system, especially to achieve effective environmental management and development planning in our bountiful province (Laguna). IV. Limitations and Duration of the Study Due to constraints in time, background, capability, and financial status of the researcher, this study focused only on the major selected open-disposal site of Laguna and on the following maps made in 1996 by the Bureau of Soils and Water Management with a scale of 1:250,000: soil erosion, flooding, population density, political boundary, built-up areas, rivers and lakes, and slope; and a digital elevation model produced by the International Rice Research Institute for elevation and contours. The scope of this study also encompasses the current socio-demographic and economic features of the entire province. V. Review of Related Literature Concept of Geographic Information System (GIS) The Geographic Information System, commonly known as GIS, was first used in the development of Canadian Geographic Information Systems (Godilano, 1991). Conventionally, the concept is somewhat analogous to the stereotype comparisons of maps that were made on different dates. When maps on the same topic made on different dates were viewed together to identify changes, and similarly, when maps showing different kinds of information for the same area were overlaid to determine relationships, the concept of GIS was actually in use. 5 The concept of GIS is basically analogous to a very large panel made up of similarly shaped open boxes, with each box representing a specified area on the earth’s surface. Once we identify each element of information about a particular attribute (soil, rainfall, population) applicable to the area, we can place it in the corresponding box. Theoretically, we can compile very large volumes of data in an orderly manner, as there is no limit to the amount of information we can enter into each box. After assigning relatively few attributes to the box system, it becomes obvious that a collection of mapped information has been generated and can be overlaid to reveal spatial relationships between the different attributes, i.e., hazardous events, natural resources, and socioeconomic phenomena (US EPA, 1988). Role of GIS Like GIS technology, digital data continuity and topological accuracy provide the timely and accurate data required for decision-making. Nowadays, geographic information systems (GIS) are considered a core discipline of any information technology. It is defined as an organized collection of hardware, software, geographic data, and personnel designed to efficiently capture, store, update, manipulate, analyze, and display all forms of geographically referenced data and information for a particular set of purposes. GIS is a technology that is rapidly spreading across university campuses. More than 100 different academic disciplines around the world, covering every major division within the university, use GIS tools for research. Close to 800 universities around the world are doing research using ESRI’s GIS tools (ESRI, 2001). The application of GIS is extremely expansive. Various fields of public health, including chronic and infectious disease monitoring and surveillance, have recently applied GIS technology. GIS has increasingly become an especially valuable tool in the study of vector-borne and other zoonotic diseases (Pardanani, 1999). A wide variety of disciplines can use GIS due to the spatial component of the data. Actually, criminal justice is using GIS to analyze crime patterns, marketing is using the technology to refine target marketing, public health schools are tracking the spread of disease, hydrologists are mapping the spread of toxins in subsurface water, and foresters are more efficiently managing their resources (ESRI 2001). The only limits to GIS applications in natural risk management and development planning are the amount of available information and the analyst's imagination. Readily 6 existing information on natural events (e.g., previous disaster records), scientific research (papers, articles, newsletters, etc.), and hazard mapping (seismic fault and volcano location, floodplains, erosion patterns, etc.) are usually enough to conduct a GIS preliminary examination of the natural hazard condition and channel development planning activities. In the field of forestry, this technology has been widely used in land use planning, rapid impact assessment, resource inventory, hydrologic modeling, fire management, timber harvesting, detection of pests and diseases, monitoring and evaluation, and many others. Dyke (1997) says that combining different kinds of simulation models, statistical models, and socio-economic models with GIS can make very useful analytical tools for looking at different policy and management scenarios at all levels of decision-making, from micro to macro watersheds. These tools can be useful for making national and international policy. He also stated that modeling tools and supporting GIS systems are an advancement to enhance watershed management and assist in the process of watershed assessment and planning. Aside from that, as stated by Syam et al. (1999), GIS could save substantial amounts of money by producing maps that show where and when to pick crops, enhancing the very tedious and time-consuming logistics of moving crews and equipment at night. As a result, it is considered a cost-effective information technology. GIS-assisted spatial planning may contribute to environmentally acceptable development and help resolve conflicts that would otherwise arise (Babu, 2000). People widely use GIS to assess water quality. This technology facilitates the simple organization and easy graphic presentation of geographic data, both spatially and temporally, as pollution load data for a specific watershed (Jothimani, 2000). Verhoef (2000) acknowledged that informational details, such as knowing the path of stormwater through GIS, allow water authorities to respond to sewer blockages that may overflow and discharge into the storm network. In Alabama, GIS coverages were assembled to identify high-risk areas subject to (1) shoreline erosion, (2) coastal flooding, and (3) hurricane storm surge. Using various GIS and image processing tools, these three databases were combined into a common geographic referencing system. Now a coastal scientist or planner can view both historic and current shoreline change sampling data in one common format within a GIS (LaVoi, 1998). GIS is one of the most popular spatial information technologies that supply planners, both national and local, with a reference to the overall hazard conditions. It provides ideas for identifying areas that need extra attention and an evaluation of natural hazards for natural resource management and development potential. GIS has unique abilities to manipulate, manage, and analyze geographic and land-related data sets. Moreover, the visualization ability of GIS is more convincing than the written pages of text. Visualization and graphical representation of information are critically important for 7 decision-making analysts as well as non-experts who need to understand the context as a whole. Many fields, from archeology to zoology, have acknowledged GIS as a valuable spatial data analysis tool capable of providing useful information for planning and management. It offers substantial advantages like increasing quantity of output, high quality, and more timely output, which are vital in any decision-making system. Furthermore, GIS can be a useful tool to facilitate thinking, negotiation, active social construction of resources to be managed, and concerted decision-making on issues concerning natural resource management (Gonzales, 2000). Lastly, according to Jack Dangermound (ESRI 2001), “the application of GIS is limited only by the imagination of those who use it.” The advantage of using this technology in any field is that it makes the work fast, allows the low-cost examination of large areas frequently, and provides an increasing amount of data. Hence, this information technology calls for appropriate expertise since it deals with technical procedures (e.g., database management systems) and discipline. VI. Materials and Methods The Study Area The province of Laguna, located in the southern part of Luzon, covers an area of 1,807 km2 and is subdivided into 30 municipalities, including its provincial capital and two cities. The province is bounded on the north by Laguna de Bay (the largest lake in the archipelago), on the south by the province of Batangas, on the east by the province of Quezon, and on the west by the province of Cavite. The Laguna landscape is comprised of a series of quiescent volcanoes alternating with gently rolling to level plains. The province is also notable for a number of scenic spots, like: (1) the famous Pagsanjan Falls; (2) numerous hot springs in Los Baños; (3) the birthplace of Dr. Jose Rizal at Calamba; and (4) the home of the University of the Philippines Los Baños. Data Gathering and Analysis Generally, the methodology for this study consists of three stages: (1) data acquisition; (2) database processing, manipulation, analysis, and storage; and (3) product creation. In the first stage, all maps used in this study were gathered from the Bureau of Soils and Water Management with a scale of 1:250,000, except for the topographic map from NAMRIA with a scale of 1:50,000 and DEM from the International Rice Research 8 Institute (IRRI) and the GIS-IP laboratory. Locating major open dumpsites was done through an informal interview with selected municipalities at selected major dumpsites. The exact coordinates of the selected dumpsites were identified using the Global Positioning System (GPS), and at the same time, pictures were taken for documentation. A simple multi-disciplinary written interview was conducted to identify the most important factors (based on available data only) that needed to be considered and to rate areas according to a set of criteria in determining a suitable area for disposal. In the second stage, all the gathered maps were digitized, edited, labeled, manipulated, and analyzed at the International Rice Research Institute, Social Science Division, GIS-IP Laboratory. Maps with a scale of 1:250,000 were digitized using onscreen digitizing, while maps with a scale of 1:50,000 were digitized using tablets. The elevation and contour were derived from the DEM. The software used for this study is Arc/Info 3.5 and Arc View 3.2a. Spatial Analyst 2.2 extension tool in the Arc View GIS, particularly the ModelBuilder, was used for the conversion of vector data to grid, buffering, rating, and reclassifications to assess the current dumping site and to determine the suitable area for the disposal site in Laguna province. Specifically, the following were done: 1. Derivation of contours from DEM. A 10-meter contour interval was derived from DEM; this was to obtain an elevation map and construct a 3-dimensional image of the rapid initial criterion key model. 2. Construction of the Rapid Initial Criterion Key (RICK) Model using the Arc View ModelBuilder extension tool. Each node (data and function node) was defined according to the projected output (from vector to grid conversion up to reclassification). All grid maps have the following properties: (a) cell size of 10 m; (b) 6667 rows; and (c) 6577 columns. For buffer, 3 km buffer zones of uniform distance were drawn around rivers, lakes, and built-up areas; 1 km buffer zones of uniform distance were drawn inside the provincial boundary; and 100 m buffer zones of uniform distance were drawn around roads. 3. On the arithmetic overlay table, scale values were defined based on the objectives. Table 1 designates a value of 1 as the least suitable parameter and a value of 10 as the most suitable parameter. Briefly, rank 1 to 2 is considered not suitable (NS1 and NS2), rank 3 to 4 is lowly suitable (LS1 and LS2), rank 5 to 6 is moderately suitable (MS1 and MS2), rank 7 to 8 is suitable (S1 and S2), and rank 9 to 10 is highly suitable (HS1 and HS2). 9 Table 1. Scale Value for Suitability Classification Input Theme Slope Population Flooding Elevation Erosion Landuse Labeled Value 0 - 18 % 10 8 - 18 % 8 > - 18% 1 Very High (>1,001) 1 High (801 - 1001) 1 Medium (601 - 800) 5 Low (401 - 600) 8 Very Low (<401) 10 Severe Flooding 1 Moderate Flooding (.5 - 1m for 1 to 2 days) 1 Run-off Flooding (depth of .5m) 3 None Flooding 10 2001 - 3000 masl 1 1001 - 2000 masl 1 501 - 1000 masl 1 301 - 500 masl 4 100 - 300 masl 8 <100 10 Severely Eroded (50% of A is eroded) 1 Moderately Eroded (25 - 50% of A is eroded) 3 Slightly Eroded (25% of A is eroded) 7 No Apparent Erosion 10 Agricultural Areas 1 Agricultural extension 2 Presently Covered with Grasses + Coconut 10 4. After all inputs and scale values were defined, the model was run accordingly. 5. Output was manipulated using GeoProcessing and some other extensions of ArcView to delineate areas and other important data and information. 6. Construction of a three-dimensional model of suitable areas for disposal sites. This was done using a 3D analyst for better visualization of reality. 3D Analyst is another extension tool of Arc View. In the last stage, all outputs were presented for comments or suggestions, documentation, and improvement. And for the contributions to society, the output was submitted to the provincial government. 10 VII. Results and Discussion of the Study Digitized Maps 11 12 90 80 70 60 13 14 RICK Model Generally, the model is based on the cartographic model (Fig. 15) and was made possible from the basic requirements of local people for suitable area for dumping sites with the aid of GIS technology particularly the ModelBuilder (included in Spatial Analyst 2.2) of Arc View 3.2a. The model was divided into three parts: (1) the creation of Buffer Map of roads, rivers, lakes, built-up areas, and provincial boundary; (2) creation of Suitability Map based on flooding map, population density map, slope map, elevation map, erosion map, and landuse map; and (3) output overlay of buffer map and suitability map for the determination of suitable disposal site. Secondary Data Ground Truth Data Road Networks, Lakes, Rivers, Builtup Areas, Boundary Population Density Map Slope Map Landuse Elevation Map Flooding Map GIS Synthesis Comments/ Suggestion/ Improvement Buffer of Roads, Rivers, Lakes, Built-up Areas, and Provincial Boundary BUFFER MAP Line-of-Sight Analysis through 3Dimensional Images of Suitable Area for Disposal Sites Erosion Map Suitability of Potential Area (Conversion of vector to grid, reclassifications, initial overlay) SUITABLE AREA MAP Suitable Disposal Sites and Partial Assessment of Current Disposal Site Figure 9. Cartographic Model GPS Reading of Current Disposal Sites 15 In the first part, buffers were created to avoid contaminants in rivers and lakes, keep away from filth and stink, minimize the effect of pollutants from the built-up areas, prevent conflicts between provinces, and take health precautions. The second part was made to determine the suitability of a potential area for disposal sites. The basic reasons are: (1) there should be no occurrence of flood to avoid transportation of pollutants and avoid contamination of water resources; (2) should be placed in less populated areas (if possible on unpopulated areas) to minimize its effect and for the protection of the communities; (3) on moderate to flat terrain to stay away from accidents during dumping, avoid the transport of pollutants during rainy days due to run-off; (4) should be placed on < 500 masl as provided by law; (5) soil erosion is included since it affect the volume capacity of the area, to lessen the incident during dumping, and the impact to environment especially on soil resources; and (6) lastly, it should be placed on areas that are considered as less to non-productive land. The third part of the RICK model is just an overlay of two output maps, the buffer map and the suitable area map. Only suitable areas that are found outside the buffer map were considered suitable areas for disposal sites. To simplify: + Basically, buffer maps will serve as early protection for pollution produced by refuse. This will reduce health hazards, prevent spreading diseases through rodents and insects (e.g., houseflies), and reduce the effects of pollution such as smoke, stink, and filth. 16 = Prior to, without buffer maps, potential areas for suitable disposal sites were approximately 30,816.689 ha; however, after buffer maps were applied, the potential areas for suitable disposal sites were reduced to 4,405.486 ha (Table 2). Table 2. Showing the Area in hectare for each Classification. Grid Suitability Suitable Area without Code Classifications Code Buffer Map (ha) 1 Not Suitable NS1 0 2 NS2 181.28 3 Low Suitable LS1 5,996.268 4 LS2 18,564.416 5 Moderately Suitable MS1 73,348.598 6 MS2 51,798.815 7 Suitable S1 27,193.016 8 S2 3,623.673 9 Highly Suitable HS1 0 10 HS2 0 Total 180,706.066 Suitable Area with Buffer Map (ha) 0 37.462 2,039.773 6,078.957 16,871.165 10,668.057 4,263.642 141.844 0 0 40,100.9 Specifically, the suitability map derived from this model has the following results for each municipality (Table 3). 17 The results revealed that only five municipalities have a potential suitable area for disposal sites. These are Alaminos, Magdalena, Pagsanjan, San Pedro, and Sta. Cruz. The final output shows that 11 out of 25 municipalities in Laguna Province fall under the category of suitable, and the rest fall under the category of low to moderately suitable. Out of 11 municipalities, only 4 have a value of S2. These are Bay, Calauan, Nagcarlan, and Victoria (Table 4). Unfortunately, Laguna Province doesn’t have highly suitable areas for disposal sites since these areas fall under moderate and suitable categories only. Table 4. Summary of Municipality having Suitable Area for Disposal Sites Municipality Name Grid Code Suitability Code Area (ha) Bay 7 S1 98.051 8 S2 0.034 Biñan 7 S1 37.930 Calauan 7 S1 50.367 8 S2 35.918 Cavinti 7 S1 777.633 Famy 7 S1 194.007 Luisiana 7 S1 34.996 Nagcarlan 7 S1 38.983 8 S2 101.178 San Pablo 7 S1 2,577.869 Santa Maria 7 S1 380.597 Santa Rosa 7 S1 22.666 Victoria 7 S1 12.058 8 S2 4.713 Initial Assessment of Current Selected Dumping Sites Seven major open-disposal sites in Laguna province were selected, namely: Calauan, Famy, Jamboree (Los Baños), Paete, Pakil, Pangil, and Siniloan. Based on the exact geographic locations (Table 5), with the aid of GPS, these selected disposal sites were put on an identified map of suitable areas for disposal sites in Laguna Province. Table 5. Coordinates of Selected Disposal Sites LONGTITUDE LATITUDE SITE 121.4625833 14.42686111 Siniloan 121.4362222 14.44105556 Famy 121.4696667 14.41941667 Pangil 121.4793056 14.37205556 Paete 121.4756111 14.37816667 Pakil 121.2215556 14.16438889 Jamboree 121.3069167 14.13080556 Calauan 18 Based on the map, these seven selected disposal sites fell into the category of not suitable sites (Figure 13). Generally, these selected seven major open-disposal sites have the following characteristics observed during on-field observation, Table 6. 19 Table 6. Description of the Selected Open-Disposal Sites. Disposal Sites Calauan Famy Jamboree (Los Baños) Paete Pakil* Pangil Siniloan Location Description Near the major road (routing san Pablo to Calauan and vice versa), approximately 10 – 20 m. Open disposal site, cemented fence with steel gate. Alongside of national highway (via Rizal-Laguna), almost at the road edge, on steep slope. Open disposal site, with approximately 1.5 meter height hallow-blocks wall below the site. Distance from Distance from the built-up areas creek/river/lake Not observed Approximately 1km Approximately one meter away from the wall. Approximately > 1km but less than 2 km. Approximately one kilometer, thus, smoke pollution is readily available during nighttime. Inside the Makiling Forest Reserve, along the ravine. Open disposal site with galvanizes fence and gate. Average of 5 – 6 meters away from intermittent creek. Alongside of provincial highway besides private cemetery. Located in flooding area (extensions of lake during rainy seasons). Located at the upland, alongside the road and along the ravine. Located in agricultural land (rice field), alongside the highway. Open disposal site with galvanizes fence and gate. Open disposal site with galvanizes fence and gate. Not observed. Open disposal site, no walls. Not Observed. Approximately 1.5 km away. Not Observed. Approximately 2-3 km away. *With notice of closure Open disposal site with galvanizes fence and gate. A block away fro town proper. Approximately < 800 m away from the lake. < 1km away from town proper. 20 Three-Dimensional Images of RICK Model Figure 14. 3D Image Showing the Suitable Area for Disposal Sites (North Oriented), Laguna Province. Figure 15. 3D Image Showing the Suitable Area for Disposal Sites (South Oriented), Laguna Province. 21 Three-dimensional images show the suitable and possible sites for disposal in a more interactive way. Through these images, decision-makers and non-experts can perform line-of-sight analysis by just looking at the model, since visualization is much more accepted by the local people than written pages of text. Therefore, both sectors have the ability to determine the areas to exclude from disposal sites, even if they fall under a suitable category. Conclusion The study's results led the researcher to draw the following conclusions: 1. There is no serious environmental planning in most of the municipalities, particularly when dealing with garbage disposal, since most of the disposal sites are in places technically inappropriate for such uses. 2. There is poor implementation of any laws and policies on proper disposal of garbage since most of the sites for disposal of refuse are generally in the wrong place. 3. Generally, concerned agencies for the protection of the environment and the community don’t have serious programs and/or projects. The fact is, most of our disposal sites are placed in unsuitable areas. 4. The use of modern information technology, such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS), provides the resource manager with valuable tools for management and decision-making. Also, the use of advanced technology for gathering and extracting information for better decision-making is a step forward to decreasing environmental effects while making an appropriate environmental plan since this reduces the time consumption to produce suitable output that will serve as a framework for successful natural resources and environmental management. 5. The benefits of a continuous digital coverage of any environmental planning are not only effective and efficient to environmental planners but also have enormous benefit to local, provincial and national governments. Identifying suitable areas using a simple model and with the aid of advance technology such as RICK model using GIS is a hopeful towards improving the management of our land resources particularly the allocation of land for disposal sites which basically the source of pollutions to local communities. Aside from this, initial assessment is readily available and possible from time to time. 22 Recommendation The study's findings lead to the following recommendations: 1. Since 25 out of 30 municipalities have a potential area for disposal sites, this paper strongly recommends relocating their dumpsite to the identified suitable areas for disposal sites, and those municipalities that don’t have potential areas should find ways to seek alternative solutions, such as contracting their nearby municipality with a suitable area for disposal sites like what Cabuyao town did (paying taxes with Calamba municipality just for their refuse). 2. The government, both municipal and provincial, should strictly implement the environmental laws or policies regarding this matter and conduct further studies before allocating the area to disposal sites. 3. The Laguna provincial government and the municipalities should consider the proper placement of disposal sites. This is to avoid environmental degradation and for the protection of the communities. Common observable pollution brought by these disposal sites includes odors, filth, smoke, and diseases spread by flies. The placement of the disposal sites in an inappropriate area will undoubtedly have a significant negative impact on both the local community and the environment. 4. The development of GIS facilities for each municipality will provide them with an effective and efficient tool for environmental planning and enough information for better decision-making. This will reduce the risk of making an inappropriate decision. 5. The author recommends the improvement of this model for further application. 23 Literature Cited Apan, A. A. 1999. GIS Applications in Tropical Forestry. Faculty of Engineering and Surveying, University of Southern Queensland, Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia. Babu, Raghu N. 2000. Environmental Planning: The Needs and The Possibilities… GIS Development. 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