The province of Iloilo unveiled on Tuesday its Weave Out Waste (WOW) “Limpyo” (Clean) Iloilo program as an initiative under the PH Plastics Circularity Project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
During and after the May 2025 elections, the province collected over 49,000 kilograms of post-election waste, with over 50 percent composed of plastics, including tarpaulins (34 percent) and flexible plastics (16 percent). Those were upscaled with the help of UNDP.
The program is a conglomeration enhancement and an umbrella that would step up the Limpyo Election and Limpyo Iloilo projects, according to Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Cesar Emmanuel Buyco.
Marginalized groups were trained in product design, prototyping and upcycling techniques using recovered tarpaulins, plastic wastes, and other locally sourced materials.
The municipalities of Banate, Dumangas and Pototan, and Passi City were chosen as pilot sites.
“Our main goal is to position the province as a regional leader in the circular economy, demonstrating how a province-wide approach can drive sustainable and inclusive transformation. What we are thinking of is driving it to a position of the national level,” Buyco said during the launch of the program.
Under the circular economy, the management of waste is not only focused on reduction but also on promoting opportunities.
UNDP Philippines resident representative Dr. Selva Ramanchandran said by transforming post-election plastic wastes collected through the Limpyo Election 2025, the province demonstrated “how waste can be given a second life, turn into useful marketable products and local economic opportunities for the people.”
“To help Iloilo province achieve its vision as a thriving regional circular hub, the (PH Plastics) project is supporting the provincial solid waste management strategy to foster inter-LGU (local government unit) collaboration, encouraging pilot cities and municipalities to address common waste challenges together, share resources for infrastructure, and exchange knowledge,” he said.
The UNDP will provide technical support, build market linkages and strengthen systems that will enable locally led circular solutions while maintaining the institutional capacity of LGUs to implement and sustain their initiatives.
Beyond upcycling plastic waste from Limpyo Eleksyon 2025, the PH Plastics Circularity project aims to enhance local waste management systems and integrate circular economy principles into local policies and efforts.
It also endeavors to have sustainable business models that enable the informal waste sector and disadvantaged groups to fully benefit from opportunities related to plastic value chains, as well as encourage behavior change to reduce plastic use and improve plastic collection.
The provincial government is eyeing a budget of PHP174.05 million for its implementation until 2027. (PNA)
