1 week ago
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BAGUIO CITY — The city is anchoring on barangay, tourism and education its circular economy (CE) program which aims to reduce and transform wastes into economic resources to attain environmental sustainability and resiliency.
City Planning Development and Sustainability Office (CPDSO) head Donna Tabangin said the city's CE portfolios focus on programs for Bida Barangay, Circular Tourism Enterprises and Green Education which are critical sectors.
These were decided in a series of activities and engagements of the city's Circular Economy Action Team and partners from multi-sectoral groups composed of civil society organizations, academe, youth, micro small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) that started since the CE program's inception in October last year through the guidance of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP).
As one of the 20 local government units chosen as beneficiaries of the Green LGUs project of the European Union-Green Economy Program in the Philippines (EU-GEPP), the city will receive support to its CE programs particularly the three key portfolios:
- Bida Barangay through the establishment of communities of circular practice which aims to localize CE practices at the barangay level taking into account gender equality, disability and social inclusion. Materials recovery systems will be the center of the program to reduce waste that goes to landfills.
- Circular Tourism Enterprises supporting the #BreatheBaguio brand which will encourage CE practices for the tourism industry including interventions for both plastic and organic wastes.
- Green Education of CE 101 which teaches CE in Baguio schools and universities by incorporating CE lessons from the day care up to the university level.
The city was chosen by the UNDP as one of the 20 Green LGUs Project grantees to serve as models to other localities in enhancing CE practices in partnership with the private sector and civil society organizations.
The series of workshops and engagements conducted since October last year yielded various portfolios or programs on the three chosen priority sectors incorporating the circular economy principles of recover, recycle, repurpose, remanufacture, refurbish, repair, reuse, reduce, rethink and refuse following the EU-GEPP activity timeline.
The activities were all geared towards achieving zero if not minimized waste goals through structured waste management solutions.
The GEPP is an initiative of the DENR and the EU as a five-year initiative aiming "to enhance waste management, support the transition to a circular economy, and accelerate the deployment of renewable energy technologies" by providing avenues for "policy dialogue, circular economy development and renewable energy promotion" to LGU grantees.
Through collaboration with the LGUs and the private sector, the program is aimed at helping the recycle of 20,000 tons of plastic waste by 2028, create green jobs and support waste reduction strategies and to help the Philippines achieve its climate commitments, including a 75 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The Green LGUs project where the city is one of the 20 recipients, is one of the objectives of the GEPP and is being led too by the DILG, the UNDP and the Department of Trade and Industry. It aims to enhance circular economy practices of LGUs in collaboration with the private sector and the civil society groups.
