Japan Turns Over Mobile Processing Facility, Plastic Melter, and Biogas Digester to Cotabato City

On 22 February 2024, the Embassy of Japan officially turned over a mobile processing facility equipped with a multi-purpose shredder and glass pulverizer, a plastic melter, and three bio-gas digesters to the Cotabato City government. This project forms part of the "Accelerating Nationally Determined Contributions through Circular Economy in Cities" initiative – a collaborative venture between the Government of Japan, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy (MENRE).
 
The Embassy’s Deputy Chief of Mission MATSUDA Kenichi, UNDP Philippines Deputy Resident Representative Edwine Carrie, and other Cotabato City LGU officials attended the turnover ceremony.  
 
In his remarks, Deputy Chief of Mission MATSUDA expressed confidence that the project will enhance Cotabato City’s capacity in waste management and encourage sustainable practices among its communities towards shifting to a circular economy. He likewise conveyed his hope for Cotabato City to become a success model that would inspire other cities to follow suit.
 
The "Accelerating Nationally Determined Contributions through Circular Economy in Cities" initiative focuses on implementing circular economy solutions in five cities: Pasig, Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan, and Cotabato through the provision of 290 million USD by the Government of Japan. This initiative provides co-benefits to the economy, job creation, and environment, and supports Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to enable and accelerate the Philippines’ transition to a circular economy.