City reports major headways in Pansa-nopen Tayo’ circular economy program
Baguio City has made major strides in its “Pansa-nopen Tayo” Circular Economy (CE) program with significant developments reported in its three waste circularity portfolios for the barangays, green education, and sustainable tourism.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong thanked the EU-GEPP (European Union-Philippines Green Economy Partnership) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for the all-out assistance provided to the city to implement the circular economy programs.
The Bida Barangay portfolio supports the fact that barangays play a key role in achieving waste minimization and conversion to resources by empowering communities and building their capacity to adopt circular practices.
The Circular Tourism portfolio promotes sustainable tourism by encouraging the upcycling of Baguio-made products and strengthening the local value chain.
The Green Education portfolio focuses on changing mindsets and behaviors, aiming to raise public awareness and incorporate circular economy principles in schools, including the integration of indigenous knowledge and practices.
Bida Barangay accomplishments:
Zero Waste Baguio Inc. has received a community grant to help operationalize materials recovery systems in five pilot barangays with MRF facilities.
To support these efforts, six light trucks dedicated to plastic circularity were turned over to the city by the EU-GEPP and UNDP last Dec. 3.
The vehicles, to be managed by the city government, will service barangays with priority given to the pilot sites.
Zero Waste Baguio will also assist in organizing collection schedules and systems that will enable GEDSI (Gender Equality, Disability, and Social Inclusion) groups to earn from recovered plastics.Construction of Biosafe Facility (BSF) sites in Irisan and Dontogan are nearing completion, while the North Sanitary Camp BSF has recently been finished.
These facilities are part of the city’s farm-to-table circularity initiative that links urban farmers with business establishments — such as the partnership between Happy Hollow farmers and Newtown Plaza Hotel.
Food waste from these establishments will be collected by the city using newly delivered mini-trucks and processed in the BSF facilities into organic fertilizers to be returned to urban farmers, completing the food system loop.
The city is also formalizing partnerships between urban farmers and private sector groups to promote both plastics and organic circularity. Discussions are likewise underway with the Diocese of Baguio for a new plastic circularity collaboration.
Green Education:
The city government continues its aggressive behavior-change campaign aimed at strengthening circular economy values across communities.
Partnerships with the Department of Education and local universities support ongoing information and education campaigns.
The Development of the Panasa-nopen Tayo Resource Book, which contains circular economy lesson examples for basic education, is ongoing, complemented by co-curricular CE activities in both public and private schools. DepEd has also supported CE demonstration projects led by students.
A behavioral change grant has been awarded to the Igorota Foundation to facilitate intergenerational knowledge exchange on circular economy practices.
Meanwhile, a dialogue with government procurement and supply officers is being planned to ensure the implementation of CE guidelines within city events and offices. Green Tourism:Preparations for the Heritage Coffee Upcycling facility in Happy Hollow are nearly complete. The community continues to undergo various skills training related to coffee upcycling, as a newly hired consultant assists in business planning, marketing, and investment strategies.
A Hospitality and Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) summit is planned for January, along with a textile waste project slated for 2026.
The city, with the help of EU-GEPP and UNDP, also availed consultancy services to get other projects off the ground.
A materials flow analysis has been completed, providing a technical basis for future CE interventions.
Floor and electrical plans for three MRFs in Guisad, Gibraltar, and Irisan are also being finalized as part of the requirements for equipment provisioning.
Strategic communications and CE education consultants have been engaged to help establish Baguio’s CE branding and finalize the Panasa-nopen Tayo Resource Book.
The City Hall Employees Cooperative is also set to transition into a circular food hub, with full support from the program.
EU-GEPP and UNDP officials who visited the city praised the city’s efforts, which they said demonstrate Baguio’s commitment to building a regenerative and inclusive circular economy that creates livelihood opportunities while reducing environmental impact. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
