CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (PIA) — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-10 held the Environmental Summit 2024 with the theme, “Changing the Tide: Leveraging EPR and NPOA-ML to Climate Solutions,” on June 19–20.
“We have come to be notorious for our dependence on single-use plastics, with our landfills and our seas being home to generations of plastic waste. This is an issue that we are trying to address in the Senate, where we currently have pending bills that seek to regulate and limit plastic use and production. This should work hand-in-hand with the Extended Producer Responsibility Act of 2022, or the EPR Act, which is at the heart of the Summit today,” Environmental Advocate and Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said.
EMB Director Jacqueline Caancon expressed hope for the country, urging local governments to implement extended producer responsibility systems as a key step towards achieving zero waste by 2040. Arleigh Adorable, the OIC assistant sec. for Field Operations in Western Mindanao, presented the progress the Philippine government has made in addressing environmental waste challenges.
“With your support, we can achieve the objectives of our National Plan of Action for the Prevention and Reduction of Marine Litter (NPOA-ML), which is the zero-waste to Philippine waters by 2040, and ensure the success of our implementation of the EPR Law. We called unto you to participate in this summit to simply raise awareness so that not only us here at the DENR would act against plastic pollution. Such actions, great or small, would support the idea that short-term efforts can lead to long-term improvements. Especially if aided by government measures, the actions of an entire nation can go a long way,” he said.
EMB-10 Regional Director Rey Digamo shared that the visible signs of single-use plastic addition are everywhere, and plastic pollution is a big problem. However, the precise role of plastic in contributing to global warming receives less attention.
“Consumption of plastics has been unprecedented, and accordingly, it will still increase. The Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL) estimates that if trends continue, plastics will account for 20 percent of oil consumption by 2050,” he said.
The EMB-10 chief also added that the global population is failing to preserve limited, and often non-renewable, resources by extracting and disposing rather than reusing. Meanwhile, global waste is projected to increase by 70 percent by 2050, according to the World Bank. He added that the current model must move towards a circular economy, whose principles include eliminating waste and pollution, keeping products and materials in use, and regenerating natural systems.
“We at EMB-10 promote a circular economy by facilitating dialogue through stakeholder engagement, awareness, and transparency, and enabling smooth transition by identifying the regulatory instruments that need to be adapted. We hope to achieve them here during our 2024 Environmental Summit,” Digamo said.
The NPOA-ML is another focus during the Environmental Summit. Presenters discuss marine water protection and wastewater management initiatives, while a workshop focuses on creating action plans for local government units to implement NPOA-ML locally.
During the summit, EMB-10 recognized partner industries for exemplary waste management and local government units for supporting their projects and programs. The LGUs include the Province of Misamis Oriental, the local government units of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan, Gingoog, and El Salvador, as well as the municipalities of Tagoloan and Villanueva.
Further, exhibitors showcasing Solid Waste Management alternative technologies and services, various EPR programs, and a photo exhibit relating to the Environmental Summit’s theme were highlighted during this activity.
The two-day summit gathered representatives of various local government units, national government agencies, and EMB partners in the region and emphasized the implementation of RA 11898, or the Extended Producer Responsibility Act (EPRA). (IJBD/PIA-10)
