Towards a sustainable future: How local governments advocate for urban sustainability
mixed with shredded plastic waste and fed to a styro-plastic densifier machine. Ecobricks are used for the city’s landscaping projects such as flooring or pavements for school grounds, parks, playgrounds, or gardening pots.
The city continues to implement Ordinance No. 18, Series of 2012, regulating single-use plastics by establishments to minimize plastic consumption. It bans plastic packaging materials used for dry goods and secondary packaging for wet goods, except for main plastic bags used to carry wet goods.
Marikina City is a walkable and “bike-friendly” city, with its accessible bike infrastructure and widespread pedestrian lanes.
The city is the site of the 318-kilometer Marikina Bike Lane Network, which covers half of the Department of Transportation (DOTr) and DPWH’s chosen roadways for the overall Metro Manila Bike Lane Network.
Teodoro has also promoted the use of bicycles for alternative transport, saying it greatly helps mitigate pollution and reduce the carbon footprint emitted by motor vehicles.
With Mayor Vico Sotto at the helm, Pasig City is pursuing a “greener” policy direction for 2023 onwards, in recognition of the urgent issues presented by climate change.
Accelerating the use of alternative, low carbon mobility through the gradual integration of electric vehicles in government operations has been a top priority in Pasig.
The local government partnered with NGOs like Clean Air Asia, and international government bodies such as the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the European Union (EU) for the future acquisition and use of electric quadricycle (Equads) and Flexible Electric Van’s (FLEVs), and installation of solarpowered EV charging stations.
To promote the use of EVs, the City Council passed Ordinance No. 50, series of 2022, that exempts
EVs from the mandatory unified vehicular reduction scheme.
A Steering Committee on Electric Mobility was created, through Executive Order No. 63, series of 2021, that is tasked to implement e-mobility programs in accordance with the Clean Air Act of 1999.
Despite being a highly urbanized city, Pasig is still home to a 6.2-hectare rainforest park in Barangay Maybunga. Ordinance No. 57, series of 2022, “declaring the Pasig City Rainforest Park as a Permanent Park and Protected Area,” was approved by the City Council in order to preserve its local biodiversity.
Pasig City also signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last April 2022 on the implementation of a Climate Resilient and Localized Urban Greening Plan (CRLUGP).
Through the plan, the DENR will assist the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) and Solid Waste and Management Office (SWMO) in integrating and developing green spaces in Pasig through multisectoral exchanges of resources and expertise.
They have also partnered with the MMDA, DPWH, and the Pasig River Coordinating and Management Office (PRCMO) to create parks such as the Pineda Linear Park, Buting Linear Park, and Bitukang Manok Linear Park along Pasig’s waterways to beautify them and reconnect communities to the river.
Headed by the City Transport and Management Office (CTMO), the local government has opened numerous “People’s Streets.” This initiative serves as supplementary green spaces to reclaim roads as free spaces for adults and children to conduct leisure activities safely from vehicular accidents.
Pasig City has conducted pilot launches for the “May Pera sa Basura” program to minimize solid waste in the city. Citizens donated reused or recycled trash in exchange for cash. The recovered materials will be turned into products for sale.
Sotto has also advocated for the protection of the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal and the Upper Marikina Watershed by calling for the cancellation of quarrying operations in the area. They teamed up with Masungi to train teachers and educators on environment conservation.
The city government is also strictly enforcing its environmental laws to ensure compliance by both business establishments and households, pertaining to Ordinance No. 9, series of 2003, on the issuance of the Environmental Permit to Operate (EPO).
The Muntinlupa City government led by Mayor Ruffy Biazon has formulated and implemented the Muntinlupa Enhanced Climate Change Action Plan, which lays out the long-term sustainable goals of Muntinlupa City to address climate change.
To combat the proliferation of greenhouse gases, the city’s Environmental Management Cluster has set up a Greenhouse Gas Inventory to monitor and measure the city’s emissions and their sources via air quality monitoring stations. The city also strictly implements its Anti-Smoke Belching Policy for vehicles and conducts regular inspections in establishments in accordance with the Philippine Clean Air Act.
Through the City’s Urban Greening Program, green and open spaces are developed, preserved, and maintained.
City Ordinance 2020-188 regulates the cutting, trimming, pruning, and earth-balling of trees. Parks located in Barangays Tunasan, Bayanan, and Alabang have been developed using an environment and people-friendly design.
The city government is actively implementing a comprehensive solid waste management program by establishing Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs) in all barangays, community awareness campaigns on proper solid waste management, and holding Recyclables Fairs to properly collect, process, and dispose of non-traditional recyclables.
It has partnered with organizations such as Plastic Flamingo (Plaf) to convert residual waste into chairs and other sustainable construction materials.
The city has launched an Eco Grocer initiative, where customers can bring their containers and purchase refills of liquid bath and hand soap, shampoo, and other toiletries in an environmentally-friendly manner.
The city’s Lake Protection Management Program was implemented to protect Laguna Lake. The program includes patrolling for illegal fishers using non-traditional methods, quarterly lake seeding to increase fisheries production, and regular cleanup drives with the help of Barangays, residents, volunteers, and partner organizations.
Muntinlupa is also one of the first few local government units (LGU) in the Philippines and the first in Metro Manila to complete their Local Energy Code and Local Energy Efficiency and Conservation Plan (LEECP).
The city’s Local Finance Committee recently signed a resolution reducing the fuel allocations to government services vehicles by 10% while also encouraging departments and offices to implement fuel-saving measures alongside electricity-saving measures.
For sustainable mobility, e-jeepneys and e-tricycles have been deployed on major thoroughfares to reduce pollutants and noise pollution. These e-jeepneys have previously won the Best Customer Experience Award in UITP in Montreal, Canada.
The Taguig City government has implemented sustainable programs to protect the environment through its City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
It has its regular City Solid Waste Management meeting that gathers representatives from the city government and private sector to tackle policies and technologies for efficient solid waste management in Taguig.
The CENRO has implemented various programs and projects about protecting the environment including workshops and seminars, cleanup drives in every barangay, and planting and greening activities.
Based on a Waste Analysis and Characterization Study (WACS) conducted by CENRO, 50 percent of waste by residents is biodegradable.
During the Solid Waste Management Summit 2022, Mayor Lani Cayetano said, “Ang ating kapaligiran ay repleksyon ng ating katauhan (Our surroundings are a reflection of our personality). As Taguigueños, we value our environment and we want our partners to see our action plans.”
Pateros, the smallest local government unit in the National Capital Region, has implemented programs and projects related to the environment through its Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO).
Among these are tree planting activities, cleanup drives and solid waste management.
In July 2022, during the Environmental Summit and Exhibit 2022 held by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau, the Pateros municipal government was given a certificate of recognition “for their solid commitment” in implementing Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
The Pasay City government is practicing the 3Rs which means reuse, reduce and recycle in order to protect the ecosystem and preserve it for future generations.
According to Mayor Emi CalixtoRubiano’s chief of staff, Peter Pardo, the city government is strictly implementing the 3Rs in preserving Mother Earth.
The city government usually conducts cleanup drives to improve the quality of water in Manila Bay.
The City Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO)is usually conducting cleanup drives at the city’s esteros and creeks and using trash traps to prevent garbage from nearby cities and provinces like Cavite and Bataan.
A linear park in Zone 15 in Barangay 127 up to 144 near the Estero Tripa de Galina was developed by the city government into a community park where residents and visitors can enjoy the beauty of the place with playgrounds, wishing well, and green vegetables planted around.
As one of the country’s most densely populated and highly urbanized cities, and one that is situated along the shores of Manila Bay, the City of Parañaque needs to deal with many environmental challenges that require holistic and forward-looking solutions.
Mayor Eric L. Olivarez and the CENRO have adopted programs and projects aimed at environmental sustainability anchored on community participation and the economic empowerment of its constituents.
The city’s Materials Recovery Facility (MRF) is at the heart of its solid waste management efforts. The facility has a Waste Recovery Center, a Centralized Composting Center, a Research and Development Center and a Livelihood Training Center. It is at the Waste Recovery Center where sorting and shredding of recyclable materials are done.
The recovered materials are forwarded to the Livelihood Training Center where workers – mostly mothers from surrounding communities – upcycle the materials by producing eco-products like bags, sandals and others.
The products from the Livelihood Training Center are sold at the La Huerta Public Market and even at the Center’s stalls at Ayala Malls Manila Bay and SM BF which provide the retail spaces for free.
The recyclable wastes are collected from homeowners’ associations, partner schools, barangay collection centers and partner establishments like City of Dreams and Shopee Express, and segregate singleuse plastics at source under the “Zero Plastics sa Landfill” project.
The CENRO also mobilizes special teams for hauling yard waste, construction debris, and even debris collected from streets and communities after a typhoon or a fire incident, as well as those recovered during mopping and clearing operations.
Residual wastes, mostly from households and industries, are hauled by the city’s garbage hauling contractor and are sent to the Garbage Transfer Station where they are compacted and sent to landfills.
Biodegradable wastes, on the other hand, are collected mainly from the main public market in Barangay La Huerta and are sent to the Centralized Composting Center where the materials are turned into earth-friendly fertilizers that are distributed to local farmers and garden enthusiasts.
“Our sustainability programs have resulted in drastic reduction of plastic wastes going to our landfills and waterways which eventually would have ended up at Manila Bay,” Mayor Olivarez said.
“In fact, the US Agency for International Development or USAID has observed our operations, and they have pledged to give us more assistance to enhance our sustainability. This includes technical training as well as a state-of-the-art sorting line for our MRF, for which we are preparing,” the mayor added.
Mayor Imelda Aguilar said her late husband, former Mayor Vergel Aguilar, made it a point to prioritize projects concerning the environment for the future generation.
Aguilar stressed that the city government is intensifying its “clean and green” programs that involve tree-planting and landscaping of open spaces for residents to commune with the environment.
She also said the city government is regularly conducting cleanup of drainages and water canals in the city, which will help in their efforts to maintain the city’s cleanliness.
Las Piñas City was cited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources — Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) for their continued implementation of sanitation and environmental programs.
The city government also received a certificate of recognition for its commitment to implementing Republic Act No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Management Act of 2000.
The city was also awarded with a plaque of recognition for its best practices in its composting operations.
With the latest recognition received by the city government, Aguilar vowed that her administration will continue to promote sanitation and environmental programs in Las Piñas.