The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) concluded its inaugural Road to Zero Waste Summit 2024 on November 5 to 6 at the Bayanihan Center in Pasig City. The event was a significant milestone in the agency’s ongoing efforts to take the initial step toward a transformative 10-year zero waste program for Metro Manila, protecting the environment, the existing landfills, and the overall well-being of its stakeholders.
One of the highlights of the summit was the Pledge of Commitment, where MMDA Chairman Atty. Romando S. Artes together with MMDA General Manager Procopio G. Lipana, Vice Chairman of the National Solid Waste Management Commission Commissioner Crispian Lao, and LLDA Acting General Manager Atty. Senando A. Santiago signed the pledge, symbolizing their shared dedication to achieving a zero waste Metro Manila.
Notable attendees including City of Malabon Mayor Hon. Jeannie L. Sandoval, DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Atty. Jonas R. Leones, and DILG Assistant Secretary for Local Government Atty. Jessi Howard S. Lanete, were also present as witnesses to a total of 25 waste recyclers who pledged their commitment in supporting the MMDA’s Road to Zero Waste 10-Year Program through integrating strategies, systems, resources, and technologies—making the shift to a circular economy possible through a whole-of-nation approach.
According to MMDA Chairman Atty. Romando S. Artes, “The program covers all types of waste that will employ sustainable, practical, and preferable local solutions and methods. This marks the beginning of a dynamic collaboration between the government and private sector intended to bridge the gap in promoting environmental sustainability through the ecological use of solid waste as a resource. We are grateful to our partners, recyclers who put up these exhibits and who tirelessly explore ways and innovations to make solid waste usable and not something to be discarded. MMDA is with you in pursuing such initiatives.”
A Platform for Collaboration and Innovation
The summit featured 16 panel discussions, 5 breakout sessions, and 30 exhibit booths, all focusing on raising the level of public awareness and participation on adopting SWM best practices in communities – such as food waste composting methods and technologies, recycling of PET bottles and other plastics, and interventions through resource recovery facilities that establish a systemic, comprehensive, and ecological approach to waste management.
Attendees also explored ways to integrate circular economy principles into the Metro Manila waste management landscape. Discussions ranged from promoting public-private partnerships to implementing advanced recycling technologies. The summit also emphasized the importance of community engagement, with IEC campaigns urging citizens to adopt sustainable waste practices starting with the most important component: segregation.
Undersecretary Procopio G. Lipana, General Manager of MMDA, was adamant about the initiative’s objectives, encouraging all stakeholders to come together, saying “Let us now leave the linear economy principle, as far as waste management is concerned. We have to close the loop. We have to practice circular economy.”
