Greater sharing of best practices and technical expertise needed to help Philippine cities fight climate change

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Cities in the Philippines need help when it comes to technical expertise and guidance so they can come up with energy plans that will help them fight climate change and also improve the lives of their citizens, according to WWF-Philippines.

“Because we are still a developing country, we have many challenges such as lack of technical expertise, insufficient manpower and resources, and limited budgets of local government units (LGUs). Despite these hurdles, we are moving forward and coming up with solutions using what little we have and that includes the sharing of knowledge and expertise,” said Cheerylyn S. Agot, WWF-Philippines’ manager for the Financing and Integrating Renewable Energy in the City of Butuan (FinRE-Butuan) project.

“FinRE-Butuan is the first project of its kind in the Philippines where we bring together the LGU, national government agencies, electric utilities, academic sector, chambers of commerce, civil-society organizations, and banks to work together in crafting and implementing grid-connected city energy plans which aims to help in the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy,” Agot said.

The over 300,000 population of Butuan City, located in the province of Agusan del Norte in northern Mindanao, suffered from power shortages back in 2014 prompting the local government to come up with their energy plans for the future.

The project in Butuan is ongoing and there is already a lot of interest from other cities on how they can also implement a similar project that will help them come up with their energy plan which will contribute to the country’s fight against climate change.

WWF-Philippines’ Climate Change and Energy Program Head Atty. Angela Ibay and Ms. Agot co-presented with Butuan City at two recent online conferences organized by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) on November 19 and the European Union’s (EU) Access to Sustainable Energy Program - Clean Energy Living Laboratories (ASAP-CELLs) on November 24. Both events were attended by over 100 representatives from LGUs, national gov’t agencies, electric cooperatives, academe, and civil society organizations.

The learnings and best practices of the FinRE-Butuan project which started in 2018 will be compiled into a guide handbook so that other local government units can gain an understanding of the process of transitioning to sustainable and green energy.

“The national policy is already in place in the form of the Renewable Energy Law and the National Renewable Energy Plan 2040 but how can we move forward in implementing plans in our cities so that our fight against climate change can reach more people and have a greater impact?” Ibay said.

“By helping the local governments identify the potential renewable energy resources in their locality, providing them with the step-by-step guide on how this can be developed, and connecting them with financiers or investors, cities can get started on their own path towards a climate-resilient future,” she added.

The FinRE-Butuan project, which is part of the International Climate Initiative, supported by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag, uses a two-pronged approach to helping the city transition away from fossil fuels: (1) lowering the electricity consumption of the city through energy efficiency and conservation measures and (2) developing renewable energy that reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These will be outlined and discussed in the proposed Butuan City Energy Development Plan.

GHGs are the primary drivers of global warming and they come from multiple sources such as fossil fuel-based power plants and from transportation. In the recently concluded United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) countries all over the world signed the Glasgow Climate Pact and pledged to reduce GHGs emissions in order to limit the change in global temperature to 1.5C.

The Philippine government submitted to the UN Climate Change Convention a pledge to reduce its GHG emissions by 75% for the period of 2020 to 2030 for the sectors of agriculture, wastes, industry, transport, and energy. However, out of the total 75% reduction, 72.29% is considered “conditional” meaning the government will require additional assistance such as funding while only 2.71% is “unconditional” meaning the government will do it regardless of external support.

“We need to work together to achieve our national plans and our international pledges,” Agot said. “On the global scale, the Philippines is not a major contributor of GHGs. But if we can take the lead in implementing these innovative solutions in cities, we can show the world that we can fight climate change and Change the Ending for the planet.”

“The pilot project to make renewable energy a major part of Butuan City will hopefully be a trailblazer for the other cities in the Philippines. We want everyone to see that cities are capable of joining the fight against climate change through planning, developing, and implementing their local energy development plans that incorporate renewable energy use, energy efficiency and conservation measures at the local level,” Agot said

Furries of Pawssion Project spends a howl-idate with Doggo, Nico Bolzico

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Here in the Philippines, Christmas festivities are not only for people — but for fur friends too. As home to approximately 109.6 million Filipinos and more than 12 million stray cats and dogs, local dog care brand Doggo is back with another initiative with Pawssion Project, a Philippine-based non-profit organization committed to rescue, rehabilitate, and rehome stray animals, just in time for the holidays.

Kicking off the Christmas Drive, Doggo ambassador and fur dad Nico Bolzico joined Doggo CEO Kurt Cheng and Pawssion Project founder Malou Perez for a full day of fun activities with the dogs in the shelter.

Photo B: Doggo CEO Kurt Cheng and Doggo ambassador Nico Bolzico give Keisha and Charlie a bath using Doggo Madre De Cacao Organic Shampoo and Organic Conditioner.

Photo C: Doggo CEO Kurt Cheng and Doggo ambassador Nico Bolzico work hard to feed tasty treats to over 230 doggos in the shelter.

In the true spirit of Christmas as the season of giving, Doggo gifted several gallons of Doggo Shampoo, Doggo bowls in various sizes, and Doggo collars to Pawssion Project in hopes to continue providing the essentials to create a better environment for the animals.

Additionally, a percentage of Doggo’s sales from 1L Doggo Jasmine Shampoo, 500ml Doggo Jasmine Shampoo, and Doggo collars will be given to Pawssion Project by the end of the year.

“We started Pawssion Project as a means to save dogs on death row and it eventually grew into an organization that aims to find a new home for our fur friends. These gifts from Doggo will help make their stay in the local shelter more comfortable while waiting to be adopted,” says Perez.

Photo D: Doggo CEO Kurt Cheng, Doggo ambassador Nico Bolzico, and Pawssion Project founder Malou Perez with Doggo products.

“We are always ready to lend a hand and share quality dog food and products to make the world a kinder place for animals to live in,” says Cheng. “Working with an organization who shares the same values, passion, and commitment as Doggo makes it easier for us to carry out our mission to help animals in need. We are looking forward to more initiatives with Pawssion Project in the years to come.”

This is not their first project with the local shelter — and definitely won’t be the last. Bound by their promise to build a healthier environment and better well-being for all pets, Doggo remains committed to continue partnering with Pawssion Project for all their CSR efforts. And the fact that Doggo was established just a year after the birth of Pawssion Project in 2018 makes this partnership all the more meaningful. With the shared goal of helping strays and neglected animals, both Doggo and Pawssion Project work together to make the much-needed change for the pet community.

For donations to Pawssion Project, interested individuals can visit Pawssion’s official website link. Those who want to purchase the Doggo products whose proceeds will go to Pawssion Project may purchase from Doggo’s official Lazada store at https://www.lazada.com.ph/shop/doggo.


About Doggo

Doggo is a proudly Filipino-owned dog brand that carries a full range of excellent quality dog products including tasty treats, toys, accessories, and grooming essentials that are curated and sourced from abroad. With hopes to make life easier for both the Filipino dog owners and their fur babies, Doggo offers the best quality products at the best price points.


Doggo is available online on Shopee, Lazada, GrabMart, and Pet Express. Follow @doggo_ph on Instagram and @doggophilippines on Facebook for updates.

SDCA Comm majors make it two in a row in video contests

Wazzup Pilipinas!

 

A group of third year Communication students from St. Dominic College of Asia (SDCA) made it to the shortlist of the 5th Rotary Public Service Announcement (PSA) Festival, a 30-second video making competition co-hosted by the Rotary Club of Circuit Makati (RCCM) with 24 other Rotary organizations.

The PSA “WI-HA” by Jhody Sacramento, Kristzen Joy Mendoza, Lourdes Mae De Gala, and CK Dela Cruz, collectively known as JKLC Production, is among the 35 semifinalists chosen out of 355 submissions received by RCCM from 27 different high schools and colleges all over the Philippines.

Last month, the same group barged into the finals of the Three Shots Film (3SF) festival organized by Media Underground or MUD Studios with their short film “Laruan.”  

For the fifth straight year, RCCM is holding the Rotary PSA Festival for amateur and student filmmakers. Five semifinalists were chosen for each of the seven Areas of Focus of Rotary International, namely Basic Education and Literacy, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Economic and Community Development, Maternal and Child Health, Peace and Conflict Prevention and Resolution, Supporting Environment, and Water and Sanitation. “WI-HA” falls under the last category.

Cameraperson and editor Mendoza, who currently serves as the president of the Association of Dominican Communicators, a student organization made up of SDCA Communication majors, stressed that drinking unclean water can cause serious health problems. “With this PSA, we want to remind everyone that we must be careful and aware of everything that we drink. Also, we should take action for people who don't have permanent homes and don't have enough sources of clean water,” she shared.

“We would also like to emphasize that when talking about water, we should not only concern ourselves with what we are drinking but also with our surroundings. Children along the streets are likely the first ones to be the victims as it is normal for their innocent age to play outdoors,” director De Gala added.

SDCA student Lara Mae Tamio previously placed third in RCCM’s annual video competition for her entry “Pasa Pasa” during the awards night held two years ago at Spotlight Theater, Circuit Makati.

Aside from Tamio, SDCA’s Anne Camacho, Bien De Guzman, Jasmin Claire De Guzman, and Jereen Tagle of Rinoa Productions also made it to the shortlist in 2019 with their two entries, “Basura Mo Kayamanan Ko” and “Tubig Para sa Kalusugan Natin.”

“As for our group, we've seen that water is one of the easily accessible resources here on our planet, but this comes with a price. Especially for those people who live in the streets or a community that is festering with contaminated water sources that they struggle to keep their essential well-being in check,” scriptwriter Dela Cruz explained.

After making it to the 3SF cut last November, Mendoza’s co-editor, cameraperson, and assistant director Sacramento revealed that they were not planning to shoot an entry for another contest. “It started with a stray kid we saw in front of our school’s drinking water fountain. Upon experiencing this situation, the deadline for submission of entries in Rotary PSA happened to be extended. This gave us the reason to push through with this concept,” she concluded.

“WI-HA” can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/aXu8CMsUbqM