ILOILO – The Iloilo provincial government, through its Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office (PGENRO), launched the celebration of Zero Waste Month on January 6 to intensify public awareness on proper waste management and encourage active participation from all sectors.
This year’s theme, #5Rs: Urgent Development Approach for MoRProGRes Iloilo, underscores the importance of the 5Rs – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose, and Rot – in minimizing waste and fostering sustainable practices.
The kick-off activities included a short program and a caravan promoting the “Limpyo Dalanon” (Clean Roads) initiative, participated in by all 43 municipalities and Passi City, following the provincial government’s flag-raising ceremony.
Mitzi Peñaflorida, senior environmental management specialist of PGENRO, said the month-long celebration aims to build momentum for a sustainable, systematic, and comprehensive solid waste management program.
“We continue to remind the public about the basic strategies of the 5Rs in managing waste. These efforts aim to reduce waste, divert recyclables from disposal sites, and adopt a sustainable solid waste management system using existing alternative technologies,” Peñaflorida said.
The activities scheduled for the month include:
* January 6 0 – Opening and kick-off ceremony
* January 13-17 – #5Rs Hinun-anon (discussions) and actual solid waste management demonstrations
* January 20-26 – 2025 Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan (Festivities in Municipalities) and Food Festival, featuring solid waste management monitoring and compliance
* January 31 – Learning exposure and benchmarking of solid waste management technologies and facilities
Through these initiatives, the provincial government seeks to ensure that proper waste management becomes an integral part of the community’s daily practices./PN
