AS the European Union-sponsored Green local government unit (LGU) Project is getting traction, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will be assessing five major tourist destinations and their local executives’ concrete measures concerning environmental and public health issues. El Nido, Coron, Siargao, Panglao and Boracay are designated green economy models (GEMs) which had submitted six-month rehabilitation action plans to the agency.
Strategies had been outlined for liquid and solid waste management, tourism development, peace and order, and the handling of health-related concerns. The DILG added that the five GEMs’ LGUs should include plans to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve the water quality of waterways and other bodies of water in their areas.
Copies of their strategies were forwarded to relevant government agencies who will work with the DILG for the appropriate actions: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Tourism and the Department of Health. One objective of this interagency collaboration is to make the GEMs premier tourist destinations in Asia.
GEMs and LGUs are at the heart of the Green LGUs Project, an initiative under the broader Green Economy Partnership with the Philippines (GEPP) and supported by a 60-million-euro grant from the European Union. This project empowers LGUs and stakeholders, including the often-marginalized groups, to adopt and scale up circular economy practice. It is co-led by the DILG and the United Nations Development Program.
The project also stimulates collaboration between local businesses, community organizations and Gedsi (Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion) groups, with youth and women central to the expected positive changes. According to the DILG, it will drive innovation by boosting community skills, helping communities shift to a circular economy and promoting new technologies supporting the same.
Green funding is also facilitated through the financing of eco-friendly projects, inspiring change through awareness and advocacy, encouraging greener habits, and building skills through enhancing the knowledge of LGUs and local groups.
