(Salutations)

THE FIRST THING THAT I’D LIKE TO DO IS COMMEND AND THANKS WWF PHILIPPINES FOR ARRANGING THIS EVENT TO DRAW ATTENTION AND CELEBRATE OUR JOURNEY, A NEW JOURNEY IN FACT STRATEGICALLY, TO ADDRESS PLASTIC POLLUTION AT THE GLOBAL, NATIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS.

AS MANY OF YOU MAY KNOW, THE PHILIPPINES GENERATES APPROXIMATELY 61,000 METRIC TONS OF SOLID WASTE DAILY, 12-24% OF WHICH ARE PLASTIC WASTE. FILIPINOS UTILIZE MORE THAN 163 MILLION PLASTIC SACHET PACKETS, 48 MILLION SHOPPING BAGS, AND 45 MILLION THIN-FILM BAGS DAILY. 33 PERCENT OF WHICH IS DISPOSED OF IN LANDFILLS AND DUMPSITES, AND AROUND 35 PERCENT ACTUALLY IS LEAKED INTO THE OPEN ENVIRONMENT AND OF COURSE, INTO OUR OCEANS.

IN A WORLD BANK STUDY CONDUCTED IN 2019, IT WAS REPORTED THAT THE COUNTRY RECYCLED ONLY ABOUT 28% OF KEY PLASTIC RESINS COMPOSED MAINLY OF PLASTIC PACKAGING. AROUND 70% OF THE MATERIAL VALUE OF PLASTICS IS ACTUALLY LOST TO PHILIPPINE ECONOMY EACH YEAR, EQUIVALENT TO A VALUE LOSS OF USD 790-890 MILLION PER YEAR. SEVERAL STRUCTURAL CHALLENGES ARE LINKED TO A MARKET FAILURE FOR PLASTICS RECYCLING IN THIS COUNTRY, SUCH AS LOGISTICS COSTS, POWER COSTS, AMONG OTHERS.

TO ADDRESS THIS LOSS AND ADVANCE THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY, THE PHILIPPINES IS EMPLOYING THE EXTENDED PRODUCER RESPONSIBILITY (EPR) FRAMEWORK IN ITS SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT MECHANISM. REPUBLIC ACT 11898 OR THE EXTENDED PRODUCERS’ RESPONSIBILITY ACT OF 2022 IS A CONCRETE START AND A STRATEGIC APPROACH TO WASTE REDUCTION THAT MAINTAINS AN ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY WITH PRODUCERS THROUGHOUT THE LIFECYCLE OF THE PRODUCT.

EPR HAS BEEN PROVEN TO ADDRESS PACKAGING COLLECTION AND RECYCLING MEANINGFULLY THROUGH VARIOUS EPR SCHEMES AND CERTAINLY THESE REQUIRE COMPANIES TO PAY FOR THE COLLECTION, SORTING, AND RECYCLING OF THEIR PLASTIC PACKAGING.

AS A COUNTRY, HOWEVER, WE STILL NEED TO DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE MISMANAGEMENT OF PLASTIC WASTE AND THE LOW PLASTIC RECYCLING UNDERMINE OUR CIRCULARITY OPPORTUNITIES. THIS IS THE ONLY WAY WE CAN MAXIMIZE THE MATERIAL VALUE OF PLASTICS, BEGIN A NEW WAY FORWARD, AND UNLOCK THE FULL POTENTIAL OF THIS MATERIAL TO HELP BOOST THE PHILIPPINE ECONOMY.

SEGREGATION REMAINS A CHALLENGE AS THERE IS HIGH CONTAMINATION RATE OF PLASTICS IN ALL OUR WASTES AND THAT CAN OTHERWISE BE RETRIEVED IF WE ACTUALLY JUST STRICTLY IMPLEMENT OUR SORTING. LOCAL SEGREGATION CAN BE MAXIMIZED TO COLLECT RECYCLABLE MATERIALS IN AREAS THAT HAVE LIMITED SPACE TO ESTABLISH MATERIALS RECOVERY FACILITY. THERE IS ALSO CERTAINLY A NEED TO IMPROVE AND ENHANCE AND IMPROVE THE STATUS AND WORK CONDITIONS OF THE INFORMAL SECTOR THAT IS PART OF THIS ACTIVITY. WE NEED TO INVEST IN CAPACITY BUILDING TO TRANSFORM THEIR VULNERABILITY. THIS SECTOR IS STILL LOCKED OUT OF THE VALUE CHAIN OF SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT, BUT THEY ARE IN FACT, CRITICAL AND ESSENTIAL AS A PART OF THE SUPPLY CHAIN. THROUGH THE EPR AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY, THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN GOVERNMENT AND FOR YOU ALL TO PROMOTE SOCIAL INCLUSION.

THIS INCLUDES 1. IMPROVING THE LIVELIHOOD OF OUR WASTE PICKERS AND THEIR COMMUNITIES THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVE LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES AND THE INCORPORATION OF THE EVOLVING FORMAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SECTOR; 2. WE NEED TO PARTNER WITH LGUS TO ROLL-OUT FINANCIAL LITERACY PROGRAMS AND TO BUILD THE SKILLS OF THIS PARTICULAR SECTOR FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND OTHER TYPES OF ACTIVITIES IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BUILD CAPITAL TO TRANSFORM THEIR CURRENT SITUATION; 3. WE NEED TO CAPACITATE LGUS AND OTHER SECTORS TO IMPLEMENT A ROBUST SYSTEM OF DATA RECORDING, TRACKING, AND REPORTING. BY DOING SO, WE CAN ENHANCE THE DIRECTION AND THE STRATEGIC IMPACT OF SOCIAL PROTECTION PROGRAMS AND DIRECT THEM SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THIS SECTOR’S NEEDS.

NATIONALLY, THE EPR MECHANISM IS ONE OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE WAYS TO PROMOTE THE SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION ECONOMY. IT PROVIDES A MORE SUSTAINABLE WAY OF DOING BUSINESS AND LEADS TO GREEN JOB CREATION.

AS OUR PLANET CONTINUES TO BEAR THE WEIGHT OF MORE THAN 7 BILLION TONS OF PLASTICS, WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER AS AN ALLIANCE TO ENSURE THAT THE ECOLOGICAL AND ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL GAINS ARE ACTUALLY DELIVERED TO ALL SECTORS, TO ALL ECOSYSTEMS, AND TO ALL COMMUNITIES.

WHAT WE’RE ASKING HERE TODAY IS TO JOIN US, TOGETHER WITH WWF, OUR PARTNERS IN THE COUNTRY OF NORWAY, TO JOIN US IN A WHOLE OF GOVERNMENT AND A WHOLE OF SOCIETY EFFORT TOWARDS BUILDING A GREEN SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT INDUSTRY FOR THE PHILIPPINES THROUGH RECYCLING, UPCYCLING, REMOVAL AND REUSE OF PLASTICS THROUGHOUT OUR ECONOMY.

OUR TASK AHEAD IS NOT JUST TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR, BUT ALL SECTORS INCLUDING ACADEME, THE YOUTH AND CIVIL SOCIETY. AS WE WORK TOGETHER TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY, LET US NOT FORGET THAT WE NEED TO INVEST IN RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT AND INNOVATION IN THE DISCOVERY OF NEW MATERIALS THAT ARE BOTH AFFORDABLE AND FUNCTIONAL, AND FINALLY, TO INVEST IN BEHAVIORAL CHANGE THROUGH SCIENCE-INFORMED ACTIONS.

IF WE WORK TOGETHER ON THE CHANGES WE NEED, WE CAN REACH THE FUTURE THAT WE WANT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND GOOD MORNING.