Urbanization and economic growth 5 min

A manifestation of income inequality in the Philippines emanates from geography. From the
period beginning the fourth quarter of 2013 to the third quarter of 2014, the average share of
National Capital Region (NCR) was 36 percent of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP),
while Region 4A or CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) and Central
Luzon have 18 percent and 9 percent shares, respectively. These regions make up more
one-half of the country’s production, as less than half or 37 percent are distributed to the rest of the
country. Mindanao, the whole island that is at the center of recent headlines, accounts only for 18
percent of the GDP, with the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao posting the lowest
contribution at 0.8 percent. In effect, the improved economic performance currently experienced in
the country can be seen as fundamentally based in Luzon, particularly Metro Manila. In any case,
it is not surprising that the top 3 income-generating regions are both found in Luzon and are in fact
located adjacent to one another. Urbanization—the concentration of population in cities and
towns—is a key feature of economic growth. Given its long history as the country’s trade center,
Manila developed at a faster rate than the other cities in the country. Nevertheless, cities need to be
sustained if these are to survive. With agricultural produce coming primarily from Central Luzon
and manufacturing output from CALABARZON, Metro Manila continues to be the premier urban
area in the country. Yet, clearly, without the development in its surrounding regions, the NCR
would certainly not be able to maintain what others consider its “imperialistic” hold over the
country. At the same time, without the necessary markets provided by the NCR, these nearby
regions will not grow at a rate faster than other regions. This tale of three regions clearly shows
the close relationship between urbanization and economic growth. Metro Manila created greater
non-agricultural activities which did not require land intensity and created agglomeration forces
resulting in increased scale of production. In effect, urbanization promoted a structural
transformation from agricultural, involving more people in the production process and, in turn,
generating increased demand for outputs originating in the two other regions. Each sector
experienced greater productivity because of such trends, and in each location, various region-
specific interventions, including infrastructure, allowed economic units to respond effectively to
these trends. This close urbanization-growth linkage, however, does not happen automatically.
Three interrelated factors are needed to be in place. First, regions should exploit the benefits from
the proximity provided by their geographic location. Even without too much infrastructure, the
contiguity across regions must result in lower transaction costs and greater and easier interactions.
The urbanization in Metro Manila, for instance, created clusters of growth which had improved
production technologies in the adjacent regions. To some extent, geography determines the
comparative advantage, or economic potential of combined regions. Second, regions must
develop integration or increased trade connections. Because it exploits the region’s comparative
advantage, trade has been considered as engine of growth and has been a persistent theme in the
economic development literature. To some extent, this may be exaggerated. However, trade needs
to be considered in terms of the capital infusion and technological innovations that are projected in
each location. Externalities from technological changes and learning by doing effects then
maximize the benefits of this integration process over a long period of time. These are functions
that a first-tier urban area is expected to accomplish. Third, institutions have to be established in
order to make trade between these regions more mutually beneficial. This factor has received
increasing attention in the growth literature as it has become evident that property rights,
appropriate regulatory structures, environmental laws, the quality and independence of the
judiciary, and bureaucratic capacity are significant in many settings and that they were of utmost
importance to initiating and sustaining economic growth. Previously seen as being dependent on
incomes, institutions are now considered essential preconditions and determinants of growth. In
fact, macroeconomic policy and the so-called economic fundamentals depend on the institutional
context. The three regions in Luzon have undergone remarkable transformations during the
last two decades in their economic performance, while many others have experienced sharp
deteriorations. Manila for instance has a strong service sector with the advent of the business-
process outsourcing and call-center industry. More recently, however, an upsurge in the
manufacturing sector is noted, particularly in the outskirts of Metro Manila. This suggests that
moderate changes in region-specific circumstances (policies and institutional reforms such as
“matuwid na daan”), often interacting with the external environment, can produce significant
discontinuous changes in economic performances. The key lesson in this tale of Luzon regions is
that the process of urbanization and growth can be replicated in other urban areas in the country in
order to enhance current economic growth and minimize regional disparities. Surely, the products
and the production process may differ in other regions. Desirable institutional arrangements may
also vary and may have a large element of context specificity, arising from differences in historical
trajectories, geography, political economy or other initial conditions. However, difficult though
it may be, a comprehensive approach involving all three factors is all that is needed for this process
to work. In the end, urbanization and the consequent structural transformation will require
institutional changes that are cognizant of the limits imposed by geography and should incorporate
integration as a necessary outcome to be sustainable. As of 2005, the Philippines has an estimated
total population of 85.3 million (National Statistics Office ([NSO], 2006) and ranks as the 14th most populous country in
the world (CIA, 2006). The World Bank estimates that 62% lives in the urban areas (World Bank, 2005). The country’s
population density is 284 persons per square kilometer. The annual population growth rate has remained stable since
1990; it was 2.1% in 2004. The projected population for 2025 is almost 120 million. Urban areas are, and will continue to
be, the center of economic growth in the Philippines. According to the NSO 2003 Annual Survey of Philippine
Business and Industry, almost half (47.3%) of the manufacturing establishments were located in Metro Manila and the
far second was Region IV1 with 22.8%, while Region VII2 and Region III3 accounted for 9.1% and 8.8%, respectively
(NSO, 2006). The number of businesses and industries had increased considerably in the past decade. The 2003 Annual
Survey of Philippine Business and Industry covered 20,579 establishments, 29% (5,900) of which are in the
manufacturing sector. Metro Manila, albeit geographically is only 0.21% of the country’s land area, recorded the highest
number of establishments with 45.8% of the total.
 Social and Economic
CALABARZON is designated as Region IV-A. The region is composed of five (5) provinces,
namely: Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and QueZON. CALABARZON is located in southern Luzon, just south and west
of Metro Manila and is the second most densely populated region. In 2016, the region's palay production at 407,124
metric tons increased by 3.62 percent from 2015 level. Palay area at 116,768 hectares went up by 3.27 percent. Corn
production was 96,821 metric tons and it grew by 49.36 percent. Its area at 35,084 hectares expanded by 20.21 percent.

Crops 19.39

Livestock 28.23

Poultry 30.45

Fisheries 21.93

In 2016, agricultural production in CALABARZON went up by 3.32 percent. The poultry subsector had the biggest share
at 30.45 percent. It grew by 2.83 percent in output. The livestock subsector with 28.23 percent contribution posted a 7.90
percent output gain. The smallest share of 19.39 percent came from crop subsectors. Its production increased by 2.15
percent. Hogs and chicken were the major commodities produced in CALABARZON with a combined share of 47.84
percent of the region's total agriculture output. For these commodities, CALABARZON was second in rank in the
regional production. Other major commodities were chicken eggs, tilapia and milkfish placing the region in the 1st, 2nd
and 3rd rank, respectively. Hogs and chicken were the major commodities produced in CALABARZON with a combined
share of 47.84 percent of the region's total agriculture output. For these commodities, CALABARZON was second in rank
in the regional production. Other major commodities were chicken eggs, tilapia and milkfish placing the region in the 1st,
2nd and 3rd rank, respectively.

Plastic Problems, Pollution in the Philippines

Biodiversity, Conservation, Philippines, Waste Management In a report released a few years ago, the Ocean
Conservancy singled out the Philippines as one of five countries from where majority of plastics originates. Also on the
list were China, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Thailand. “As rapidly developing economies, these countries are now
passing through a typical stage of economic growth as consumer demand for disposable products grows more rapidly than
the waste management infrastructure,” the report said. The word plastic is derived from the Greek plastikos, which
means “capable of being shaped or molded.” It refers to their malleability or plasticity during manufacture, which allows
them to be cast, pressed, or extruded into a variety of shapes – such as films, fibers, plates, tubes, bottles, boxes, and much
more. Cleaning up beaches, riversides of our plastic ways But the most popular of them all is plastic bags. “Since
they were introduced in the 1970s, plastic bags have infiltrated our lives,” wrote Caroline Williams in New Scientist.
“Globally, we carry home between 500 billion and a trillion every year – about 150 bags for every person on earth, or, to
put it another way, a million every minute and rising.” This alarms environmental groups in the Philippines as plastic
bags are used only once. Other single-use plastics include straws, coffee stirrers, soda and water bottles and most food
packaging materials. The country’s so-called “sachet economy” has also contributed to the proliferation of
plastics. Products sold in single-use sachets include instant coffee, shampoo, cooking oil, food seasoning and
toothpaste. Once they’re used, they are just thrown away. Associated Press quoted Sherri Mason, chair of the
geology and environmental sciences department at the State University of New York at Fredonia, as saying: “We have to
confront this material and our use of it, because so much of it is single use disposable plastic and this is a material that
doesn’t go away. It doesn't return to the planet the way other materials do.” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu
agrees. “Plastic, particularly those for single-use packaging, has greatly contributed to the degradation of the
environment,” he points out. “Plastic pollution continues to poison our oceans and injure marine life. When not properly
disposed, they clog waterways and cause flooding.” The United Nations Environmental Program says between 22%
and 43% of the plastic used worldwide is disposed of in landfills, where its resources are wasted, the material takes up
valuable space, and it blights communities. But why so much ado about plastics? For one, they never go
away. Plastic is a material made to last forever, yet 33% of all plastic - water bottles, bags and straws - are used just once
and thrown away. “Disposed plastic materials can remain in the environment for up to 2,000 years and longer,” said Barry
E. DiGregorio. For another, plastics affect human health. Studies have found that toxic chemicals leach out of
plastic and are found in the blood and tissue of nearly all of human beings. Two broad classes of plastic-related chemicals
are of critical concern for human health: bisphenol-A and additives used in the synthesis of plastics, which are known as
phthalates. This was found out by a study conducted by the Arizona State University Bio design Institute. Exposure to
them is linked to cancers, birth defects, impaired immunity, endocrine disruption and other ailments, it said.
Another reason: plastics spoil groundwater. Landfills come into mind; buried beneath them are toxic chemicals
from plastics which, drain out and seep into groundwater, flowing downstream into lakes and rivers. What is
alarming is that most of the plastics end up in the oceans. “Over 80% of ocean plastics comes from the land – it is
discarded and not well managed, and thus leaks into the ocean,” the Ocean Conservancy reported. “Only 20% is thrown
directly or purposefully into the ocean from ships, drilling rigs, etc.” The Ocean Conservancy study found out that
75% of leakage comes from waste that is uncollected by waste management systems, while 25% of leakage happens from
within the system itself. Unknowingly, plastics attract other pollutants. “The toxic chemicals that leach out of plastics can
accumulate on other plastics,” a report stated. “This is a serious concern with increasing amounts of plastic debris
accumulating in the world’s oceans. “ Chelsea Rochman, writing for Scientific Reports, said that fish, exposed to a
mixture of polyethylene with chemical pollutants absorbed from the marine environment, “bio accumulate these chemical
pollutants and suffer liver toxicity and pathology.” Plastics likewise threaten wildlife. Wildlife become entangled in
plastic, they eat it or mistake it for food and feed it to their young, and it is found littered in even extremely remote areas
of the Earth. In the world’s oceans alone, plastic debris outweighs zooplankton by a ratio of 36-to-1, study showed.
Large plastic items can entangle and kill a wide variety of organisms including marine mammals, sea turtles and
fishes. Ingested plastic products (cigarette lighters, plastic bags, etc.) can harm seabirds, marine turtles and fishes.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature claimed that nearly 200 different marine species die due to ingestion and
choking from plastic bags. “Discarded plastic bands encircle mammals, fish, and birds and tighten as their bodies
grow,” reminded the Washington, D.C.-based World Resources Institute. “Turtles, whales, and other marine mammals
have died after eating plastic sheeting. ”Environmentalists caution against burning those plastics to get rid of them
completely. Scientists say that chlorine-based plastics, when incinerated, contribute to the formation of dioxins, a
poisonous waste that forms when chlorine is exposed to extreme heat. “Dioxins are considered highly toxic and are
implicated in weakening the immune system, affecting fetal development and causing a skin disorder called chloracne,”
wrote Chynthia P. Shea, a former staff member of the Worldwatch Institute. Just some thoughts about Styrofoam. It
is made from the plastic polystyrene, which is based on building blocks called styrene monomers. When you drink your
steaming cup of coffee or spoon your chicken noodle soup out of a Styrofoam cup, you also take in small doses of
chemicals that leach from it. “Trace amounts of styrene as well as various chemical additives in polystyrene migrate
into food – particularly when liquids are hot,” explains Dr. Olga Naidenko, a senior scientist at the Environmental
Working Group. However, the US Department of Health and Human Services says that the levels released from food
containers are very low. Possible solutions to single use plastic problem There are several ways of skinning a cat
and so there are some solutions to the problem at hand. “Let us go back to basics,” Cimatu urged. “We used to bring a
glass bottle to the sari-sari store when we buy cooking oil and vinegar. Let’s do the same now.” Eligio Ildefonso, the
EMB’s national solid waste management commission executive director, supports a ban on single-use plastic items
throughout the country. “Single-use plastic is what its name says, for single-use,” he said. “It cannot be recycled and
reused; people have no motivation to recover it. It has no further use so it should be discouraged.” Instead of plastic bags,
Ildefonso encourages the use of eco-bags when buying wet and dry goods. “Eco-bags can be reused; you can wash them;
they do not contribute to solid waste,” he pinpointed. Meanwhile, Worldwatch contend that the environmental and
social benefits of plastics must be weighed against the problems that the durability and high volume of this material
present to the waste stream. “Plastics help to reduce food waste by keeping products fresh longer, allow for the
manufacture of life-saving healthcare equipment, reduce packaging mass compared with other materials, improve
transportation efficiency, and have large potential for use in renewable energy technologies,” Worldwatch said in a press
statement. “But plastic litter, gyres of plastics in the oceans, and toxic additives in plastic products – including colorants,
flame retardants, and plasticizers – are raising awareness of and strengthening consumer demand for more sustainable
materials. Along with reducing unnecessary plastic consumption, Worldwatch says that finding more
environmentally friendly packaging alternatives, and improving product and packaging design to use less plastic, many
challenges associated with plastics could be addressed by improving management of the material across its life cycle.
“Businesses and consumers could increase their participation in collection in order to move plastic waste toward a
recovery supply chain, and companies could switch to greater use of recycled plastics,” Worldwatch
suggests. “Governments must regulate the plastic supply chain to encourage and monitor recycling.” And now, some
good news. Some manufacturers have recently introduced biodegradable or compostable plastic bags, made from starches,
polymers or polylactic acid, and no polyethylene.

Transportation
Transportation Increasing population and urbanization creates an increasing demand for mobility and more effi
cient means of transportation in the Philippines. The rapid expansion of the vehicle fleet in the country has resulted in
increased traffic c congestion and fuel use. Figure 1.1 shows the number of motor vehicles in the Philippines and in Metro
Manila from 1990 to 2005. There has been more than a threefold increase in the number of road vehicles in the past
decade from 1.6 million in 1990 to more than 5 million in 2005, but the growth rate has decreased from the 9% annual
average in the 1990s to 6.5% from 2001 to 2005. In Metropolitan Manila, the number of vehicles increased from about
600,000 in 1990 to approximately 1.6 million in 2005, which is about 31% of the total for the whole country. The
proportion of vehicles registered in Metro Manila has been declining from 42% (1990) to 31% (2005), suggesting that the
growth of vehicle numbers in other major cities and urban centers are increasing. The Cordillera Autonomous Region7
has the highest percent vehicle growth rate at 22% and five other regions have more than 10% annual growth rate for
2004–2005. Other than Region IV, all of the highly industrialized regions (NCR, Regions III, VII, and XI) have less than
10% growth rate meaning that motorization is likewise rapidly increasing in no urbanized areas in the country. 7 The
Cordillera Administrative Region consists of six provinces, Abra, Benguet, Ifugao, Kalinga, Apayao, and Mountain
Province. Population as of 2000 is 1.6 million. Baguio City is the regional center. FIGURE 1.1 Registered Motor Vehicles
in the Philippines and Metro Manila, 1990–2005 Source: Land Transportation Office ce, 2006 graphed by Clean Air
Initiative-Asia" Motorcycles dominate the vehicle fleet in the country. Figure 1.2 shows that in 2005, 42.6% or almost
2.15 million units are motorcycles, 32.3% (1.6 million) are utility vehicles, 15.6% (790,000) are cars, and the remaining
9.5% are trucks, sports utility vehicles, buses, and trailers. Majority of registered vehicles are in Metro Manila, Regions
III, and IV, except for motorcycles—which is the preferred mode of transport for short-distance travels. A study
conducted by ADB in 2005 showed that 94% of the country’s motorcycles are with two-stroke engines and use untreated
used oil (ADB, 2005a) instead of the quality of lubricant recommended by vehicle manufacturers. FIGURE 1.3 Regional
Distribution by Vehicle Type, 2005 CAI = Clean Air Initiative; LTO = Land Transportation Office; MC/TC =
motorcycle/tricycle; NCR = National Capital Region; UV = utility vehicle; % = percent Source: LTO, 2006 and graph by
CAI-Asia. 4 COUNTRY SYNTHESIS REPORT ON URBAN AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT Gasoline-fuelled
vehicles (72% of the total fleet) dominate the country. Both gas- and diesel-fuelled vehicles showed threefold increase in
15 years. Gasoline-fuelled vehicles increased from 1.16 million in 1990 to more than 2.5 million while dieselfuelled
vehicles increased from 440,000 in 1990 to 1.4 million in 2005. Diesel-fuelled vehicles are increasing at an average
annual growth rate of 6%. Public transport system in the country is highly variable, depending on geographic and
economic conditions. The Land Transportation Office ce (LTO) 2005 data showed that only 18% of the country’s vehicle
(890,000 units) is used for public transport, while 80.6% is registered as private vehicles. Light rail transit (LRT) systems
are available in Metro Manila only where they were built primarily to alleviate the chronic traffic c congestion in the
metropolis. The ere are three LRT lines in operation: LRT Line 1 (15-km line with current ridership of 300,000
passengers/day), LRT Line 2 (13-km line with current ridership of 200,000 passengers per day), and Epifanio Delos
Santos Avenue (EDSA)-MRT (17-km line with current ridership of 400,000 passengers per day). As the lines expanded,
more commuters have been utilizing LRT resulting to a 29% increase in ridership from 118 million in 2004 to 147 million
passengers in 2005 (National Statistical Coordinating Board, Light Rail Transit Authority, Department of Transportation
and Communications [DOTC] 2006)

Tourism
The first recorded name of the Province was Kumintang, after the Datu who inherited the dominion from Datu
Balensusa. Its center, the present day Balayan, was the most progressive town of the Province and the traditional center
of governance. Later, as the eruption of the Taal Volcano destroyed a significant portion of the town, the provincial
center was transferred to Taal, which was then called Bonbon and the name of the province was changed after that of the
town. The term Batangas means a raft, the people used so that they could fish in the nearby Taal Lake. It also meant the
numerous logs found in the Calumpang River, the body of water that runs through the northeastern portion of the town
and assumes the shape of a tuning fork. Batangas is a combination of plains and mountains, including the world's
smallest volcano, Mt. Taal, with an elevation of 600 meters, located in the middle of the Taal Lake. Other important
peaks are Mt. Makulot with an elevation of 830 m, Mt. Talamitan with 700 m, Mt. Pico de Loro with 664 m, Mt. Batulao
with 811 m, Mt. Manabo with 830 m, and Mt. Daguldol with 672 m. The Municipality of Nasugbu is the home of the
plantation of Central Azucarera Don Pedro, the Philippines' largest producer of sugar and other sugarcane products.
Batangas also has many islands, including Tingloy, Verde Island(Isla Verde), Fortune Island of Nasugbu.
Although attached to the big Island of Luzon, Batangas boasts of flora and fauna that is distinctively theirs. The
local tree malabayabas is endemic to the province alone while the endangered flying fox thrives there without fear.
Batangas is also home to the kabag (Haplonycteris fischeri), one of the world's smallest fruit bat. In the Municipality of
Nasugbu, wild deers are still inhabiting the remote areas of Barangay Looc. But although Batangas has these land
flying mammals, marine wildlife remains to be the province's crowning glory. In fact, in the second half of 2006,
scientists from the United States discovered that the Sulu-Sulawesi Triangle has its center at the Isla Verde Passage, a
part of the province. According to this study, made by the American Marine Biologist Dr. Kent Carpentier, Batangas
Seas host more than half of the world's species of coral reefs. It is also home to dolphins and once in a while, a
passage of the world's biggest fish the whale shark or the butanding, as the locals call it. The Municipality of San Juan, as
a matter of fact, has a resident marine turtle or pawikan. Pawikans were also prevalent in the Municipality of Nasugbu
during the 1970s.

Natural Attractions

Gerthel BeachLobo, Batangas

Gerthel Beach is one of the finest beaches of the area. The one-kilometer stretch of white sand beach has a gradually
sloping ocean floor of up to about two hundred meters before the drop off.

 Submarine Garden

Lobo, Batangas

The garden consists of living corals near the shore of one of the beaches of Lobo. It can be clearly seen during the early
mornings, when the water is clear and the tide is low.

 Mahabang Buhangin Beach

Laiya, San Juan, Batangas

Located in the town of San Juan, the area has white sand and a living colony of corals.
  Hugon Beach

Barangay Hugon, San Juan, Batangas

The white sand of Hugon Beach is one kilometer long. Some parts of the sea floor have smooth rocks but most are sandy.
There is a sudden drop-off of about ten meters from the beach. The waters of the beach are also good for snorkeling.

Pollution
Citing harmful effects to marine biodiversity, an environmental group on Tuesday protested the impending large-scale
mining project of an Australian-Canadian firm in Batangas before the Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR).

In a statement, Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment said the large-scale operation of MRL Gold-Egerton
Gold Philippines Inc. in the municipality of Lobo would not only affect the biodiversity in the area, but also the Verde
Island Passage.

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The Verde Island Passage, which has been declared the center of marine biodiversity in the world, is a strait between
Luzon and the island of Mindoro.

“The Aquino government and its local counterpart in Batangas are both out of their minds in allowing the Egerton large-
scale mining project to push through in the municipality of Lobo,” said Clementine Bautista, Kalikasan PNE’s national
coordinator.

The dialogue protest, which was organized and attended by local church leaders, local fisherfolk organizations and other
environmental groups, was particularly aimed at getting the attention of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau
(EMB), the agency in charge of issuing environmental compliance certificates, to prevent the foreign firm from operating
in the country.

Bautista said the impending environmental risks of the mining project to the Verde Island Passage should be “more than
enough” for the EMB to deny Gold-Egerton of its compliance certificate.

“The Egerton gold project will be utilizing open-pit mining technology, which will result in the production and dumping
of millions of metric tons of mine wastes into the Lobo River down to the waters of the Verde Island Passage,” Bautista
said. “This impending mine pollution will surely spell death to current marine conservation areas in Lobo municipality
alone.”

In 1997, DENR declared Lobo the fifth of 18 biodiversity centers in the world. The municipality houses four declared
marine conservation areas, namely the Lobo Mangrove Conservation Area, Sawang Olo-olo Fish Sanctuary and Refuge
Area, Malabrigo Fish Sanctuary and Refuge Area and Biga Fish Sanctuary and Refuge Area.

Apart from negative environmental consequences, environmental groups said the mining project would also affect the
food security and source of livelihood of local residents and may even displace some communities.

“As large-scale mining involves deforestation and land clearing, flora and fauna will be surely lost and communities will
be displaced in the development and commercial operation of the mining project,” Bautista said.

In October 2006, the DENR issued a mining exploration permit to MRL Gold Philippines Inc. and its affiliate Egerton
Gold Philippines Inc
Cigarette Smoking
BATANGAS CITY -- The provincial government, through the Provincial Health Office (PHO), is enhancing its tobacco
intervention program as it intensifies the establishment of smoke-free environments in public and enclosed places in the
province by cascading information and awareness through the local health workers. Batangas public information
office chief Jenelyn A. Aguilera told Philippine News Agency on Monday that the PHO, in close coordination with the
Department of Health (DOH) 4-A Regional Office, has convened health workers throughout the province for a two-day
orientation and briefings last June 7 to 8 on the government’s tobacco intervention program. Aguilera said the
attendees included provincial medical personnel, Municipal Health Officers (MHOs); City Health Officers (CHOs);
public health nurses from the different district hospitals and Rural Health Units (RHUs) with resource persons from the
DOH 4-A and PHO. Topping the agenda in the gathering among health workers here is the Executive Order No. 26 on
“Providing for the Establishment of Smoke-Free Environments in Public and Enclosed Places” signed by President
Rodrigo Duterte last May 16, 2017. The Presidential issuance calls for a strict smoking ban in all public and enclosed
places nationwide, clearly defining all places as fixed or mobile that are accessible or open to the public or places for
collective use, whether government or privately-owned. But health authorities here assessed that many Filipinos and even
foreigners are either not complying or unaware of the law’s enforcement covering public places such as schools,
workplaces, government facilities, establishments that provide food and drinks, accommodation, merchandise,
professional services, entertainment or other services. They explained that the smoking ban also applies to public
convergence areas which also include outdoor spaces, such as playgrounds, sports grounds, centers, church grounds,
health/hospital compounds, transportation terminals, markets, parks, resorts, walkways, sidewalks, entrance ways, waiting
areas, and similar areas. They also noted that mobile public conveyances include open or for collective use such
as elevators, airplanes, ships, jeepneys, buses, tricycles, taxicabs, trains, light rail transits and similar vehicles.
According to the DOH 4-A, while the Presidential directive also underscores that “public health takes precedence
over any commercial or business interest,” many Filipinos, especially among the government workers, are guilty of not
complying with the EO. In an interview, DOH Senior Health Program Officer Maria Theresa Malubag said that
they were intensifying awareness and consciousness among the local health workers so they could help smokers quit
smoking and avert other individuals from being tempted to be lured into smoking. Malubag explained that their
tobacco intervention program includes requesting patients to be diagnosed of certain illnesses or diseases to also respond
to medical practitioners’ inquiries on their smoking history and those of the family members’ smoking background.
She said those undergoing the Brief Tobacco Intervention and Smoking Cessation Program are given self-help
materials and professional medical advice and counseling provided by health institutions in their localities. She
added that this program is a step towards gradual purging of the smoking habit and averting addiction of the smokers to
the tobacco products, thus lowering the number of tobacco dependents in the province, in particular and the country, in
general. Meanwhile, Dr. Marilou Espiritu, DOH 4-A Medical Officer III for the Health and Wellness Program,
also presented the “Briefer on Intervention to Nicotine Addiction and Essential Intervention Program. She also
informed local health workers here on the ill effects of smoking through the “Three Links of Tobacco Dependence,”
namely biological , psychological and socio-cultural dependence. (PNA)

Solid Waste Management

Management of solid wastes in the Philippines has long been a responsibility of the Local Government Units in the
country since the enactment of Republic Act 9003 also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2002. In
support to the local government of Batangas City, this study was conducted to propose a plan of action that will enhance
the level of implementation of solid waste management in the city, lessen the harmful effects to the environment and
health of the people and find solutions to problems encountered in its implementation . The descriptive survey method
was used with 204 respondents taken by stratified sampling from selected 69 barangays. A Likert scale instrument was
used to measure the level of implementation of solid waste management practices of the residents and the problems
encountered by the residents in the implementation of solid waste management practices. A checklist determine the effects
of the implementation of solid waste management practices to the environment and health of the people Data analysis
made use of frequency distribution, weighted mean and ANOVA. From the findings gathered on the level of
implementation of solid waste management and the observed effects to the environment and health of the people including
the problems encountered in its implementation, a plan of action was proposed with the hope of enhancing the level of
implementation of solid waste management thereby lessening its harmful effects and problems to health and environment.

Burning
The City hereby adopts the following regulation on the use of plastic and Styrofoam materials for packaging in all
business transactions within the City. The use of plastic bags as packaging materials for dry goods is prohibited. All
business establishments shall pack dry good products in biodegradable materials such as recycled product carton boxes
and paper bags. Dry goods maybe packed in plastic bags or non-biodegradable packing materials provided that
such packing materials were supplied by the costumers. The use of plastic bags on wet goods (e.g. fresh fish.,
meat products) is regulated. Plastic bags maybe used for such products as a primary packaging material. No
business establishment shall offer or sell plastic bags to be used as secondary packaging material or as primary packaging
on dry goods. The use of Styrofoam as packaging materials or as containers for food, fruits and vegetables containers is
also prohibited. Plastic bags and Styrofoam containers are hereby de-categorized under non-biodegradable wastes
and hence shall not be collected during the collection schedule for non-biodegradable waste products under the regular
Solid Waste Collection program. These waste materials shall be surrendered to their respective barangay MRF provided
that these materials must be cleaned and dried prior to its turn over to the Barangay. The City ENRO shall monitor
the effective implementation of the banning of plastic after six months of massive information campaign and coordination
with affected business establishments. Gradual implementation of banning of use of plastic materials shall be observed on
following stages; Stage 1 (6 months from approval of this E-code) – Implementation shall cover Market 1, 2, 3 and
all local government institution and all enterprises within its premises. Stage 2 (8 months from approval of this E-code)
– Implementation shall cover all educational institutions. Stage 3 (2 years from approval of this E-code) –
Implementation shall cover all business enterprises within Urban Areas of the City. Stage 4 (3 years from approval
of this E-code) – Full implementation of the banning of use of Styrofoam and non-environmentally accepted and thin
plastic materials. Information Education and Communication Campaign - The City shall promote this regulation
though the conduct of massive information education and communication campaign using media (print, radio, television
and internet) for six month upon approval and effectivity of this code. Section 85. Prohibited and Punishable Acts
a) All business establishments and/or individuals are prohibited from selling and providing plastic bags to customers as
secondary packaging materials on wet goods; selling and providing plastic bags to customers as packaging material on dry
goods; selling and providing Styrofoam as containers; and disposing plastic wastes. b) Littering, throwing, dumping of
waste materials in public places, such as roads, sidewalks, canals, esteros or parks, and other establishments within the
city; c) Collecting, operating or transporting of equipment or any undertakings in violation of sanitation operation in the
City; d) The burning of solid waste in any open areas within the City; e) Disposal of biodegradable and non-
biodegradable materials (plastics and other litter in rivers such as Calumpang river and other river system within the city
of Batangas; f) Uncontrolled dumping of wastes along the bay’s shoreline and coastal waters ; g) Dumping of plastic
materials fishing nets and lines, packing bands, straps, synthetic ropes, plastic bags bottle sheets and other containers and
even medical equipment in all coastal barangays; h) Dumping of waste materials that would pollute Verde Island.(i)
Illegal disposal of domestic waste into vacant residential or commercial lot. j) Collection of non-segregated or unsorted
wastes for both hospital, commercial, industrial and domestic waste in the City (k) Open dumping, burying of
biodegradable or non-biodegradable materials in frequently flooded prone areas particularly in Kumintang Ibaba, Sta.
Rita, BSU site and public market; l) Unauthorized removal of recyclable material intended for collection by authorized
persons; m) The mixing of source-separated recyclable material with other solid waste in any vehicle, box, container or
receptacle used in solid waste collection or disposal; n) The manufacture, distribution or use of non-environmentally
acceptable packaging materials. o) Importation of consumer products packaged in non-environmentally acceptable
materials; p) Importation of all toxic wastes, with or without the “recyclable” or “with recyclable content”; q) Transport
and dump log in bulk of collected domestic, industrial, commercial, and institutional wastes in areas other than centers or
facilities prescribe under this Act; r) Site preparation, construction, expansion or operation of waste management
facilities without an Environmental Compliance Certificate required pursuant to Presidential Decree No. 1586 and this
Act and not conforming with the land use plan of Batangas City; s) Squatting within the San Jose Sico controlled dump
site and decommissioned dump site in Brgy Tingga Labac is prohibited. t) The construction or operation of landfills or
any waste disposal facility or any aquifer, groundwater reservoir or watershed area and/or any portion thereof.

Section 86. Fines and Penalties

Violation of Article XII Section 85 on prohibited and punishable acts under this code shall be penalized as follows:

First offense: Php 500.00 fine

Second offense: Php 1,000.00 fine

Third offense and each succeeding offense Php 1,500.00 fine and/or imprisonment of not more than six (6) months
upon the discretion of the court. In addition to the imposition of fines and penalties on individual violators, in the case of
business establishments, Php1,500.00 for the first offense, Php5,000.00 for the second offense and cancellation of their
license to operate and/or closure for a period of one year.

Climate change, agriculture, and food security

Recently 60 delegates from 22 Asian countries took part in a workshop organized by the United Nations in Manila to map
out national adaptation plans or NAPs, which are the main vehicles of countries for climate change adaptation including
accessing climate finance. This is quite significant in the wake of US President Donald Trump’s withdrawal of America
from the Paris Agreement, which binds countries to fight climate change and adapt to its effects, with enhanced support to
assist developing countries to do so. Sunlight, temperature and rainfall are the main drivers of crop production; hence,
agriculture is directly affected by climate change. But it should also be noted that agriculture also affects climate change
as it is responsible for about one-third of greenhouse gas emissions, a major cause of global warming. About 25 percent of
carbon dioxide emissions are produced by human practices, mainly deforestation, use of fossil-fuel-based fertilizers, and
burning of plant materials. Likewise, most of the methane in the atmosphere comes from livestock, forest fires, irrigated
rice cultivation, and waste products. Combating climate change is one of the biggest challenges
facing humanity in the 21st century. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) foresees that throughout the century, climate change impacts will slow down economic
growth, make poverty reduction more difficult, further erode food security, and prolong existing poverty traps and create
new ones. For major crops like rice, corn and wheat, climate change without adaptation is projected to reduce
production when the temperature increases by 2 degrees Centigrade. All aspects of food security are potentially affected
by climate change, including food access, utilization, and price stability. Likewise, the IPCC reports that due to the sea-
level rise projected throughout the century and beyond, coastal systems and low-lying areas will increasingly experience
adverse impacts such as submergence, coastal flooding, and coastal erosion. The UN recently projected that up to a
quarter of global food production could be lost by 2050 due to the combined impact of climate change, land degradation
and water scarcity. At the same time, the global population is projected to increase to about 9.5 billion. In the Philippines,
the major impacts of climate change are sea-level rise due to rising temperatures; more frequent and intense floods;
stronger and more frequent typhoons causing landslides and flooding of coastal areas; and longer and more intense
droughts with more El Niño episodes. In order to guarantee food security, agriculture must adapt to yield reductions from
floods, droughts and rising temperatures, and at the same time address its contributions to climate change. Current
agricultural practices require large amounts of oil to produce the chemical fertilizers necessary to grow crops, run the
factories that process grain into packaged foods, and fuel trucks and airplanes to transport food across the world. This
gives impetus to the generation and application of innovations generally dubbed as “climate-smart agriculture.” The Food
and Agriculture Organization defines climate-smart agriculture as an approach that guides actions needed to transform and
reorient agricultural systems to effectively support development and ensure food security in a changing climate.
According to the World Bank, climate-smart agriculture seeks to increase sustainable productivity, strengthen farmers’
resilience, reduce agriculture’s greenhouse gas emissions, and increase carbon sequestration. It strengthens food security
and delivers environmental benefits. Climate-smart agriculture includes proven practices such as conservation
agriculture, intercropping, crop rotation, integrated crop-livestock management, agroforestry, water management, better
weather forecasting, more resilient food crops, and risk insurance. In countries where the economy is heavily based on
agriculture, such as the Philippines, modernizing agriculture is the most efficient poverty-reduction measure. Yet
agricultural expansion for food production and economic development come at the expense of soil, water and biodiversity
conflicting with other global and national goals. Food insecurity is caused by a combination of factors resulting in
dramatic increases in food price and food scarcity. The causes of food insecurity are multiple, but a major factor is climate
change, most notably the adverse weather events that have diminished grain stocks and led to greater price uncertainty.
These trends show no signs of abating, and it seems very likely that in the future, climate change will increasingly
diminish food security and widen the gap between the rich and the poor. Preventing a deepening food crisis and lessening
the potential for wider social and geopolitical unrest will require swift action and strong political will to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions. It will also require policies to protect the millions of people facing poverty and hunger, and
changes to agricultural practices worldwide. Climate change is here, and the situation is urgent. Human activities are
loading our atmosphere with heat-trapping gases. The disruption of our planet’s climate system is inflicting serious
damage on human, animal, aquatic and plant life. Heat waves, forest fires, and floods are intensifying. The sea level is
rising and will continue to do so in the future. The Philippines and the world need concerted action to widen the
narrowing path toward climate change adaptation and mitigation for sustained food security. Dr. Rex L. Navarro is
a member of the Coalition for Agriculture Modernization of the Philippines and a former director of strategic marketing
and communication, International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics in Andre Pradesh, India. Top of
Form A local power-generating company has focused on growing its resources to further its goal of providing clean
energy to Filipinos. In an episode of ANC's Green Living, First Gen Corp featured its use of renewable energy, instead of
traditional coal, to generate electricity. A subsidiary of the First Philippine Holdings Corp (FPH), one of the oldest and
biggest conglomerates in the country, First Gen shared its use of diverse renewable energy sources that include natural
gas, geothermal, hydro, wind, and solar. Situated in various municipalities in Batangas City, the First Gen Clean Energy
Complex serves as a home to the first large green energy and power-generating company in the Philippines. "We focus on
technologies that have low carbon, are low polluting, including what we have here (in First Gen complex) which is natural
gas, and also renewable energy like geothermal," said Francis Giles Puno, president of First Gen. Energy Development
Corporation (EDC), located in Leyte Geothermal Field, is also in charge of one of First Gen's geothermal power
plants. EDC is only Philippine firm in Carbon Clean 200 It is known as the Philippine's largest generator of geothermal
energy, and is the world's largest vertically-integrated geothermal company. According to Puno, EDC generates over
1,100 megawatts of geothermal capacity. Despite being a third world country, Puno said that the Philippines is "world
famous" for its geothermal operations. "Geothermal is a great source of renewable energy. It competes against coal today,
already," he said. To date, First Gen's operations are capable of supplying electricity to one out of five light bulbs in
every Filipino home.

Global Warming: News, Facts, Causes &

Effects
Global warming is the term used to describe a gradual increase in the average temperature of the Earth's atmosphere
and its oceans, a change that is believed to be permanently changing the Earth’s climate. There is great debate
among many people, and sometimes in the news, on whether global warming is real (some call it a hoax). But
climate scientists looking at the data and facts agree the planet is warming. While many view the effects of global
warming to be more substantial and more rapidly occurring than others do, the scientific consensus on climatic
changes related to global warming is that the average temperature of the Earth has risen between 0.4 and 0.8 °C over
the past 100 years. The increased volumes of carbon dioxide e and other greenhouse gases released by the burning
of fossil fuels, land clearing, agriculture, and other human activities, are believed to be the primary sources of the
global warming that has occurred over the past 50 years. Scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate
carrying out global warming research have recently predicted that average global temperatures could increase
between 1.4 and 5.8 °C by the year 2100. Changes resulting from global warming may include rising sea levels due
to the melting of the polar ice caps, as well as an increase in occurrence and severity of storms and other severe
weather events.

Save on Electricity and Fuel

1. Save Power by Unplugging Appliances that are not in use
An unplugged electrical appliance or equipment still uses 25% of its usual power consumption. This act not only
helps save on electricity, it also gives you some financial savings.
2. Use Natural Lighting Whenever Possible, Close all the Lights that are not in use.
There are many establishments that pay a lot to install blinds, tints, shades, only to spend a lot again on lighting.
Why not use natural light by installing clear windows, instead? Saves on power, saves on costs, and allows you to
get a feel of the outside world even when you are ensconced in your office.
3. Whenever Possible, Walk.
Walking (or biking) gives multitude of benefits – it saves on fuel, it does not give you stress from traffic, does not
give you headache on finding the perfect parking slot (and remembering where it is!), and is good for your health.
4. Save Paper by Printing Only When Necessary.
A ton of paper helps preserve approximately 17 full grown trees. How much paper have you used lately? See the
flash floods in the news? It might be because of all the paper you have printed on!
5. Separate Your Waste.
Studies show that a significant portion of solid waste are food waste which can be composted. Aside from this, there
are also environmental groups who collect batteries, used cellphones, and the like for proper disposal.
6. Use your own Personal Cups and Tumblers Instead of Plastic Cups.
Plastic cups take a loooong time to completely degrade (if they ever do), and while they are so convenient to use,
they are really not helpful in preserving the earth. Besides, a Starbucks mug or tumbler is much more fashionable to
use.
7. Whenever Possible, use Surface Water Instead of Deep wells.
Deep wells are only used when there is no surface water available. There is a logic to this, and it is because
exhausted aquifers will replenish only less than one meter per year, that is, if there was space for it to absorb runoffs.
In a much urbanized city where every inch of earth has been covered by concrete, therefore blocking any possibility
of absorption, this regeneration rate is close to nil.
8. Always Turn off the Faucet When not in use.
Didn’t Mommy always tell you to turn off the faucet when brushing your teeth? Leaving the faucet running for one
minute alone amounts to about 9 liters of wasted water. That is not only an utter waste of precious resource, it also
jacks up your water bill.
9. Always Check Your Faucets for Leaks or Drips.
Think of a water leak as an ever-running faucet. A small water leak could waste as much as 90 liters of water a
week. If you can afford it and if your home’s design permits it, better expose all your water pipes for easy leak
detection in the future.
10. At Least Once in Your Life, Plant a Tree.
Many flash floods happen as a result of denudation. Just think about it – all the metropolis and central business
districts used to be filled with trees in the past, then urbanization happened. Trees improve water quality because
they slow and filter rainwater, they also protect aquifers and watersheds, and most of all, they provide shade, making
the immediate effects of global warming tolerable.
Global warming and climate change are both real. And just like everything else that is happening in the world, we
can all be parts of the solution. One tiny step lead is very significant towards the ultimate goal. You matter!

Greenhouse Gas Emissions Factsheet:

Philippines
NOVEMBER 2016

This factsheet provides information on 2012 greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in the Philippines. Included is an
overview of emissions by sector, changes in emissions, information on carbon intensity, as well as climate change
mitigation targets and plans. The Philippines total GHG emissions in 2012 were 157.6 million metric tons of carbon
dioxide equivalent (MtCO2e), totaling 0.33 percent of global GHG emissions. In the Philippines, 54 percent of GHG
emissions came from the energy sector, followed by the agriculture, industrial processes, waste, and land-use change
and forestry sectors which contributed 33 percent, 8 percent, 7 percent and -1 percent respectively to GHG
emissions. GHG emissions in the Philippines increased 53 percent between 1990 and 2012. The Philippines’ GDP
increased by 134 percent in the same time period, indicating that GDP was growing faster than GHG emissions.
Despite GDP growing faster than GHG emissions, in 2012, GHG emissions relative to GDP were higher than the
world average, indicating potential for improvement. In 2010, the Philippines Climate Change Commission (CCC)
formulated the 2010-2022 National Framework Strategy on Climate Change which identified a long-term mitigation
objective of facilitating the transition towards low GHG emissions for sustainable development. Greenhouse gas
(GHG) emission in the Philippines is set for “dramatic increases” unless a proactive approach to mitigation is taken,
according to a report of the Asian Development Bank The ADB’s 89-page report, “Pathways to Low-Carbon
Development for the Philippines,” finds that without actions to mitigate climate change, GHG emissions from the
sectors of transportation, power generation and household electricity may rise by six times between 2015 and 2050.
The ADB said that, on the other hand, a limited number of options in these sectors have the potential to dramatically
reduce emissions, with nearly a 70-percent reduction by 2050 .“When the fact that many of these options have
substantial co-benefits is considered, this suggests that the Philippines has much to gain from a low-carbon path,” the
bank said. “It also suggests that the country may be an efficient object of carbon finance were international carbon
markets to emerge from the Paris Agreement or as an object of international assistance,” the ADB added, referring to
an international pact to limit global warming to below 2 degrees from pre-industrial level. The multilateral lender
said that, in the Philippines, most of the mitigation potential were seen in low-carbon electricity generation in the
power sector. “In the medium term, this study finds substantial potential for abatement from renewables using
current technologies, while in the longer term, more advanced technologies are likely to be needed to continue low-
carbon growth of the energy mix,” the ADB said. In the power generation sector, ADB finds that current policies
provide many of the elements needed to promote increased generation from renewables and other low-carbon
sources. But the bank also finds that implementation can be extended and augmented with a greater array of
complementary measures like facilitative infrastructure and altered contracting arrangements.