Cooperation Agreements and MOUs are inked between the project, Brgy Dampalit, Megaworld and DMCI to sustain the operations of the e-waste facility.
From June 26 to June 30 this year, the project “Implementation of PCB Management Programs for Electric Cooperatives and Safe E-Wastes Management” organized Simultaneous E-waste Collection Events with its partners nationwide in celebration of the Environment Month and to raise awareness of proper management of household e-wastes.
National government agencies, local government units, and the private sector participated in the events to show support for the cause and encourage their employees and other stakeholders to turn in their household e-wastes. Megaworld and DMCI – two giant real estate developers in the Philippines – participated in the activity and separately entered into a cooperation agreement with the host local government for operational sustainability of the Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facility in Barangay Dampalit, Malabon City. Other companies taking part in the activity were SiCypLaw Firm, PLDT Smart Communications, and Globe Telecommunications.
Assistant Secretary Gilbert Gonzales of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), who is concurrently the Director of Environment Management Bureau (EMB), appreciated the positive impact of the project on changing people’s attitude toward e-wastes. He highlighted the success of the e-wastes collection in Baguio City in which close to two tons of household e-wastes were collected in just five days.
“We will look into mainstreaming this e-wastes collection activity into a regular program of the DENR, perhaps with some modification,” he said.
Mr. Teddy Monroy, UNIDO Country Representative to the Philippines, underscored the importance of sustainable development that is built around circularity and innovation and on which the Basic Cooperation Agreement between the Government of the Philippines and UNIDO is anchored.
PCB-WEEE project team and partners pose for a photo.
Director Al Orolfo of the Foreign-Assisted and Special Projects Service (FASPS) thanked the project team and partners. He stated that there was definitely a need to manage polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in e-wastes because of their impact on human health and the environment. He hoped that the signing of agreements would inspire his fellow workers in government to continue working for the institutionalization of e-wastes collection and management. (UNIDO/ Myeka Trinidad)
