The local government of Tandag City has joined the united front of Philippine local governments in the fight against marine plastic pollution in Asia.
According to Tandag City Mayor Roxanne C. Pimentel, she was among local chief executives who signed the ‘Mayors’ Compact on Reducing Marine Plastics’ that was launched last week in a conference in Manila to draw collective action to ensure a plastics-free ocean.
The compact outlines the local leaders’ shared commitment to protect coastal communities and resources through practical, inclusive, and scalable actions.
With this, Tandag City is picked as among the pilot areas for the project ‘Boosting Plastic Diversion through Innovative Product Repurposing’ that seeks to develop scalable, innovative, and regionally coordinated waste-management solutions.
The initiative is under the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) which is bankrolled by Official Development Assistance of the Republic of Korea through its Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries (MOF).
Under this project, Tandag City will spearhead a subproject supported by a grant for a complete plastic waste processing facility that will enhance the city’s recycling and circular economy efforts.
Other PEMSEA localities in the country are Bulan (Sorsogon), Calbayog City (Samar), Daanbantayan (Cebu), and Dipolog City (Zamboanga del Norte).
Pimentel said Tandag’s participation in PEMSEA aligns with the city’s 10-year Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan (2025-2034) that aims to promote a circular economy. /mr