While there exists a law banning incineration in the Philippines, this has not stopped the incineration and the plastic industries, international financing institutions (IFI) like the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and Japan International International Cooperation (JICA), the national government, and some local government units push for waste incineration and its many forms to “manage” the waste crisis.
Civil society organizations have not stopped campaigning against incineration through policy and lobby work and media engagement. While there is an appreciation among environment journalists on the issue, what is lacking is media engagement with economic reporters who write about “development” projects especially those coming from the ADB.
This media fellowship is developed to gather economic and environmental journalists to explore the issue of waste incineration and how it would affect the Philippine economy.
Danessa Rivera, The Philippine Star
WTE: Boon or Bane (Part 1), WTE: Boon or Bane (Part 2)
Maria Bernadette Romero, Daily Tribune
Find better solution than incineration
Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News
Part 3: Trash endgame: Can recycling solve PH’s plastic woes?
Israelbelle Ferolino, Now You Know
Exposure to ubiquitous plastic harms reproductive development and shrinks human penis