MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Magandang umaga, Malacañang Press Corps, and welcome sa ating press briefing ngayong araw, August 2.

The Philippine government and the European Commission have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations by sustaining the government’s transition to a green economy through the Green Economy Program in the Philippines or GEPP. A joint declaration on the Green Economy Program was also recently signed between both parties.

And to give us more information on this, we are joined by Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga. Good morning, Secretary Loyzaga.

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Good morning, Daphne. And thank you very much for this opportunity to share with you where we’re coming from, at the DENR, on the recent development because of the visit of the EU Commission president.

So as you all know, we signed a joint declaration for the Green Economy Program in the Philippines. Hindi naman po lingid sa kaalaman natin na may problema po tayo in terms of our solid waste management and, of course, our transition towards renewable energy for climate change mitigation dito po sa Pilipinas.

So, apart from our concerns in terms of adaptation to climate change, in terms of disaster risk reduction, may isa pa pong side ito – in terms of mitigation. So iyong mitigation po na tinatawag natin in terms of the GEPP really comes from the management of our solid waste. We would like to move towards a more sustainable production and consumption of materials dito po sa atin, and this will take several steps ‘no. First of all, we need to create a policy environment for the transition to a green economy, and that means that we will look into iyong, historically, our solid waste ecological laws. And then also, look at the EPR law ngayon and to see how we can make that relevant to our climate change mitigation purposes.

So iyong sustainable production consumption really has to do with the way we generate our products and how we also manage the waste that is part of the degeneration of the products particularly itong mga plastic waste po natin.

The policy environment, as I said, is nandidiyan na – I can talk about the EPR a little bit later – but we need a whole-of-society approach, and that whole of society means that the private sector needs to be involved; ang LGUs po ang frontline nito. Initially, iyong pinag-usapan na siguro iyong very highly urbanized areas, of course, these are the big waste generators.

But let me share with you some statistics that we have ‘no, in terms of iyong solid waste po natin. The Philippines generates about 61,000 metric tons of solid waste daily, daily ‘no, about up to 24% of this is of course, our plastic waste. We consume and utilize, actually, over a hundred and sixty million plastic sachet packets – daily po iyon – and, of course, over 40 million shopping bags and thin film bags. So, lahat pong mga iyon ay plastics at sinisikapan po natin that they will not reach our marine areas and our coastal areas. Siyempre po, may kailangan pong gawin talaga in terms of the prevention of the solid waste such as these plastics to make it to our open environment and to our oceans.

So just to share with you po kung anong pangangailangan na dapat i-prioritize po natin, one of the issues regarding plastic waste is how much they can be reprocessed and repurposed. I don’t want to use the word “recycled” so medyo kaunting gasgas na po iyong recycled. Pero repurpose is one of those words na kailangan po nating isali dito po sa dialogue on solid waste management. Kasi po, many of our plastic wastes can actually be transformed for economic value. Iyong economic value po calculated by the World Bank, about 79% of the value of these plastics are lost; they could be repurposed ‘no to the Philippine economy each year. And that value associated po with the 70% material value of the plastics can generate, by calculation of the World Bank, about US $790 to 890 million per year. In order for us to generate that economic value, we do need to make some changes in terms of the way we collect, recover and repurpose itong mga plastic wastes na ito.

So here in the GEPP, iyong sinabi po ni Ma’am Daphne, we are looking at, as I said, the policy environment, mayroon tayong Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law ngayon which incidentally we’ll have a big formal launch on August 4. And then, secondly, the role of the LGUs, the role of the private sector, mga obliged enterprises and, of course, our innovations and entrepreneurs na kailangan pong isali po natin in terms of their contribution to how we can repurpose these wastes. And looking also at this area, on how we can shift towards renewable energy in terms of our production processes.

So ito po iyong sakop ng issue natin sa solid waste management na maaapekto sana kung matutuloy po iyong agreement nitong GEPP na sinaynan [signed] po natin during the visit of the EU president.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Thank you, Secretary Loyzaga. Any questions from Malacañang Press Corps? Job Manahan.

JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN: Hi, ma’am. Good morning. Ma’am, you mentioned kanina na ayaw ninyong gamitin iyong term na “recycling”, but what are your thoughts on upcycling, ma’am?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Sa repurposing, kasali na doon iyong upcycling. In fact, yesterday, galing po ako sa inauguration ng isang plastic packaging upcycling plant sa Muntinlupa. Upcycling really finds new value for itong mga waste na ito. So they can be actually manufactured into building materials for example, into furniture, into other types of products na can suit our daily needs.

So itong upcycling processes are important, and not just the physical processing, sana po, of this particular plastic waste but you also know that we can now, of course, repurpose, upcycle PET (Polyethylene Terephthalate) bottles into other types of PET bottles na will be more easily biodegradable once they go through a certain process. That’s why I used repurpose, hindi lang po recycling pero upcycling at puwede ring i-downcycle.

JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN: But, ma’am, iyong ibang mga processes na ito involves plastic melting, and we all know that plastic melting could somehow release toxins sa ating atmosphere. How are we regulating po iyong mga smoke or any potential danger that this pose kasi may mga studies that showed that somehow iyong mga workers iyong affected ng plastic melting in the long run?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Very important po iyong occupational safety for those that are part of these types of operations, in terms of emissions, potential for emissions. This is one of the considerations talaga po ng DENR in terms of regulation. So what we would like to do is, in fact, enhance what we call the continuous emissions monitoring system that we have for different manufacturing facilities.

Ngayon po, sa ngayon po, we actually monitor what is being emitted by certain types of operations including the power plants of course, including cement manufacturing facilities. The small-scale processing ng mga plastics po, we still have to work very hard on monitoring this. These are not at the scale na puwede nilang i-afford iyong monitoring system. And DENR is also not in the financial situation na puwede naming i-install sa kada outfit, kada facility itong mga air quality monitoring. But we are striving to actually enhance our air quality monitoring systems. Hopefully, sa budget year na ito, we will be able to actually multiply our monitoring systems.

Just so you know, itong continuous emissions monitoring system ay live po ang feed sa EMB. So we have a room sa EMB, makikita ninyo po roon iyong live feed from the [unclear] and automatic po ang analysis ng mga emissions nito. And the notices of evaluation are also automatically released kapag nag-violate po ang isang standard. So iyon po ang capacity na sana po we can get support for in greater amount this year.

JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN: Is it safe to say, ma’am, that DENR is now promoting upcycling and veering away from the thought of recycling po at may support from the private sector?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: I think what’s important is to realize the potential values that can be made part of this whole solid waste management system and those economic values can actually be redound to those investors, those entrepreneurs, those innovators na have introduced new types of technologies to actually make new uses from this material.

I also would like to stress at this point one of the important points that the DENR would like to advance even though it is a social point: We have been moving for, under this new Extended Producer Responsibility Law, the inclusion of our informal waste management sector into the formal system of solid waste management which means our waste workers that are not formally employed, justly compensated, covered by occupational safety and given social protection as well as the fair wage for their contribution to the solid waste management industry – kasi industry na po siya ngayon – this should be made part of our implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility Law. So, this is not just an environmental advocacy for the DENR, it’s also a social advocacy.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Katrina Domingo, ABS-CBN.

KATRINA DOMINGO/ABS-CBN: Good morning, ma’am. We understand that the EU granted a 60 million euro aid for the Philippines to improve its circular economy, climate change, shift to renewable energy, but how does the government intend to utilize the fund? What projects are in the pipeline or they have in mind for us to utilize the 60 million grant?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: So the ‘60 million Grant’ is an offer by the EU principally for the purpose that you just mentioned ‘no, the details of which still have to have to be worked out and defended at the NEDA-ICC. So, we’re in the process of actually putting the necessary documentation together.

Perhaps to just point out that under—the consideration of this grant would be the involvement of the local government. So, initially po, we have identified about 10 LGUs that could potentially be part of this program for improving their circular economy locally and, of course, climate change mitigation because of the control of the methane releases from the management of the solid waste landfills. So, those LGUs that were considered are the highly urbanized ‘no, of course Baguio City, Pasig, Quezon City is already well on the way, Caloocan po, Davao, Ormoc, the Island Garden City of Samal dito sa Davao din, Metro Iloilo and the islands of Palawan and Siargao.

So just to emphasize, hindi po kumpleto pa ang detalye at ang mga projects but we have of course identified the potential LGUs because they are the frontlines of our solid waste management efforts in the country.

KATRINA DOMINGO/ABS-CBN: Follow-up lang po. And based on your initial discussions with local governments units, what seems to be the problem with the primary cause of concern when it comes to solid waste management – is it on the collection side or is it in the processing front?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: I think it would be fair to say that each stage of the way is still a challenge ‘no for us, especially to capture what would be part of both the formal and informal economic activities ‘no. So, collection is, of course, a challenge – this involves logistics, but this involves also personnel who actually are able to collect and process properly in terms of the materials facilities that we have.

Processing…as you know sanitary landfills are among the main ways that these wastes are now disposed of, and monitoring the quality of the environment around the sanitary landfills is of course, always a challenge ‘no. How the management processes are actually abided by in terms of the ecological soundness of the practices.

So, we are still in need of some institutionalization in terms of the way our solid wastes are handled locally and consequently, our national capacity.

KATRINA DOMINGO/ABS-CBN: Ma’am, last na po. Just a timetable, kailan po natin ini-expect for the documentation and the NEDA study to be finalized? How soon can we feel the effects of the 60 million fund?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: The NEDA approval process of course is one that has to be contended with. We are targeting to have all our submissions ready, hopefully, for assessment by the NEDA Board by November of this year. In the meantime though, we are embarking on our own efforts to green our economy already given that we have in place the legislation that we need especially to oblige those large enterprises that actually are the main sources of plastic packaging to begin their collection and to begin their proper disposal of their packaging products

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Ivan Mayrina, GMA 7.

IVAN MAYRINA/GMA 7: This is on another topic, Secretary, I hope you don’t mind. This is about the reclamation projects at Manila Bay. The United States Embassy expressed concerns about and I quote: “The potential negative long-term and irreversible impacts to the environment of such project.” May we have a statement of the Department on this?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Sure. As you may know, we have conducted two reclamation fora and precisely the second one, the last one we had a representative in fact from the US Army Corps of Engineers to actually show us what they are doing in terms of best practice in this regard.

As I’ve said from the beginning of my term, any disturbance to the ecology will bring about a disruption of systems and so what the DENR is espousing and what we are about to do and I’ve said this in public as well in the last two fora – we will be conducting a cumulative impact assessment of the reclamation projects as approved, so that we can demonstrate or illustrate and share what the cumulative impact of all of these projects would be on Manila Bay.

You know that Manila Bay actually encompasses three regions, it’s quite wide and therefore the areas of NCR, 4A all the way up to Bataan and Bulacan would be part of the consideration. There is a Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan that was done in the previous administration; it hasn’t been finalized, we are going to be using that as a reference to the baseline condition for the community impact assessment.

There are concerns not just expressed by the US Embassy but by others as well, not just for the ecology of the possible impacts to the ecology but also for the cultural and historical impacts of the changes that could take place given the history of Manila Bay.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Harley Balbuena.

HARLEY VALBUENA: Hi, Secretary. This is another topic po again, kumustahin lang po namin iyong status ng water resources natin under the monitoring of Water Resources Management Office since mayroon po tayong magkakasunod na typhoon.

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Yeah. So, I don’t have the data as of today. But previously we‘ve already said that the rains from, not this last super typhoon but the previous one, would have extended our good water supply sa Angat for about five to seven days. But given na tuluy-tuloy po iyong pag-ulan, I’m expecting today for an update as to whether we have breached the level at which we would be comfortable to say na okay po iyong supply for Metro Manila and the Bulacan area. We just have to continuously monitor ‘no at iyon po ang gawain ng WRMO – one of the pieces of their work.

Hindi lang po iyon, we are looking now at working very closely with the DPWH in combining the purposes for flood control and impounding for the use during the times that we do not have these types of rainfall. So, multipurpose na po sana iyong flood control projects natin so that they can also serve as repositories for storage for water whenever we need it.

So iyon po, that takes a bit of work – engineering po iyan and of course finding the proper funding for these types of projects. Fortunately po, may mga interesado po for PPP purposes and, government funding is also available. So, kailangan po dini-design lang iyong mga projects na iyon.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Jean Mangaluz?

JEAN MANGALUZ/INQUIRER.NET: Hi, Secretary. So, the 2024 NEP currently proposes around 500 billion for climate change expenditures. Can the DENR give us an idea on what kind of projects this money will go to if approved by Congress?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Yes. You’re referring to really what is called the convergence budget ‘no. So there is a climate tagging that takes place and what we are very fortunate, I think, to actually be a part of is that climate tagging. So that involves the work of many different departments and their contributions to either adaptation or mitigation ‘no. So, whether it involves the investments of the DPWH, whether it involves the DOTr for example in their design of their transportation infrastructure, whether it involves DSWD for example in the preparation for possibly the impacts of typhoons such as the one that we’ve had… we are very glad for that.

In terms of the DENR’s climate change agenda on its own, okay, as you may know… we now represent the President on the Climate Change Commission. And what we would like to be presenting very soon and hopefully in time for the discussions and debates on the budget ‘no, will be the National Adaptation Plan. The National Adaptation Plan has really evolved over the number of years, it never has been finalized but we are happy to say that this is now in the process of being completed. And that National Adaptation Plan will mention the different ways by which the investments in the NEP actually will realize positive values for us in terms of adaptation to climate change.

I think what’s also very important is to take note of our energy roadmap because for us at this point, we would like to see the transitions of course that we all need to actually support in terms of the movement towards renewable energy sources. So for the DENR in this case, we have worked very closely with the DOE to update the guidelines for offshore wind and for a floating solar and those investments would be components of the next year’s NEP.

JEAN MANGALUZ/INQUIRER.NET: Sorry. Can I have a follow up? The last time you were here, ma’am—follow up on Sir Ivan’s question. How are the talks with the companies who are being probed for alleged non-compliance in Manila Bay development projects? Can we also know who these agencies are?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: In fairness, what I’ll be able to say is that they have been productive to a sense that we’ve asked for the documentation support for their compliance. There will be challenges I think for some given that some of the permits that they were given in the past administration came with certain conditions – and those conditions will have to be reconciled with the different agencies with whom they need to elicit a certificate of no objection from ‘no.

So, while on the surface, there may have been processes wherein no objection from certain agencies was elicited, we are now looking into actually the compliance of the conditionalities that were imposed in order for those certifications of no objection to actually be valid. Thanks.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. We go back to Job Manahan, ABS-CBN Online.

JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN ONLINE: Ma’am, you mentioned kanina na mayroong cumulative impact assessment na ginagawa, kailan po ito matatapos, ma’am?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: So, as I mentioned in the last forum, we are now assembling the team that will be doing the cumulative impact assessment. So we have started to talk to the different scientists that will be part of that. Just to give you an idea, hindi lang po siya environmental science broadly because it is involving a bay system which leads to the ocean. We do need a physical oceanographer, we do need a chemical oceanographer, we need a fisheries expert, we need a biologist—marine biologist, we need certain types of engineers in terms of the evaluation of the potential infrastructure that will be introduced. So, hindi po madali ang composition ng cumulative impact assessment team.

Previously, in the case of the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan, this was contracted out to a Filipino scientific team and a foreign team. We will be doing a predominantly Filipino scientific team with some technical assistance from some foreign experts but this will be led by a Filipino scientific team.

JOB MANAHAN/ABS-CBN ONLINE: Are you keen, ma’am, na ipasara or ipa-stop iyong ibang reclamation projects kapag nakitaan ng violations dito sa—or siguro negative impact dito sa cumulative assessment?

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: I think what’s important is reclamation has a certain value, obviously in terms of the economy. However, we need to do the cost benefit analysis in terms of the impact to the ecology and the longer term impact in terms of possibly what could result from climate change. For example: sea level rise needs to be considered, the different possible geological events that could actually take place – as you know, there has been a lot of talk about the “big one” ‘no.

The “big one”, of course, will generate some movement in the waters, however ang sinasabi ko po ngayon, two things: The ‘big one’ actually has a situation wherein Metro Manila will be separated into four segments – the coastal areas facing Manila Bay will be among those that will be part of the separations and the rescue and the relief operations were meant to come by air and by sea. So, reclamation projects could possibly have an impact on that plan. Sa inyo po, you can look up “Oplan Yakal Plus”, okay.

Secondly po, in terms of sea level rise … all of these need to be taken into consideration in terms of scenarios for reclamation as well as the subsidence that is ongoing because of the extraction of groundwater from the coastal areas of Manila Bay.

So, additionally I should say on the geological hazards ‘no, so far ang nakikita ko pa ngayon in terms of the studies that I have looked at for the reclamation projects is the reference to the 7.2 movement sa West Valley Point. Mayroon po tayong tinatawag na Manila Trench – ito po ay nadidiyan po sa Manila Bay – that is the geological event that we should be looking at in terms of the generation of a potential tsunami. So, iyon po ang hindi ko pa nakikita po sa mga studies na sinubmit po ng mga proponents.

MS. OSEÑA-PAEZ: Okay. Thank you very much. I think this ends our briefing today. Thank you, Secretary Loyzaga, for the briefing on the Green Economy Program of the Philippines and also other environmental issues including the potential impacts of the reclamation project.

Thank you, Malacañang Press Corps. Good afternoon.

DENR SEC. LOYZAGA: Salamat po. Thank you!

###