Mayor Lucilo R. Bayron welcomed Dr. Won-Tae Shin, Regional Project Manager of the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA), during a courtesy call on September 17, 2026, at the City Mayor’s Office.
Accompanied by City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Atty. Carlo Gomez, Dr. Shin discussed the implementation of the MOF/PEMSEA ODA Project on Reducing Marine Plastics in the East Asian Seas Region, which includes Puerto Princesa as one of six pilot sites in the Philippines.
Funded by the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries of the Republic of Korea and implemented by PEMSEA, the project runs from 2023 to 2028 and covers 10 pilot sites in the Philippines and Timor-Leste. It aims to reduce marine plastic pollution by strengthening local waste management, promoting recycling and innovative solutions, conducting marine litter monitoring, and building community awareness.
During the meeting, Mayor Bayron emphasized the importance of addressing the city’s growing plastic waste problem, particularly the volume of plastics reaching the sanitary landfill. He welcomed PEMSEA’s technical assistance and continued collaboration with the City ENRO in developing more effective waste segregation and plastic management solutions.
“We are very happy with this partnership, and we would like to continue it. This is a big help for us,” Mayor Bayron said.
Dr. Shin likewise expressed PEMSEA’s commitment to working closely with the City Government and City ENRO to identify practical solutions and support the sustainable implementation of the project.
“We will do our best to support the City ENRO and work closely with them to find better solutions,” Dr. Shin said.
The meeting also covered the proposed Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between PEMSEA and the City Government, as well as the next steps for project implementation.
The partnership forms part of the City Government’s continuing efforts to strengthen solid waste management and protect Puerto Princesa’s marine environment.
