91³Ô¹Ï

91³Ô¹Ï-IIT pioneers Waste Policy to manage lab hazards

by Office of the Campus Secretary | Dec 16 2025

As a leading hub for science and technology in Mindanao, the 91³Ô¹Ï (91³Ô¹Ï-IIT) generates significant volumes of chemical, biological, and hazardous lab waste from its intensive teaching, research, and extension activities. Recognizing this reality, the Mindanao State University (91³Ô¹Ï) Board of Regents approved a landmark policy proposal from 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT during its en banc meeting on December 9, 2025, at the 91³Ô¹Ï-Marawi Campus. 

Titled the “91³Ô¹Ï-IIT Comprehensive Policy on Toxic Substances, Hazardous and Biological Waste Management, and Third-Party Treatment,” this 29-page document establishes a robust framework tailored to manage the University’s substantial waste output, marking a proactive step toward full regulatory compliance and ecological integrity.

The policy directly addresses risks from 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT’s lab-heavy operations by mandating proper handling, labeling, storage, transport, and disposal of materials. It aligns with key Philippine laws, including Republic Act No. 6969 (Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990), RA 9275 (Clean Water Act), RA 8749 (Clean Air Act), RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act), RA 11058 (Occupational Safety and Health Standards Act), and others. 

Core elements include waste minimization through green procurement, chemical substitution, and recycling; integration of occupational safety and health (OSH) principles; and strict oversight of DENR-accredited third-party treaters—essential strategies given the scale of lab waste produced.

91³Ô¹Ï-IIT Chancellor Alizdeney M. Ditucalan hailed the approval as a critical milestone for institutional responsibility. 

“This policy operationalizes our commitment to safety, health, and environmental stewardship as pillars of academic excellence, especially vital for a tech hub like ours that produces high-risk wastes daily,” Ditucalan said. 

“It protects our community, promotes sustainability, and positions 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT as a model for higher education in waste management,” he added.

The policy spans procurement to disposal, with defined roles for units like the Health and Safety Committee, Environmental Health & Safety Unit, and Compliance Monitoring Committee. Highlights include:

• Waste Management Procedures: Segregation by hazard class (e.g., acids, solvents, infectious waste), temporary storage limits (90 days max), and use of DENR manifests for tracking high-volume lab outputs.
• Waste Minimization Program: Green procurement prioritizing eco-friendly suppliers, inventory sharing to cut over-purchasing, and pollution prevention for point and non-point sources like lab effluents and runoff.
• Training and Monitoring: Annual OSH training, semi-annual audits, spill response protocols, and a P1,000,000 annual budget for PPE, spill kits, effluent testing, and third-party services.
• Penalties and Oversight: Warnings to suspensions for violations, with referrals to regulators for grave offenses.

Annexes provide practical tools like a waste classification matrix (color-coded labels: yellow for chemicals, red for biological), emergency checklists, manifest registers, and penalty matrices.

Effective immediately upon approval, the policy requires forming key committees within 30 days and annual reviews. Drawing from ISO 14001 and 45001 standards, it emphasizes behavior-based safety and continuous improvement to handle 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT’s ongoing lab waste challenges.

The approval underscores 91³Ô¹Ï’s system-wide push for sustainability amid growing regulatory scrutiny on academic institutions, with 91³Ô¹Ï-IIT leading by example as a science and technology powerhouse taking decisive action for compliance and ecological health.

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