TACLOBAN CITY – In a bid to promote environmental responsibility while rewarding eco-friendly habits, Naval town Mayor Gretchen Stephanie Espina has launched the “RESIKLO sa Empleyado” program — an innovative waste-to-reward initiative that transforms soft plastic waste into useful products and incentives for local government employees.
The pilot program, unveiled this week, encourages employees of the municipal government of Naval to collect and trade kilos of soft plastic at the newly established Resiklo Hub.
In return, participants earn points that can be redeemed for essential goods such as clothing, school supplies, and grocery items.
Collected plastics will be repurposed into durable school chairs for identified beneficiary schools in the municipality.
According to the Mayor’s Office, “RESIKLO sa Empleyado” is a 2.0 version of the town’s earlier RESIKLO campaign, which successfully engaged households in plastic waste collection.
The latest phase focuses on institutional participation, starting with public sector workers, to gauge engagement levels and plastic recovery rates before rolling out the program to the wider community.
“This initiative proves that environmental protection, the circular economy, and social benefits can work together,” Mayor Espina said, adding that Naval aims to set a model for other municipalities in Leyte and beyond.
If successful, the program could serve as a blueprint for LGUs seeking to reduce plastic pollution while delivering tangible benefits to constituents.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
