(Final installment)
THIS IS the final installment of the ten-point recommendations forwarded by Kabiling Lunhaw, Rising Alliance of Youth for Transformation (formerly Angat GenC)-Bohol, Greenpeace Philippines-Bohol Volunteers Local Group, and the Holy Name University Students’ Movement for Climate Action.
VI. Strengthen Climate Accountability through Greenhouse Gas Inventories and Climate-Risk Screening
Recommendation: Adding to Section 137: The City Government shall develop, maintain, and periodically update a greenhouse gas emissions inventory covering City Government operations and, subject to the availability of data and applicable methodologies, community-wide emissions within the City’s territorial jurisdiction.
The inventory shall serve as a basis for establishing measurable greenhouse gas mitigation targets, identifying priority emission sources, evaluating mitigation interventions, and monitoring progress consistent with the City’s Local Climate Change Action Plan and applicable national climate policies.
The Code could further add after Section 198:
Section __. Climate And Disaster Risk Screening. – Major City-funded infrastructure, development projects, and other investments with significant long-term environmental or land-use implications shall undergo climate and disaster risk screening during planning and design.
Such screening shall consider, where relevant, projected changes in rainfall, flooding, extreme heat, drought, sea-level rise, storm surge, water availability, and other climate-related hazards over the project’s expected useful life.
Incorporate appropriate adaptation, nature-based, risk-reduction, and resilience measures into project design whenever technically feasible and appropriate.
VII. Integrate Environmental Health
Recommendation: Add a new section: Section __. Environmental Health. – The City recognizes that environmental conditions are determinants of human health and well-being.
Environmental protection and management under this Code shall therefore consider impacts upon physical, mental, and community health, particularly those associated with air and water pollution, sanitation, waste, excessive noise, extreme heat, flooding, vector-borne and waterborne diseases, food and water safety, and access to healthy green and public spaces.
The TCEMO, in coordination with the Tagbilaran City Primary Care Facility and other concerned offices and institutions, shall develop mechanisms for environmental health surveillance, risk communication, research, and preventive interventions.
Give special consideration to populations disproportionately vulnerable to environmental hazards, including children, older persons, persons with disabilities, outdoor workers, low-income households, and communities exposed to recurrent flooding, extreme heat, pollution, or other environmental risks.
VIII. Strengthen Environmental Justice from Definition to Operative Principle
Recommendation: Add an operative provision immediately following that definition or under the participatory-governance provisions:
Section . Environmental Justice and Equitable Protection. – In implementing this Code, the City shall endeavor to prevent the disproportionate concentration of pollution, environmental degradation, climate risks, waste facilities, hazardous activities, or other environmental burdens upon vulnerable and marginalized communities.
Major environmental programs, facilities, development interventions, and climate adaptation measures shall, where applicable, consider the distribution of environmental benefits and burdens among affected communities.
Persons and communities materially affected by proposed actions shall be provided reasonable access to relevant environmental information and meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making consistent with applicable law.
IX. Expand Solid Waste Management toward Waste Prevention and a Circular Economy
Recommendation: Add a provision after Section 27 that may read:
Section . Waste Prevention And Circular Economy. – The City shall promote a circular economy and apply the waste-management hierarchy by prioritizing, in order of preference, the prevention and reduction of waste generation; reuse, refill, repair, and repurposing; recycling and composting; recovery where environmentally appropriate; and safe disposal as a last resort.
City Government offices, facilities, barangays, City-funded programs, and events shall progressively adopt environmentally preferable procurement and consumption practices, including the avoidance of unnecessary single-use products, promotion of reusable and refillable systems, procurement of durable and repairable goods, and preference for products with reduced packaging and recycled content where technically and economically feasible.
The City shall encourage public markets, commercial establishments, institutions, schools, food establishments, and other appropriate sectors to develop sector-specific waste-prevention, reuse, refill, recovery, and circular-economy programs.
The City shall recognize and, where appropriate, support junk shops, recyclers, waste workers, community enterprises, and other actors contributing to material recovery and the circular economy, including through appropriate accreditation, occupational safety measures, capacity-building, and partnerships.
X. Reconsider TCEMO’s Mandate to “Promote” Small-Scale Mining
Finally, we respectfully call attention to Section 8(b)(13), which includes among TCEMO’s functions the promotion of “small-scale mining and utilization of mineral resources, particularly mining of gold.”
Recommendation: Replace the provision with 13. Coordinate, monitor, and provide appropriate environmental oversight over mineral-resource extraction and related activities, if any, within the City’s territorial jurisdiction, consistent with applicable national laws, permits, environmental safeguards, rehabilitation requirements, and the principles of sustainable development and ecological integrity under this Code.
I’m glad to offer our Gen Z leaders a platform to share their voice and vital contributions to the city’s Revised Environmental Management Code.
Go #GenZ!
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The author owns and manages Belinda Communications Consulting. You can reach us via email at belca.87@gmail.com. Engage with us on X @ShilohRuthie./PN
