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PCHRSD-IPIL capacitates market vendors through circular economy orientation and FGD

by IPIL | Jul 31 2025

On July 21, 2025, the Policy Center for Human Rights and Sustainable Development (PCHRSD) of the Institute for Policy Innovation and Leadership (IPIL) conducted an orientation and focus group discussion on circular economy among the vendors in the Tambo Market, Iligan City, held at the Cooperative Development and Livelihood Office (CDLO) Hall, Tambo Terminal, Iligan City.

This undertaking is under the approved extension project “From Waste to Wealth: Transforming the Tambo Market Vendors Through Circular Economy’, which aims to promote sustainable waste management practices and economic empowerment at the grassroots level. The activity was participated in by select vendors from various sections of the market. 

Prof. Maria Pia Sison, Project Leader and Head of the PCHRSD-IPIL, introduced the discussion on the project’s objectives and the rationale behind embracing circular economy principles. She explained how the initiative aims to benefit the vendors directly by addressing waste management challenges at the Tambo Market. Prof. Sison also presented the findings from the needs assessment survey conducted by the project team last April and May 2025, which revealed that many vendors face difficulties in waste management but are keen to learn more about segregation, upcycling, and proper collection systems. 

To address these knowledge gaps, the event featured a series of lectures from experts in the field. Prof. Joshua Zoleta of the College of Engineering opened the discussion with a talk on waste segregation, highlighting best practices from Japan’s advanced waste management system.  This was followed by JD Maria Estrella Bramida of the Iligan City Environment and Natural Resources Office (ICENRO), who gave practical examples of upcycling tailored to the Tambo Market setting. Meanwhile, Engr. Loina Romanillos of the Economic and Enterprise Development Management Office (EEDMO) focused on efficient waste collection systems, underscoring the importance of proper waste segregation and the role of the EEDMO in facilitating collection of waste. 

Following the lectures was a Focus Group Discussion (FGD) designed to validate and expand upon the earlier survey findings. The vendors were grouped according to their market sections: Orange section (flowers and miscellaneous), Yellow section (dry goods), Red section (meat, grains, eggs, and eatery), Blue section (fish and seafood), and Green section (vegetables and spices). Each group tackled specific issues related to their waste generation and proposed actionable strategies to improve waste management in their section. 

The FGD was facilitated by Ms. Bainorah Amate, Ms. Rholaisa Mamailao, Ms. Hazel May Sevilla, Ms. Loverly Nova Yanez, and Mr. Xeanne Brixe Malimas.  Through interactive sessions such as problem tree analysis and solution mapping, the participants identified both shared and unique challenges, as well as potential collaborative solutions. 

LGU Iligan also donated a set of trash bins to the project, strengthening the unit’s commitment to promote sustainability in the city. 

This initiative also serves not only as a kick-off for the project but also as an opportunity for future engagements, and aims to empower the vendors to perceive waste not as a burden but as a potential resource through the adoption of circular economy practices to address the issue of waste management and help the vendors unlock livelihood opportunities.

The project team plans to conduct follow-up activities, including training sessions and market-level interventions, to ensure that the vendors are fully equipped to apply circular economy principles in their daily operations. 

This project, in collaboration with the LGU Iligan, local stakeholders, and market vendors, offers a hopeful model of how sustainability can be both practical and profitable.

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