ASSESSMENT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NATIONAL ECO-LABELLING PROGRAM (NELP) IN THE PHILIPPINES, 2001-2011

by: Richard Bryan G. Bugarin, Julliane Magdalene Z. Lallana,** Ralph Christian C. Mancenido,* Karen D. Nogaliza,*** and Jose Emmanuel M. Pagkanlungan***

An undegraduate research paper submitted to to the University of the Philippines-National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), March 2011

Adviser: Prof. Ebinezer R. Florano, Ph.D.

(To be published as Occassional Paper by UP-NCPAG's Publication Office. Advance copy of this paper can be obtained by contacting Mr. Ralph Mancenido via e-mail at ralph11_neo@yahoo.com)

ABSTRACT

The past twenty years saw the rapid upsurge of eco-labelling programs envisioned to address extensive ecological trepidations. European eco-labels led implementation of such scheme to help consumers make good purchasing choices in terms of which among the products in the market have the least negative environmental effects. In the Philippines, the National Eco-labelling Program (NELP) or Green Choice Philippines (GCP) became the government’s response apropos the call for environmental protection. Nevertheless, there exists an indistinct understanding of the effectiveness of eco-labelling on consumers’ consumption activities in the country. This paper assesses the effectiveness of the NELP in terms of achieving the goals and functions for which it has been created. It shows an assessment of the effects and impacts of the program from the years 2001 to 2011 and how these are influenced by the content of the eco-labelling policy and its context of implementation. Significant influences to the implementing activities of the program such as the: (1) program implementers, (2) resources committed, (3) power, interests and strategies of actors involved and (4) institution and regime characteristics have been taken into account to determine their effects on the output and outcome of the program. Industry participation, consumer recognition and demand and environmental quality of certified products were used as indicators to measure the effectiveness of the NELP for this particular study. A qualitative design which involves data gathering and the conduct of interviews with primary stakeholders as well as the collection secondary data was employed in deriving the recommendations that can be used by the NELP in order to improve its implementation of the eco-labelling program. Further, a case study and historical approach was used to arrive at a pattern of data and to analyze the influences to the implementing activities of the program. The results of study showed that the lack of appropriate, clear and comprehensive legal footing and the limited financial resources, both ominously influenced by the content of eco-labelling policy and implementation, are the primary reasons that caused the ineffectiveness of the program. Government intervention, through policy support, is deemed to be necessary to strengthen the implementation of the NELP and further its positive effects to the society. Congress may also look into the integration of the green procurement with that of the public fund-saving policy in procuring products that offer the lowest prices during government biddings. Finally, good governance in its truest sense should be upheld to avoid the added burden, from corruption, to manufacturers.

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*Graduated Summa Cum Laude, 2nd Semester, Academic Year 2010-2011.
**Graduated Magna Cum Laude, 2nd Semester, Academic Year 2010-2011.
***Graduated Cum Laude, 2nd Semester, Academic Year 2010-2011.

PCEPSDI CALLS FOR GREEN ADVERTISERS

Registration is Open for the Philippine Green Pages

The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI) is calling for all the producers and distributors to register their eco-friendly products and services to the first-ever Philippine’s eco-directory, the Philippine Green Pages to be launched on August 18, 2011 to satisfy the need for a list of environmentally friendly products and services to attain sustainability.

PCEPSDI, the administrator of the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is advocating sustainable consumption and production to the industry and government and now expanding to a larger group – the youth through the newly formed Philippine Green Youth Movement (Phil GYM) and the general public through their new publication. PCEPSDI, a non-stock, non-profit and non-government organization, with Ms. Elisea ‘Bebet’ Gozun as its chairperson is adopting the Asian Productivity Organization’s (APO’s) asian-wide eco-directory in the Philippines.

In partnership with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), PCEPSDI will publish the first-ever directory listing of ecolabelled products (Green Choice Philippines Certified), green products, green materials, green components, and green services. Fittingly titled, Philippine Green Pages (PGP), it aims to be the primary reference of all suppliers and providers of eco-friendly products. This will be used as a tool by institutional buyers greening their procurement, including the members of the Green Purchasing Alliance Movement (GPAM) and individual consumers in making purchasing decisions.

To name a few, energy saving appliances, accessories made out of recycled materials, stores using eco-bags, business solutions to save on electricity and water consumption can be registered to the maiden publication of PGP. This new kind of directory will also be published in the internet that would be a venue and an opportunity for eco-friendly products to become a staple item in an office or household.

For more details on how to register your green product and service, you may call the secretariat at 631-2151 or visit their website at http://pcepsdi.org/philgreenpages. You may also email them at greenchoicephilippines@pcepsdi.org.ph and philippinegreenpages@pcepsdi.org.ph.

* The National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is a project under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
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If you’d like more information about this, or to schedule an interview with Mr. June M. Alvarez, please call Grace Lebria at 631-2151 or email at philippinegreenpages@gmail.com or greenchoicephilippines@gmail.com.

REDEFINING RESPONSIBLE BUYING

Registration is Open for the Philippine Green Pages

Energy saving appliances, office equipment made out of recycled materials, stores using eco-bags, business solutions to save on electricity and water consumption. A lot of talks have been made to promote these eco-friendly products and services. Conferences, exhibits, news articles on new technologies have been a staple venue to highlight the same. It is time to go beyond talking about it and start acting upon it.

The Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Inc. (PCEPSDI), the administrator of the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP) is advocating sustainable consumption and production. Redefining the boundaries of responsibilities, protecting the environment not only lies on how the industry operates, but also, on how we decide what to purchase and consume.

Together with the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), PCEPSDI will publish the first-ever directory listing of ecolabelled products (Green Choice Philippines Certified), green products, green materials, green components, and green services. Fittingly titled, Philippine Green Pages (PGP), aims to be the primary reference of all suppliers and providers to be used by institutional buyers including the Green Purchasing Alliance Movement (GPAM) and individual consumers in making purchasing decisions.

The tools to go green are available. The challenge now is to change our consumption patterns and make green products and services accessible. It’s a matter of bridging the gap between consumers and green providers, and that is what PGP will address.

For more details on how to register your green product and service, you may call the secretariat at 631-2151 or visit their website at http://pcepsdi.org/philgreenpages. You may also email them at greenchoicephilippines@pcepsdi.org.ph and philippinegreenpages@pcepsdi.org.ph.

* PCEPSDI is a non-stock, non-profit and non-government organization duly registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). It is an affiliate organization of the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) with Ms. Elisea “Bebet” Gozun, former DENR secretary as the chairperson. PCEPSDI is also the administrator of the National Ecolabelling Programme – Green Choice Philippines (NELP-GCP), a project under the auspices of the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

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If you’d like more information about this, or to schedule an interview with Mr. June M. Alvarez, please call Grace Lebria at 631-2151 or email at philippinegreenpages@gmail.com or greenchoicephilippines@gmail.com.

Earth Hour 2011: March 26, 8:30-9:30 p.m.

JOIN!!! If not your whole house's lights, your room's bulb will do. Then, pray for the whole world.

At 8:30 PM on Saturday 26th March 2011, lights will switch off around the globe for Earth Hour and people will commit to actions that go beyond the hour.

With Earth Hour almost upon us, our thoughts are with the people of Japan during this incredibly challenging and sad time for their country.

日本の皆さん、勇気を持って頑張って下さい

Public Administration Students Conduct Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptation Workshops in Real, Quezon Province

In the midst of the regional and national disasters (Japan earthquake and flashfloods in Visayas and Mindanao) that gripped the country and the whole world, students of Public Administration 191 (Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation – a course of Prof. Ebinezer Florano) of the National College of Public Administration and Governance of the University of the Philippines (UP-NCPAG) cast their fears aside and went to the Municipality of Real, Quezon Province to conduct community-based climate change vulnerability assessment and adaptation workshops on 16-18 March 2011. The workshops enabled them to have hands-on experience in managing them, and at the same time, assist the municipal government jumpstart the formulation of their own local climate change action plan mandated for all local government units (LGUs) under the Climate Change Act of 2009.

Real is a 3rd class coastal municipality at the northeast side of Luzon island bounded by Lamon Bay (east), Rizal and Laguna Provinces (west), Municipalities of Nakar and Infanta (north), and the Municipality of Mauban (south). It has a total land area of 563.8 square kilometer and is composed of 17 barangays with 33,073 residents as of 2007 (Wikipedia 2011).

Real has had it shares of natural disasters. In December 2004, 500 people were either proclaimed dead or missing after the municipality was ravaged by Typhoons Violeta, Winnie, and Yoyong (Wikipedia 2011). Other hazards that constantly sow fear among the residents include flowing debris, slope failures and landslides.

The class conducted vulnerability assessment using the “Vulnerability Assessment Toolkit” developed by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-Coastal Services Center which consists of seven steps: (1) hazard identification, (2) hazard analysis, (3) critical facilities analysis, (4) social analysis, (5) environmental analysis, (6) economic analysis, and (7) adaptation opportunity analysis.

During the hazard identification and prioritization stages, the participants agreed that the municipal government should focus on preparing for the following hazards which they ranked in terms of frequency, area of impact, and magnitude: (1) typhoons/storm surge, (2) flashfloods, (3) landslide, and (5) tsunami. The class was happy to learn that two of the hazards that they pre-identified (sea-level rise (SLR), floods, and earthquakes) were among the prioritized hazards by the participants who listened intently on the on the students’ reports, based mostly on scientific reports and maps gathered from NAMRIA, PHIVOLCS, PAG-ASA, and DENR-GMB.

During the climate change adaptation workshops, in response to the pre-identified hazards, the participants enumerated and ranked the following adaptation measures:

• Sea-Level Rise: (1) mangrove planting, (2) RICE (research, information, communication, education), (3) seawall construction, (4) relocation of affected residents and establishments, and (5) non-privatization of coastal areas.

• Earthquakes: (1) RICE, (2) zoning ordinance, (3) construction of resilient accommodations, (4.5) relocate affected residents, and (4.5) population control.

• Floods: (1) RICE, (2) watershed management, (3) relocation and provide buffer zone, (4) tree planting, and (5) construction of seawalls and dikes.

The workshops were attended by municipal government staff from the following offices: agriculture, planning and development, social work, tourism, engineering, municipal administrator, etc. Mayor Joel Amando Diestro and Municipal Administrator Manuel Meraña approved the holding of the workshops. Students who conducted the workshops were: Diane Zapata, Ayesha Mambuay, Ace Cardenas, Noelle Rivera, Kaizzer Tanada, Leizle Arlando, Ishmail Bahjin, Mabelle Romero, Camilo Bugayong, Mitchka Nicanor, Nikki Grafil, Gian Pantaleon, Beatriz Caday, Angelica Herico, Raphael Itchon, and Raeon Laspinas.

PAGASA: More floods, landslides loom over east Visayas, Mindanao

After leaving at least nine people dead and affecting more than 15,000 residents, flash floods and landslides continue to threaten parts of Visayas and Mindanao, state weather forecasters said Friday.

Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) forecaster Gener Quitlong said the northeast monsoon is prevailing over Luzon while a wind convergence is affecting Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

"Ang payo natin sa mga kababayan natin diyan maging alerto tayo. Naroon ang convergence zone kaya nakakabuo ang kaulapan (Our advice to our people living in those areas is to be alert. There is a wind convergence over Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, and clouds bringing rains are likely to form there)," Quitlong said in an interview on dzBB radio.

On Thursday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said the death toll from floods and landslides that hit parts of the Visayas and Mindanao in past days went up to nine.

Some 3,130 families or 15,398 people from Bohol, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte in the Visayas; and Misamis Oriental and South Cotabato in Mindanao were affected.

Of these, 2,878 families or 14,138 people were evacuated.

Yet, PAGASA said the affected areas may still continue to experience rains.

"Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas and Northeastern Mindanao which may trigger flashfloods and landslides. Northern and Central Luzon will be be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains," PAGASA said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. — LBG, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/215574/nation/pagasa-more-floods-landslides-loom-over-east-visayas-mindanao

A teacher's plea: Recent earthquakes and tsunamis in Japan (March 11, 2011)

Dear Students,

The recent calamities that struck Japan remind us that now, more than ever, we should start to adapt our practices, procedures, and structures to the ever-increasing frequency, magnitude, and impact of natural and man-made disasters. Actually, there were other disasters and extreme weather events that occurred in the previous months on the other side of the Earth but they were hardly noticed by the media or we simply ignored them. And if we are to believe climate change projections and scenarios, many more are still to come (but we should be careful also in quickly attributing everything to climate change; let the scientists do that for us). In the future, in your little ways, I hope you could help prepare our country deal with these calamities.