Project: Project-Ikot (Coca-Cola)  

Duration: February 1, 2024 to June 30, 2024 

Activity: Assist in project implementation of waste management strategies for Taytay, Palawan 

Project Location: Barangay Poblacion, Taytay, Palawan, Philippines 

Reports to: Project Manager 

BACKGROUND

Plastic pollution has reached gigantic dimensions worldwide and has caused serious consequences to marine life and the well-being of society. With 8-12 million tons of plastic waste entering the ocean annually, and global waste generation expected to increase by 70% over the next 30 years, plastic waste prevention and management programs are critical to the health and well-being of our communities. With a staggering 90% of the waste produced in low-income countries being openly dumped or burned, we are already seeing detriments to human health, livelihoods, and the environment. 

It’s estimated that Filipinos use 2.1 million tons of plastic annually, the highest in Southeast Asia (Jambeck et al., 2015) —with about 750 million tons (35%) going into the open environment (AMH PH and Cyclos, 2020)—making the country the third-largest plastic waste polluter in the world. At the same time, the country’s plastic recycling rate is relatively low at 9%, and the national collection rate is estimated to be only around 40% (AMH PH and Cyclos, 2020). This may be rooted in the gaps in the country’s waste collection and recycling systems coupled with increasing waste generation, and the limited resources and infrastructures in place. 

WWF-Philippines (WWF) acknowledges that these gaps are exacerbated by the archipelagic nature of the country, the varying technological and logistical capacities of different cities/municipalities, the fragmented national and local legislative framework, and the lack of sound data on the issue. With the  majority of Philippine landfills expected to be full by 2037 (Asian Development Bank, 2004), it is imperative to develop waste management programs that increase collection rates and eliminate leakage until the waste reaches its endpoints. 

The WWF network developed the No Plastics in Nature (NPIN) initiative to stop plastic waste leakage into nature by 2030. WWF-Philippines adopted this through the: a.) facilitation of national support  to the global treaty on marine plastic pollution and Extended Producer Responsibility or EPR; b.) Plastic ACTion or PACT; c.) Plastic Smart Cities (PSC) and; d.) Ayoko Ng Plastik campaign. Through its policy work, WWF advocates to the national government the need for regional and global action to address the plastic pollution issue. There has also been an increasing awareness and support for pushing the EPR scheme in the country, as supported by a Science-based EPR scheme assessment study commissioned by WWF.  Through PACT, businesses take accountability for their contribution to the plastic pollution problem by setting SMART targets to lessen their plastic use, making commitments to eliminate unnecessary plastics in their business operations, adopting a proactive waste management system in line with the vision of the  NPIN, and monitoring their initiatives for measurable impact.  

Under the PSC initiative, WWF partnered with the Coca-Cola Foundation to design and pilot plastic waste management strategies in four (4) predominant Philippine landscape archetypes, namely highly urbanized cities(HUCs), coastal communities, island cities, and lowlands. Learnings from these pilots were documented and will be communicated to highlight that there is no universal waste management system model for the Philippines, and it should be tailor-fitted to the predominant landscape in the city and/or municipality.  

Piloting Waste Management Strategies in the Philippines  

Generally, the Phase 1 project proved two overarching statements: (1) There is no universal solid waste management model for the Philippines. It is important to acknowledge that there are many landscape archetypes that require various interventions to address plastic pollution. Implementing RA 9003 or the  Ecological Solid Waste Management Act should take into account the diversity of local scenarios and needed solutions by Local Government Units (LGUs); and (2) Stakeholders’ commitment, especially the LGUs and social enterprises, is important in ensuring the effectiveness of the piloted plastic waste management model. They are essential in developing, planning, implementing, monitoring, and sustaining implemented interventions in the LGUs. This commitment is even more emphasized in the project’s next phase. All learnings from the Phase 1 project have been documented in a portfolio and will be communicated to the general public.  

For the project’s next phase, WWF aims to build on the piloted solid waste management strategies in the Philippine landscape archetypes, scale these at the city/municipality level, and communicate their impact to other cities and municipalities for possible adoption in their respective localities. As part of the learnings, WWF strives to ensure LGU's commitment to continuing local efforts to stop plastic pollution. The project aims to secure partnerships with local officials to sustain initiatives piloted in their respective areas.  

The project is also expanding to a new site that represents municipalities with isolated island and fishing communities.  

TAYTAY is the 3rd most populous municipality in Palawan, with a total population of 70,837 as of 2010. It ranks among the top-producing municipalities in the province of Palawan regarding fisheries, with its catches of anchovies, coral trout, red-belly yellow-tailed caesio, and tuna. According to the 2007-2015 data of MAO, there are 6,318 fishermen in the whole of Taytay. In addition, there are 34 existing fishermen associations with 1,029 members. Municipal collection is a big challenge due to limited resources, especially island barangays, which are only serviced once a year or depending on the collection schedule. 

Most collected wastes are disposed of in an open pit or cell in their dumpsite in Sitio Langayan, Poblacion. The Plastic Smart Cities project builds on its piloted solutions to support 2-3 island barangays in establishing a barangay waste management system supported by local stakeholders. By the end of the project, the team aims to create this replicable model for other small island barangays in the Philippines.

This proposed 1-year Phase 2 project will support WWF’s No Plastic in Nature (NPIN) Initiative in the country - with a vision of merging expertise in piloting waste management strategies based on different predominant landscape archetypes in the Philippines.  

Project Objectives 

This project aims to build on the piloted waste management strategies on four (4) landscape archetypes in the Philippines - highly urbanized cities (HUCs), island cities, lowlands and isolated islands.  

Specifically, the project aims to achieve the following:  

1. To design relevant waste management strategies for Taytay, Palawan, based on the baseline data gathered from the project site, and to test the waste management strategies by piloting and implementing a set of innovative sustainable solutions to increase plastic waste collection and diversion  rates while engaging local communities and relevant entrepreneurial partners;  
2. To scale up piloted waste management strategies at the city/ municipality level for Davao City, IGaCos and San Isidro, and to showcase piloted solutions across the archetypes to other Philippine cities and/or municipalities for possible adoption.  

SCOPE OF WORK

1. Assist in the project implementation in Taytay 
2. Data gathering
3. Communication, Education and Public Awareness (CEPA)  
4. Building local collection/separation/recycling (improving waste collection and processing methods
5. Identifying and scaling entrepreneurial solutions  
6. Perform another task assigned by the immediate supervisor 

DELIVERABLES

1. Monthly activity and accomplishment Report 
2. Establish and sustain a good working relationship with local and national partners
3. All documentation, records review, and photos will be submitted to WWF-Philippines 

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

1. Knowledge of RA 9003 and any plastic works
2. Strong data gathering and analytical skills, including the ability to analyze information from  different sources and provide appropriate recommendations
3. Demonstrated ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment
4. Ability to travel in project areas
5. Willingness to stay in the project areas for an extended period
6. Advanced computer skills
7. Fluency in the local language (Cuyunon and Tagalog) and written and oral English.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENT

1. Bachelor’s degree in BS Fisheries, BS Aquatic Biology, BS Environment, or BS Biology
2. Minimum of 1 year of experience in research environmental assessment
3. Experience in working with fisherfolks’ organizations
4. Experience in working with NGOs, NGAs and LGUs
5. Fresh graduates are encouraged to apply