THE Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), together with other government agencies, and the Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development (PCEPSDI), signed a memorandum of understanding for the Implementation of Green Public Procurement.
This project aims to develop the knowledge and skills of government offices on Green Procurement, integrate the green public procurement policy model to existing government procurement programs, and develop guidelines among procurement entities in the establishment of their green procurement programs.
As head of the National Ecolabelling Program (NELP), DTI was included in the pilot batch of agencies which will undergo institutional capacity-building and preparation for the Green Procurement Program.
Other government agencies which signed the MOU to join the pilot batch of the Green Procurement Program are: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA), and Quezon City Government.
The project is a joint effort by the PCEPSDI, the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) and the International Green Purchasing Network (IGPN) based in Tokyo, Japan. These agencies will provide the capacity-building and technical assistance in the implementation of the project.
DTI Undersecretary Zenaida Maglaya urged her fellow government officials to support green procurement.
“Let’s create a demand to encourage manufacturers to produce more green products,” she said.
Presidential Adviser for Environmental Protection Neric Acosta asked other government offices to come up with ways to reduce environmental impact of its operations.
“It’s our way of life. We need to green our practices so we can have a better future. We must break away from consuming too much,” Acosta said.
The training for the pilot batch will run for five months and the technical meetings on the project started this month. According to PCEPSDI executive director June Alvarez, once the pilot project is successfully implemented, it will be replicated in other agencies by batch.
The Green Procurement Program (GPP) was established through Executive Order 301 in March 2004, which mandates the executive branch of government to create an eco-friendly supply chain. The implementation of GPP is expected to jump start the demand for green products, at least for government procuring entities. [PNA]
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