The government is preparing a national plastics roadmap aimed at identifying gaps in waste-management programs, coordinating public and private-sector efforts, and guiding future investments as the country struggles with a growing plastic and garbage problem.
Environment Undersecretary Jonas Leones said Tuesday that national agencies, local governments and development partners are already implementing separate programs, but these need to be mapped to avoid duplication and determine where additional support is needed.
Speaking at the ASEAN Regional Dialogue for Circular Economy in Makati City, Leones said the roadmap is intended to serve as a blueprint for addressing the country’s waste problem by aligning policies, technologies, financing and development assistance.
He said development partners and donors were invited to identify areas where they can support projects that remain unfunded or have yet to be developed.
Leones cited the more than 200 truckloads of garbage washed into the Redemptorist Water Channel in Parañaque City during high tides and heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon as an example of the scale of the problem.
He said the government is studying additional policies and technologies that could complement existing waste-management measures, including successful practices used abroad and by local governments.
“We do not want to invent knowledge. What we need to do is just to look elsewhere, to look at good models and success stories in handling waste,” Leones said.
He added that there is no fixed timetable for resolving the garbage problem, as authorities still have to determine which policies and technologies are most appropriate for Philippine conditions.
Marco Gemmer, head of cooperation of the European Union Delegation to the Philippines, said the EU is also exploring ways to connect local investment and technology needs with European businesses.
Gemmer said these requirements could be presented to the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines and business chambers of EU member states to identify companies that may provide technology or investment.
Leones also said efforts to reduce single-use plastics would depend on the availability of alternatives that are both affordable and functional.
He noted that some communities, particularly in remote areas, continue to rely heavily on single-use plastics, making restrictions difficult to enforce without practical substitutes.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is also seeking to strengthen implementation of the Extended Producer Responsibility program, which requires covered companies to recover plastic packaging waste.
DENR Environmental Management Bureau Director Michael Drake Matias said around 1,059 entities are registered under the program, including more than 200 obliged enterprises, while smaller businesses may participate voluntarily.
Matias said the agency is working with producer responsibility organizations, recyclers, local governments, companies and civil society groups to improve waste recovery and data gathering.
In a video message, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said the shift to a circular economy must go beyond waste collection and include how resources are sourced, products are designed and used, and materials are kept in circulation for as long as possible.
Cuna said a circular economy could reduce pressure on natural resources, improve resilience to supply disruptions, encourage investment and innovation, and create new opportunities for businesses and workers.
He stressed that the transition would require cooperation among government, the private sector, development partners and communities.
The two-day ASEAN Regional Dialogue on Circular Economy opened in Makati City as part of the Philippines’ 2026 ASEAN chairship.
