City Hall eyed as model circular economy food hub

The Baguio City Hall canteen is being positioned to become a model circular economy food hub, following a visit by delegates from the European Union-Green Economy Project (EU-GEP) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) on December 3, 2025.

The delegation led by Dr. Marco Gemmer, head of EU Cooperation, Mr. Tsve Svilenov, EU programme manager; and Dr. Knut Otsby, UNDP resident representative ad interim, toured the canteen to see the city’s plans to transform the facility into a fully operational, sustainability-driven food hub.

They were joined by Councilor Yuri Weygan during the visit.

Levy Lloyd Orcales, general manager of the Baguio City Government Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BCGEMPC), welcomed the guests and presented the canteen’s ongoing and planned sustainability initiatives. These include sourcing food directly from local farmers and enterprises, implementing strict waste segregation and resource recovery systems, reducing food waste, and gradually eliminating the use of single-use plastics.

The initiative is envisioned as a pilot project demonstrating how local government facilities can adopt responsible and sustainable food systems, particularly in line with the city’s ban on single-use plastics in all offices and during government-led events.

Preparation activities and a gallery walk-through offered the delegates a preview of the canteen’s transformation into a Circular Economy Food Hub.

The project is being guided by the Local Circular Economy Action Team through action officer Arch. Donna Tabangin, supported by the Baguio City Government Employees Multi-purpose Cooperative (BCGEMPC) Board of Directors and driven by the management of Orcales.

City officials see the project as a potential model not only for Baguio City but also for other local government units across the Philippines seeking to adopt circular economy practices in public facilities. – Aileen P. Refuerzo