The Safe PCB and E-Waste Management Project Formalized a Cooperation Agreement in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan

The Barangay 176 Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) Facility for E-waste, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the United Nations Industrial Development Philippines (UNIDO) signed a Cooperation Agreement last September 8, 2022.

The relevant organizations and institutions agreed to jointly implement relevant activities of the project entitled "Implementation of PCB Management Programs for Electric Cooperatives and Safe E-Wastes Management" or the PCB WEEE Project. The project and its relevant activities aim to protect the health and the environment against the harmful effects of toxic chemicals in e-waste.

In 2020, the PCB WEEE Project inaugurated the country’s first e-waste TSD Facility to manage discarded electronics in Barangay 176 of Bagong Silang, Caloocan. And through this Agreement, the collected e-wastes of the City of San Jose Del Monte will be deposited to Barangay 176 for proper disposal and management.

“Sa EMB-DENR, UNIDO, at Eco-Waste Coalition, mananatiling bukas ang aming pinto sa mas marami pang Kasunduan sa iba’t ibang barangay at home-owners association na nagnanais din na sundan ang yapak ng City of San Jose Del Monte [Our Barangay will continue to open its doors for other agreements with Barangays and home-owners associations that wish to follow the foot steps of the City of San Jose Del Monte],” said Hon. Joel Bacolod, Captain of Barangay 176.

Hon. Benjamin De Leon, Captain of Barangay Ciudad Real, also shared his experience working with the PCB WEEE Project and Barangay 176: “In 2020, we visited the TSD Facility in Barangay 176 to check what is being done in their Facility. It motivated us to improve our e-waste management and hold e-waste collection events. Our vision is to expand this collection event to the City of San Jose Del Monte and enjoin the 59 other barangays to collect their own e-wastes.”

Mr. Teddy Monroy, UNIDO Country Representative, added: “Through the activities conditioned in this Cooperation Agreement, the local government of San Jose del Monte, Bulacan will be able to manage e-waste in an environmentally sustainable manner, causing no harm to both health and the environment that are brought about by the improper handling of e-waste and the use of informal metal recovery method.”

People's ever-growing reliance on electronics largely contributed to e-waste becoming the fastest growing waste stream worldwide, which is why multi-stakeholder partnerships play a huge role in creating genuine solutions. San Jose del Monte Mayor Arthur Robes emphasized, "We are very fortunate to be part of this Cooperation Agreement. Aside from supporting e-waste collection events and capacity-building activities, we will also develop and adopt Municipal Resolutions supporting e-waste management in our LGU. Let us all work together to improve and support the city’s e-waste initiatives."

The PCB WEEE Project is being implemented by UNIDO, in collaboration with national executing partners – DENR Environmental Management Bureau, National Electrification Agency (NEA), and the Natural Resources Development Cooperation.