Author: pcepsdi_org

According to a report by UN Environment, eight million tonnes of plastic are being washed to the world’s oceans every year and have affected not just marine biodiversity, but also communities and wildlife. The COVID-19 pandemic has also aggravated the plastic pollution due to an increase in the use and disposal of single-use items such as medical face masks, plastic gloves, hand sanitizer bottles, and food packaging. Eighty percent of tourist destinations are located in coastal areas, which makes the tourism sector even more susceptible to the tides of plastic pollution.   Tips on How to Travel Safely without Single-Use Plastics   In light of these factors, the Department of Tourism (DOT), through its sustainability campaign Save Our Spots, has collaborated with the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), through the Transforming Tourism Value Chains project, in cooperation with UN Environment Programme (UNEP), in creating an awareness campaign to reduce single-use plastics in the tourism sector while keeping in mind health and safety protocols. The key messages of the campaign are aligned with the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative (GTPI), which seeks to unite the tourism sector behind a common vision to address the root causes of plastic pollution. The GTPI enables businesses, governments and other tourism stakeholders to take concerted action, leading by example in the shift towards circularity in the use of plastics.   Tips on How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics in Hotels   The campaign, funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety under their International Climate Initiative, is designed for three key audiences in mind: (1) hotel managers and procurement officers, (2) hotel staff, and (3) tourists and guests. It seeks to encourage the mindset that reduction of unnecessary plastic packaging is possible, while ensuring the health and safety of hotel staff and guests, by developing robust sanitization procedures, promoting digital and contactless transactions, and inviting guests to be part of the change. Other organizations that took part in the campaign are: Clean our Oceans Project (CoOp), Reef World Foundation, Philippine Hotel Owners Association, Inc., and World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines (WWF-Philippines).   Group Photo of the Responsible Tourism through Plastic Upcycling and Waste Management online training To further encourage the hospitality sector to take action on plastic pollution amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a training webinar entitled “Responsible Tourism through Plastic Upcycling and Waste Management” was also hosted on December 15, 2020. Almost 70 participants from different sectors – government, academe, and private sector – attended the training webinar. Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat from the Department of Tourism also showed her support by welcoming the participants and delivering the opening remarks, stating that “with so many of our sights being close to the water, we must restart and revive our campaign to save our Spots and protect them from plastic pollution.” Speakers from CoOp and WWF-Philippines then enlightened participants about existing plastic waste management issues in the country, and how these pose a threat to the country’s marine biodiversity and conservation. They also showed how the COVID-19 pandemic has been affecting such issues, and introduced ways on how tourism businesses can operate more responsibly and minimize unnecessary usage of disposable plastic packaging during the pandemic.  For more information about this campaign and the training webinar, or any interest in partnering with the TVC project, kindly email TVC’s Project Officer Kiko Velhagen at tvc4relcd@gmail.com or kiko.velhagen@pcepsdi.org.ph.    __________________________________________________ Co-organizers of the training webinar:  Ms. Anna Varona Founder, Clean Our Oceans Project  cleanouroceansproject@gmail.com Ms. Pauline Ramo Department of Tourism – Branding and Marketing Communications   pmramo@tourism.gov.ph

On October 28-29, 2020, the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), through the Transforming Tourism Value Chains (TVC) project, has successfully conducted its second online training for tourism stakeholders entitled Low-Carbon Menus: Plant-based Culinary Training for the Hospitality Sector. As the TVC project continues to support the hospitality sector in enhancing sustainability performance, it also aligns with the Roadmap for Low-Carbon and Resource-Efficient Tourism in Philippines, which advocates four systemic solutions to advance sustainable tourism. These solutions are sustainable food value chains, sustainable events, waste reduction and management, and sustainable energy. The plant-based culinary training is designed under the TVC project to specifically support and implement sustainable food value chains by teaching stakeholders how to make their menu offerings healthier and more environmentally-friendly.  The training was hosted by PCEPSDI in collaboration with Humane Society International (HSI), an organization that works for the protection of all animals through the use of science, advocacy, education and hands-on programs. PCEPSDI and HSI designed the training as a campaign to encourage low-carbon menus through plant-based cooking and baking. Specifically, the training aimed to introduce to hotel and restaurant managers and event organizers the basic principles of meat reduction and animal welfare; to discuss how a plant-based diet can have a positive environmental impact, and how proper nutrition can be integrated in a plant-based diet; and to train hotel and restaurant chefs and food caterers how to create meat alternatives, and egg and dairy-free dishes. The training had two lecture presentations during the first day, and a series of cooking demos during the second day.  This training was supported by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), as represented by Mr. Albert Magalang, Chief Environmental Management Specialist, from the Climate Change Division, who gave the welcoming remarks for the two-day training. He notably mentioned the relevance of the training, saying that “… this training supports the plant-based program of DENR, … considering that reducing meat intake can mitigate overall greenhouse gas emissions”.  He also stated that there is a need to transform the way people produce and consume food which demands for more sustainable practices in the food industry and more climate-friendly dietary habits.    Shifting to plant-based diets leads to improved human health and environmental health, as shared by Mr. Jake Brandon Andal, RND in his discussion on meat reduction, animal welfare, and sustainability. Hotels and other tourism establishments, through their restaurants and catering, can then create much positive environmental impacts and health benefits in the way that food is served and consumed by guests and tourists. According to Dietary Guidelines (2010) as cited by Mr. Andal, “Vegetarian-style eating patterns have been associated with improved health outcomes, including lower levels of obesity, a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, lower blood pressure, and lower total mortality”. With this, optimal health can be the key motivator for plant-based eating. Asst. Prof. Luz Felicidad Callanta, RND, MSN, reiterated the health benefits of such a diet, emphasizing that eating meals should be complete, balanced, and varied. She also gave tips for individual consumers on how to start a healthy plant-based eating style, and how to communicate being vegan to other people.  .    The cooking demos on Day 2 were led by HSI Plant-based Chefs, Chef Marie Isabelle Tomas, Owner of Antojitos, and Chef Alvic Ong, Lead Chef of iVegan Restaurant. They presented meat-free and dairy-free recipes that are both easy to follow and affordable, and can also be served in hotel and restaurant establishments. Going plant-based does not need to be difficult and impractical, so they wanted to impart their knowledge and advocacy to tourism stakeholders to shift to more low-carbon menus in their daily business offerings.  For more information about this training, or any interest in partnering with the TVC project, kindly email TVC’s Project Officer Kiko Velhagen at tvc4relcd@gmail.com or kiko.velhagen@pcepsdi.org.ph.  __________________________________________________ Plant-based Nutritionists and Chefs:  Mr. Jake Brandon Andal, RND Meat Reduction, Animal Welfare, and Sustainability Plant-Based Diet: Improve your Health, Save the Planet! Asst. Prof. Luz Felicidad Callanta, RND, MSN Nutrition in a Plant-Based Diet Chef Marie Isabelle Tomas Meat Alternatives Culinary Training Chef Alvic Ong Egg and Dairy-free Baking and Desserts

Last August 2020, the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), through the Transforming Tourism Value Chains (TVC) project, hosted its first successful online training for tourism stakeholders, the Food Safety & Food Waste Management Training for the Hospitality Sector  dated on 24th-25th and 27th-28th. The TVC project, which is continuously welcoming and providing technical support to new partners from the hotel and MICE sectors, is guided by the Roadmap for Low-Carbon and Resource-Efficient Tourism in the Philippines. The Roadmap proposes four systemic solutions for sustainable tourism, namely: sustainable food value chains, sustainable events, waste reduction and management, and sustainable energy. This training, the first in a series, supports the implementation of sustainable food value chains in the industry by promoting widespread adoption of food waste monitoring and reduction, as well as reviewing cooking and storage practices in kitchens.    In partnership with and guidance from The Sustainable Diner project of the World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines (WWF-PH), the training aimed to increase stakeholders’ familiarity with food safety and hygiene practices in the kitchen, which is especially relevant in today’s COVID-19 new normal, and at the same time for them to minimize food waste in daily operations. The two batches of training were attended by several food & beverage representatives from the hotel and MICE sectors, such as hygienists and safety officers, servers and executive chefs, and hotel and restaurant managers .  The training was supported by representatives from the Department of Tourism (DOT), with Assistant Secretary Rica Bueno, from the Tourism Regulation Coordination & Resource Generation, stating that “…as we open our borders and our doors to our local and foreign tourists once again, we want them to gain and restore that confidence that we are doing everything to contain the spread of this virus.” Director Virgilio Maguigad, from the Office of Tourism Standards and Regulation, also stated that “It [makes] good business sense for hotels and restaurants to be able to minimize food waste… [and] ensure that experiences for visitors and customers in the Philippines would be of the highest standards”.  Reducing risks of food borne illnesses and improving the nutritional status of consumers can contribute to achieving food security, a crucial issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the World Food Summit, “food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” The first day of the training sought to impart these principles of food safety. Ms. Iris Abrigo, the Sustainable Business Officer for The Sustainable Diner project, gave an overview of COVID-19 and its transmission, its impacts on food, and principles of proper food handling. “[As] the prime entity responsible to produce safe and quality food, we, as food business operators, are expected to deliver food that will not cause harm,” Ms. Abrigo states.  Group photo of Food Waste Management Training For the second day of the training, Ms. Alexa Jeanne Lasch, Sustainable Business Specialist from WWF’s The Sustainable Diner project, conducted the Food Waste segment by discussing agriculture and the foodservice industry’s environmental impacts, and the interrelationships between climate change, food waste and hunger. One-third of the world’s food production still goes to waste despite the increasing number of people experiencing involuntary hunger. In addition, the food waste rotting in landfills contributes to additional greenhouse gases that speed up climate change. “The number one priority is to reduce [food waste] at the source, then donate what is not preventable and divert everything that remains.” Ms. Lasch discusses how having a food waste management system and pursuing food waste reduction strategies can help minimize the waste being generated by establishments, and therefore their carbon footprint.  For more information about this training, or any interest in partnering with the TVC project, kindly email TVC’s Project Officer Mr. Kiko Velhagen at tvc4relcd@gmail.com or kiko.velhagen@pcepsdi.org.ph. 

The World Wide Fund for Nature Philippines (WWF-Philippines) organised The Sustainable Diner Summit together with different partners (as PCEPSDI is one of the partner organisation) through The Sustainable Diner: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism last March 03, 2020 at Seda Vertis North, Quezon City. The theme of the event is Beyond Research: Sustainability in the Food Service Sector. Present from the event were from national agencies and local government units; the food and beverage industry; hospitality industry; the academe, etc.   Photo by: WWF-Philippines During the Sustainable Diner Summit, PCEPSDI’s Programme Director of the National Ecolabelling Programme-Green Choice Philippines, Engr. Maureen Grace Lebria, presented and emphasised that sustainability is a process. She stated that some products are more preferable than others because of its minimised effects to the environment. She also stated that it is also crucial that the consumers guide to these products and services should proven to be good for the environment and Green Choice Seal can help achieve these goals.   Photo by: WWF-Philippines On the other hand, PCEPSDI’s Board of Trustee, Dr. Alvin Culaba, also participated at the said event. He discussed the tool that are helpful for the industries to measure the environmental impacts, which is the Life Cycle Analysis or LCA. It is an information tool for guiding the consumers’ decision using environmental performance indicators and product declarations. He also stated during his presentation that “Casual restaurants are encouraged to shift to serving vegetable dishes and create awareness campaigns to encourage diners to consume higher portions of vegetables than meat.” Read more of the details here: https://www.bworldonline.com/saving-the-planet-one-dish-at-a-time/?fbclid=IwAR0_CuFl3LQ4cfjWPt4gsYCG5dJWH6lElLoHAdclTnGsv179wpr8iM_Gsgc

Group signs commitment to the Kalikasan GP3 2019 on September 17, 2019 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center to strengthen the promotion and advocacy of KGP3 to be a green platform, to be a convergence of public and private initiatives, and to showcase green products and best practices towards a greener Philippines. With the pledge to advance climate-smart businesses, sustainable tourism, and sustainable forestry towards inclusive growth and circular economy. A group signs commitment to advance Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the country at the 6th staging of the “Kalikasan Green Productivity, Green Purchasing Towards Green Philippines 2019”, launched earlier by the country’s leading organizations. A Memorandum of Cooperation was forged between 13 public and private organizations, among them Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Climate Change Commission (CCC), Department of Tourism (DOT), Tourism Congress of the Philippines (TCP), Quezon City LGU, SM Supermalls, Quanta Paper Corporation, Unilever Philippines, GIZ Thailand, WWF Philippines, and the Philippine Wood Producers Association. The event that was launched will take place on November 5-6, 2019 at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center. KGP3 remaining true to its advocacy in the promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production in the country, aligned its goals to the past KGP3 events, this year’s Kalikasan GP3  aims to continue what it has begun and scale up through its theme: “Doing More with Less for a Climate Smart Economy: An Inclusive Growth for Tourism Industry and Upland Community”. Organized by the National Ecolabelling Programme-Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP), the advocacy event aims to strengthen and establish commitments for inclusive actions in addressing climate challenges, and advancing sustainable consumption and production practices. For the last eight years, the Kalikasan GP3 Programme has served as a platform of green convergence for consumer awareness on green products available in the market and a venue of knowledge and existing initiatives on green business practices, innovation of technologies and incentives in the tourism industry and upland community. To know more about the event, visit the KGP3 Website at www.kalikasan-gp3.com or send inquiries to kalikasan-gp3@pcepsdi.org.ph.

Last August 30, 2019, the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), under the Transforming Tourism Value Chains (TVC) project, with the support of the Iloilo City Mayor’s Office, delivered a Sustainable Procurement Training for the Hospitality Sector in Iloilo City. This training was developed in accordance with the Country Report on the Assessment of Sustainable Procurement Practices at the National Level, written by Mr. John Paolo Rivera, Ph.D, Project Technical Consultant to the TVC project, and Associate Director of the Asian Institute of Management – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism. The Country Report found that in addressing the gaps of sustainable procurement in the country, tourism stakeholders suggested to be provided with more capacity building and training, together with tools and guidance to support the practice of sustainable procurement, among other findings.  The training began with a brief overview of the impacts of climate change, as well as recent environmental issues, given by TVC Project Assistant, Ms. Andrea Go. She presented the results and other findings of the country report that was written by Mr. Rivera, who surveyed around 50 tourism enterprises (e.g. hotels, restaurants, MICE establishments, business associations and other tourism professionals) in assessing the current level of sustainable procurement in the country. A case study on El Nido Resorts, a tourism enterprise actually practicing sustainable procurement, was also presented by TVC’s Research Assistant, Mr. Ezekiel Dimagiba.   Project Officer Mr. Kiko Velhagen then gave a lecture on Procurement Planning, which provided an overview of the basic steps of the process of sustainable procurement. The exercises during this lecture taught the participants to map sustainability impacts of their assigned products throughout the tourism value chain, and to prioritise the issues and responses they envisioned in addressing these impacts. This was followed by a lecture on the basics of Pre-Purchasing given by Green Choice Philippines Project Officer, Ms. Jouelle Nerveza, which showed the participants the significance of defining requirements asked of potential suppliers, and how to identify green products through ecolabelling.  Dr. Angie Zafra, Executive Director of Strategia Development Research Institute (SDRI), then presented the Local Market Readiness Analysis report made by her team, which aimed to assess the tourism market’s potential responsiveness to an increased demand of sustainable products and services; identify potential threats and opportunities that a shift might create for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) for the local market; and define sustainability criteria for given products and identify means of verification and sustainability standards.  With the participants having been given some ideas of sustainable criteria, they proceeded to practice writing sustainable specifications for their assigned products. Ms. Nerveza gave a lecture on Purchasing followed by an exercise which showed participants how to evaluate bidders by considering both the products they offer and the background of their companies.   The next stage of the procurement process, Post-purchasing, was discussed by Mr. Velhagen, who emphasized that drafting contract clauses with the supplier should consider all aspects—environmental, social and economic – and may be monitored through key performance indicators. Fair contract pricing should also be prioritized, as well as having a systematic monitoring and review strategy to ensure supplier performance and compliance. The training was capped off by Research Assistant Ms. Nicole Gomez, who discussed six concrete steps in applying sustainable procurement in participants’ respective establishments. Participants accomplished an exercise on brainstorming which offices or departments could spearhead ensuring sustainable procurement practices in their establishments. To know more about the project: you can email Mr. Kiko Velhagen, tvc4relcd@pcepsdi.org.ph/ kiko.velhagen@pcepsdi.org.ph

Last July 25, 2019, the Transforming Tourism Value Chains project launched the Roadmap for Low-Carbon and Resource-Efficient Tourism in the Philippines for Accommodation and Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (M.I.C.E.) at the ASEAN Plus Three Environmental Management Standards Forum organized by the Philippine Department of Tourism. The forum showcased the recognized best practices of the ASEAN Member-States and Plus Three countries (Japan, China and Korea) in addressing the different environmental issues that affect the tourism industry. It also sought to develop the Environmental Management Standards that will eventually be adopted by the ASEAN and plus (3) three countries.    In the last session of the program, Project Officer Mr. Kiko Velhagen presented the Transforming Tourism Value Chains project to demonstrate the Philippines’ best practices in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and promoting resource efficiency in the accommodation, MICE and food & beverage sectors. He highlighted the effects of climate change in the country, and how these would affect the increasing growth and development being experienced by the tourism industry. He then emphasized how greening this industry should be a collaborative effort across all sectors, from product/service providers, supply chain related businesses, government and consumers.  After presenting the project’s timeline and updates, Mr. Velhagen briefly presented the project tools that hotels and other accommodation establishments can use to monitor their resource efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions in their operations. He also stated that the project is guided by the views of the Roadmap, which was formally presented by the next speaker, Mr. Pablo Montes Iannini.     As the Value Chain and Private Sector Analyst from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Mr. Iannini emphasized on the significance of the Roadmap for Low Carbon and Resource Efficient Tourism in the Philippines, as tourism stakeholders from the value chain envisioned the country being enhanced as a globally recognized tourism destination. Presenting the environmental issues in the value chain, Mr. Iannini identified six areas cross-cutting across the value chain that produced the highest amount of greenhouse emissions: meat and dairy products, electricity use, farming and beverage production, food waste, water use and pollution from liquid and solid waste.  These priority issues in the value chain need to be addressed by systemic solutions and ambitious targets, in order to mitigate their effects as much as is possible. The four systemic solutions that have been identified, after numerous workshops with relevant tourism stakeholders, are as follows: Sustainable Food Value Chains, Sustainable Events, Beating Pollution, and Sustainable Energy. Some of the systemic solutions require activities such as measuring and monitoring food waste reduction, ensuring enabling policies and institutional support, eliminating the use of single use plastics and building smart hotels and venues for the future. Mr. Iannini then discussed an action plan to jumpstart the implementation of the Roadmap, putting forward and prioritizing actions and targets in sectoral roadmaps and deploying capacity building activities to achieve the sector’s vision of the Philippines being enhanced as a globally recognized tourism destination. Click the link below to download the roadmap:

TREES 4 SUSTAINABILITY – Nourishing Trees for Nurturing Nature is a unique tree planting and forest landscape restoration program that aims to promote sustainable forest management through public-private-community partnership. By adopting a tree to be nourished until it attains its sustainability, you can now contribute and participate in a nation-wide greening and forest conservation program. Geared towards achieving sustainable development goals, it endeavors contributing to lessening the adverse impacts of climate change, water and watershed conservation, biodiversity protection, and revitalizing forestry industries that provide inclusive growth.  Administered by the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc., in partnership with various cause-oriented organizations, governments, and private sectors, a tree nourishing program has been launched to reforest selected sites and forest parks through contribution of donors and patrons of trees with a guaranteed success of survival through the issuance of Tree Certificates with proper identification and geo-tags of the tree being adopted.  Why Adopt A Tree?  The Philippines ranks 3rd among the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world where we are prone to adverse effects of climate change.  Among the major causes of climate change is the rapidly increasing amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, which is caused by several activities such as burning of fossil fuels and deforestation among others. With the reduction of forest cover that could have absorbed the greenhouse gas, climate crisis is heightened. As of 2015, the total forest cover recorded is 7 M hectares from the 15 M hectares declared forestland. Despite the growth, this still pales in comparison to the country’s forest cover more than a century ago reaching up to 21 M hectares or 70% of the total land area. Such climate hazards can be minimized by restoring forest landscape through sustainable tree planting program that will serve as carbon storage and enhance the water holding capacity of forest ecosystem such as the Marikina watershed. Photo: Ohio Sea Grant Forests as Carbon Sink  From a global temperature of 0.40°C in 2000, the Earth’s global temperature has risen to 0.98°C in 2016, affecting many life forms and natural resources in the planet. In fact, experts from the UN Interpanel on Climate Change  (IPCC) claims that we only have until 2030 before we reach the 1.5 degree C temperature increase. By such time, extreme weather occurrences are inevitable. Among the many contribution in global warming is CO2 which acts as a blanket that traps heat in the world. Last year as much as 37,100,000,000,000 kg of CO2 was released into the atmosphere.  Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the excessive CO2 in the atmosphere. By just nurturing one tree, as much as 17 kg of carbon a year is captured from the atmosphere. If allowed to mature until 40 years old, a single tree has the capacity to sequester as much as 1,000 kg of carbon. Further studies of IPCC reveals that around 50% of the carbon is stored in plant and animal material and 50% in the soil. Amazingly, forests have the potential to absorb approximately 2.6 billion tonnes of CO2 each year, the emissions of which are released from burning fossil fuels, which is an activity usually done by man. By planting more trees and creating more forest cover, climate stability is supported, and more oxygen will be released into our atmosphere, which balances the dramatic amount of greenhouse gases already present.      Forests as Watershed  Maintaining our forests is crucial for maximizing water yield, regulating seasonal flows and ensuring high water quality. Without our forests, it is highly possible that we would experience worse flash floods, soil erosion and more frequent water interruptions. From a global perspective, it is estimated that by 2025, 1.8 billion people will be living in areas with absolute water scarcity, with ⅔ of the world’s population possibly experiencing water-stressed conditions.  On the flip side, by acting as a reservoir, forests protect communities by holding down the soil and absorbing most of the water when it rains. The effects of reduced forest protection over the years was evident during the onslaught of the tropical depression Ondoy in 2009. Without the protection of forests, the tropical depression had dumped as much as 23 meters of rain — that is as high as an 8-storey building, over a 24-hour period which had also claimed the lives of much as 710 people. Proper forest management and tree nourishing activities can then be beneficial to the surrounding community and to the environment by providing cities with drinking water. It can also help reduce water-related risks such as landslides, local floods and droughts. Forests as Home for Land Biodiversity and Natural Heritage The forest is the most biodiverse ecosystem on land. In fact, as much as 80% of terrestrial plants and animals live in the forests. In the Philippines, forests are also important for religious and cultural practices. Specifically in Ifugao, cutting of century-old trees are discouraged because it is believed that the spirit of their ancestors linger in them. This enables the forest to perform its ecological functions such as water conservation, as the spillover of water is received by farms and allows communities to have a stable food source and livelihood.  Moreover, the Philippines is among the 17 mega diverse countries containing two-thirds of earth’s life. Of the more than 50,000 life forms identified, more than half are found nowhere else in the world but in the Philippines. The many plants and animals that call the Philippines home is evident; this includes the Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), the world’s largest eagle species known for its loyalty to its spouse.  Forests as a Source of Livelihood  Due to the Philippines’ extensive lands and rich soil, an upsurge of tree population is extremely beneficial for the State’s fast growing economy. In fact, agroforestry and its resources roughly accounted for 10.76% of the Philippine’s GDP on the last quarter of 2018, raking in Php 183 billion in the Agriculture and Forestry sector and Php 619 million in the Industry Sector. In spite …

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The Sustainable Diner project team of WWF-Philippines and PCEPSDI with representatives from the Cebu City LGU’s various offices: Tourism; Health; Planning; Public Information; Budget;  Agriculture; Environment and Natural Resources; and Resource Management and Development Center. Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ The Sustainable Diner: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism project conducted a policy planning workshop in partnership with the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) and the Cebu City Local Government Unit (LGU) at the Social Hall of the Cebu City Hall last March 4, 2019. The workshop was attended by representatives from the LGU’s Resource Management and Development Center and the Tourism; Health; Planning; Public Information; Budget; Agriculture; and Environment and Natural Resources offices. The goal of the workshop was to validate the action recommendations and strategies derived from the Action Planning Workshop conducted last year in order to assist the LGU in integrating the Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) concept into their policies and plans and identifying key departments or units instrumental in handling each recommended strategic action. Ms. Diana Sadili, PCEPSDI’s Project Officer for The Sustainable Diner project, facilitating the exchange of recommendations amongst representatives from the Cebu City LGU’s different offices.  Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines Ms. Diana Sadili, PCEPSDI’s Project Officer for The Sustainable Diner project, set the expectations for the policy planning workshop by giving a quick run-through on the project action recommendations and strategies, consolidated from the inputs gathered from the Action Planning Workshop held last September 24-25, 2018. The Action Planning Workshop was meant to define the medium- and long-term strategic goals of specific national and local government units on the implementation of SCP in the food service industry, and to integrate SCP principles into local and national policies and plans. The gathered recommendations and strategies were classified under four (4) major themes: the creation of an SCP council; the institutionalization and harmonization of SCP concepts; the adoption and implementation of SCP practices and policies; and the development of a support system for the food service industry’s transition to SCP compliance. Ms. Liezl Stuart Del Rosario, The Sustainable Diner project’s Policy Specialist, facilitating the workshop on solid waste management, particularly on the management of single-use plastics.  Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines With Cebu City being situated in an island that is surrounded by rich marine biodiversity and blessed with different forms of natural resources, environmental protection became a very important theme during the policy planning workshop. Giving a specific importance to this lens, the presented action recommendations and strategies were then assessed by the Cebu City LGU representatives, particularly on how these can be improved and implemented through local policy-making and governance. During the workshop proper, the Cebu City LGU representatives were able to localize the consolidated challenges and opportunities shared during the Action Planning Workshop by stakeholders from the food service industry, the academe, and other civil society organizations, with the present challenges they are facing in the different aspects of local governance. The action recommendations and strategies were then further refined, and collectively, suggestions were made on the possible delegation of the roles and responsibilities to the corresponding LGU offices.  Ms. Aireen Monica Guzman, Sanitation Inspector I from the Cebu City Health Department, presenting the discussion highlights concerning the protection of natural resources in Cebu City.  Photo © Gabriel Villalon / WWF-Philippines The outcome of the policy planning workshop will be further synthesized until a revised batch of action recommendations and strategies, specifically for Cebu City, can be presented and implemented with the help of the LGU’s different offices. Having concluded the policy planning workshops for Quezon City and Cebu City, the same kind of workshop will be conducted in Tagaytay City in the coming month.   The Sustainable Diner project, under WWF-Philippines’ Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.

Guest Speakers with the participants of the 10th Philippine League of Local Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PLLENRO) National Convention. Photo © Jouelle Nerveza / PCEPSDI The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), as a pioneer organization in advocating Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP) in the country, contributed to the 10th National Convention of the Philippine League of Local Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PLLENRO), held at the CityState Asturias Hotel in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan. The convention was attended by Environment and Natural Resources Officers (ENROs) from different local government units in the Philippines. PCEPSDI had the opportunity to organize a one-day programme on March 1, 2019 for the convention highlighting sustainability in the tourism industry in partnership with PLLENRO. It included current initiatives in the country in the promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP), understanding the environmental footprint of the accommodation sector, as well as actual application of innovative solutions as a core business practice. Ms. Jane Dela Rosa of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) also graced the event and presented NEDA’s initiatives on strengthening SCP in the Philippines. PCEPSDI Executive Director June Alvarez discussing Green Choice Philippines as an ISO 14024 Application. Photo © Jouelle Nerveza / PCEPSDI PCEPSDI Executive June Alvarez discussed Green Choice Philippines as an ISO 14024 application in the forefront of promoting SCP in the Philippines. Green Choice Philippines is an ecolabelling scheme that follows the guidelines and procedure of ISO 14024 and it aims to communicate that consumers can put trust on labels. The programme also include the existing projects of the organization in the promotion of sustainable tourism. PCEPSDI Project Officer Kiko Velhagen discussed the pilot project on Transforming Tourism Value Chains. A project in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Transforming Tourism project aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote resource efficiency in the Hotel and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions & Exhibitions (MICE) sector. PCEPSDI Project Officer Diana Sadili also shared the results of the Life Cycle Study conducted for Food Services. The study is part of PCEPSDI’s technical assistance to the Sustainable Diner Project: A Key Ingredient for Sustainable Tourism, which was also presented at the event by WWF Philippines’ Project Manager Melody Melo-Rijk. Mr. Neil Rumbaoa of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation (SMHCC) and Mr. Robert Llamas of Quanta Paper Corporation also shared their respective companies’ initiatives on Sustainability. SMHCC being a partner on Transforming Tourism Value Chains Project and Quanta Paper Corporation as an awarded Green Choice Product. Awarding of certificates to the speakers with PLLENRO Officials. Photo © Jouelle Nerveza / PCEPSDI Through this event, PCEPSDI and PLLENRO has reaffirmed the organizations’ partnership in the promotion of Sustainable Consumption and Production. To know more about the initiative on sustainable development, please visit our website at www.pcepsdi.org.ph.