Ecowaste Coalition Reaffirms Its Commitment to Partners and Beneficiaries During PHINLA II Stakeholder’s Startup Workshop

14 March 2024. Quezon City— Last May 5 to 6, 2024, the PHINLA II Startup Workshop was held at the B Hotel in Quezon City, bringing together various stakeholders involved in implementing the PHINLA Project. The conference, headed by the toxic-free and zero-waste watchdog Ecowaste Coalition, discussed the solid waste management situation in the Philippines, achievements during PHINLA I, plans for PHINLA II, and success stories of the PHINLA Project.

The Global Program to Scale-Up Multi-Sectoral Sustainable Waste Management Systems and Strengthening of Livelihoods for Poverty-Affected Populations in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka (PHINLA II Project), is implemented by Ecowaste Coalition and is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Global Development (BMZ). Driven by its vision of expanding its impact by strengthening partnerships, PHINLA 2 builds upon the strong foundation laid during the first phase of PHINLA. 

“We hope that this Stakeholder’s Startup Workshop will encourage all of us to increase our commitment to the PHINLA II project. Eileen Sison, President, Ecowaste Coalition. 

To provide an overview of the achievements of PHINLA I, Ms. Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator of Ecowaste Coalition provided a brief presentation about PHINLA I. During her sharing, Ms. Lucero emphasized that PHINLA I was able to fulfill its objectives: 41% of the resource collectors have reported a 10% increase in income from waste management through the collection of recyclables, 118 resource collectors are engaged in income-generating activities in Material Recovery System (MRS), and that 3 MRS was established under the project. In terms of the PHINLA 1 impact on reducing waste, Ms. Lucero further shared that the project was able to divert 2 million pesos worth of waste from going to the sanitary landfill, there is a 57% increase in the volume of recyclable wastes collected from households and establishments in project communities, and there is a 67% increase in community members practicing proper waste disposal. As for the PHINLA 1 program's impact in terms of increasing its members’ income, 118 resource collectors out of the targeted 66 individuals have gained income 12 months after their registration in the project, the resource collectors were able to have financial savings of 800,000 pesos out of the waste management activities income, and that all resource collectors of the project are insurance-protected. As for PHINLA 1’s national adoption of best practices, the project created 1 national and 1 global Waste Management Committee and implemented a Joint Management Plan. 

After Ms. Lucero shared the PHINLA I’s achievements. It was followed by the program overview of PHINLA II as shown by Ms. Luz Mendoza, the Program Director of World Vision, Philippines. According to Ms. Mendoza, the main program objective of PHINLA II is the effective implementation of waste management (WM) policies and regulations and the scaling up of best practices of sustainable solid waste management (SWM) systems in urban and peri-urban communities in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka which will lead to a cleaner environment and resilient livelihood. Furthermore, Ms. Mendoza shared that PHINLA II aims to have the following outcomes: 

1. Increased households within the program-targeted communities in the Philippines, Indonesia and Sri Lanka have sustainable income and savings

2. The local authorities fulfill their mandate about sustainable, community-based waste management

3. The Global Waste Management Committee (GWMC) and the Knowledge Hub are functional and the GWMC influences the governments of the Philippines, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka to adopt and implement good practices & tested solutions in waste management

Ms. Mendoza also shared that aside from Barangay Bagong Silangan in Quezon City, Barangay Mintal in Davao City, and Barangay Cugman in Cagayan de Oro City, which is project location of PHINLA I, another barangay will be added for its project location for PHINLA II in the Philippines which is the Barangay Inayawan in Cebu City. As for the project location in Indonesia, 8 new areas will be added, including a total of 4 villages in North Jakarta Regency, 2 villages in East Jakarta Regency, and 6 villages in Kepullauan Seribu Regency. 

Expressing their message of commitment, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) shared, “I want to reaffirm our resolve to support and empower the Informal Waste Sector (IWS) by providing resources, recognition, and opportunities by integrating  the sector into formal waste management systems and providing access to training and education.”  Gilbert Gonzales,  Assistant Secretary for Field Operations for Luzon and Visayas, as delivered by Ms. Juvy P. Serafin, OIC SWM Division, EMB Central Office.

As part of the program flow, Barangay Captain Rey Amador Bargamento, PHINLA Global Waste Management Committee Chairperson, led a panel discussion on the project’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and strengths. He was joined by representatives from Fidel Castro Jr. of Mintal Resource Collectors Association (MiRCA), Santos Mirca, Engineer Armin Cuenca of Cagayan De Oro City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office (CLENRO), and Christilyn Guartico of Bagong Silangan Resource Collectors Association. 

Ms. Jane Salingay, the Project Manager of PHINLA 2 then presented the PHINLA 2 Roadmap for 2024 including its targets, deliverables, and milestones for the year. This is followed by a breakout session facilitated by Mr. Arnold Salvador, the M&E of the World Vision Development Foundation. During the breakout session, the participants were asked to identify the milestones per project site and map their stakeholders and partners. 

To end Day 01 of the program, Mr. Fernan Rabago of the Action for Nurturing Children and the Environment and Mr. Marlon Pareja, the Non-Governmental Organization Representative to the National Solid Waste Management Commission delivered their reflections of the day. They both underscored the importance of PHINLA 2 in safeguarding the environment and future generations. 

The next day, the participants were asked to present the output of their identification of milestones per project site and mapping of stakeholders and partners. This is followed by the Ceremonial Pledge of Commitment led by Angelique Legaspi, PHINLA 2 Cebu Project Officer, and Closing Remarks by Mr. Roberto Dazo of the World Vision Development Foundation. 

The Stakeholder’s Start-up Workshop was an opportunity to share the success of the PHINLA Project and discuss plans for waste management. The event provided a platform for stakeholders to exchange ideas and experiences, collaborate on solutions to waste management challenges, and update their joint management plan. The conference attendees, including government officials, resource collectors, and civil society representatives, were committed to promoting sustainable waste management practices and creating decent work opportunities for waste workers and communities.