Strengthening Partnerships for a Circular and Waste-Free Palawan

Puerto Princesa City, Palawan – 13 August 2025 – Eco Kolek continues to strengthen its partnerships with local government units and regional organizations in advancing inclusive and community-driven circular economy solutions.

One of the recent milestones was a collaboration with the Municipal Government of Kalayaan, Palawan, which resulted in the diversion of another batch of over 100 sacks of recyclables from the island municipality. These materials, collected from households and establishments in Kalayaan, were shipped to Puerto Princesa and received by Eco Kolek through its Eco Warriors.

At the Circular Economy Learning Hub, the recyclables were sorted, repacked, and consolidated for marketing and resale to partner junk shops — ensuring that valuable materials are reintegrated into the circular economy rather than ending up in landfills or the ocean.

Alongside this special partnership, Eco Warriors in Puerto Princesa continue their daily collection and recovery operations, gathering recyclables from barangays, households, and businesses. These ongoing efforts demonstrate the vital role of Eco Warriors as frontline champions of the city’s circular economy — linking communities to formal recycling markets while generating inclusive livelihoods.

Equally significant is the continuous partnership with Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), which has been instrumental in supporting Eco Kolek’s collection operations. PEMSEA’s collaboration strengthens Eco Kolek’s capacity to optimize logistics, expand recovery efforts, and demonstrate how localized models contribute to regional marine litter reduction strategies.

This milestone is a clear example of how partnerships between LGUs, grassroots communities, and regional organizations like PEMSEA can transform challenges in waste collection into opportunities for inclusion and sustainability. By bridging isolated island municipalities like Kalayaan with Puerto Princesa’s recycling ecosystem, we are proving that circular economy solutions are possible even in hard-to-reach contexts.

Moving forward, Eco Kolek will continue to expand these collaborative pathways — working with barangays, island LGUs, private sector allies, and regional networks to scale circular innovations across Palawan.

Together, we are building a just, inclusive, and climate-resilient circular economy — one sack of recyclables, one Eco Warrior, and one community at a time.