ADB Promoting Cleaner Production in Philippines

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (7 October 2002) - ADB has agreed to provide a US$400,00 technical assistance (TA) grant to the Philippines to adopt and develop cleaner production practices for industry.

The TA, for the Promotion of Cleaner Production, will assist the Government in developing strategies and guidelines to accelerate cleaner production, and conduct pilot tests and training.

The total cost of the TA project is $775,000 and the Government of Spain will provide 300,000 and the Government of Norway $75,000.

With industrialization and population growth, the Philippines has suffered increasing environmental degradation.

A major source of pollution, as in many other Asian developing countries, is industry. Cleaner production policies and practices can eliminate much of this pollution while increasing efficiency and productivity.

Cleaner production involves using a wide range of integrated strategies to increase efficiency of resource use, and cutting back on waste and pollution at source.

The project will:

• develop guidelines for industries to adopt cleaner production practices, and help identify cost-effective technologies
• provide training and demonstration programs to small and medium scale enterprises
• prepare a business plan for the Philippine Department of Science and Technology to promote cleaner production.

Training programs will improve the capacity of government, industry, and banks to promote cleaner production. The project will also design technical manuals and prepare study tours.

The project will run for one year to October 2003.

The full TA report can be read here.