The city government continues to incorporate the “Pansa-nopen Tayo” circular economy program into major public events to make the celebrations more meaningful and to advance the advocacy by encouraging responsible use of resources.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong said this is part of the city’s thrust to attain environmental sustainability through a circular economy which promotes responsible resource use and encourages communities to see materials not as waste but as resources that can be reused and transformed into useful or creative products.
The initiative to integrate circularity into its public celebrations started with the Baguio Flower Festival staging last February where the mayor broached the idea to make the month-long event an opportunity to raise awareness about the program among residents and visitors.
The Baguio Flower Festival Foundation Inc. (BFFFI) organizing committee then implemented a circular economy-based waste management and reduction system across all festival venues such as efficient waste collection, use of recyclable cutlery and filtered water instead of single use bottled water to help reduce plastic waste. A partnership venture was also adopted for an incentivized segregation at source and recyclable exchange program for the activities.
City Tourism Officer Aloysius Mapalo said the circularity advocacy was carried over to the 117th Baguio Day 2026 celebration last September with the theme, “Everlasting Baguio: Cultivating Circularity.” Activities reflected the city’s commitment to sustainability, cultural preservation, innovation and community collaboration.
The same is true for the city’s upcoming offerings, the Ibag-iw Creative Festival this November and the Christmas calendar of events in December.
Mapalo said the city aims to showcase how recycled materials and local creativity can transform major events into expressions of environmental responsibility.
“We want to demonstrate how circularity can be incorporated into public celebrations by giving discarded materials new uses, reducing waste and at the same time supporting our local artists,” he said.
The Ibag-iw event will feature a contemporary art exhibit displaying artworks by students using scrap materials under the mentorship of professional artists and a crafts exhibition that will highlight recycled crafts.
The opening gala’s highlight will be a musical production titled “Rikus,” which will introduce the philosophy of circularity within Cordilleran culture.
For the city’s Christmas events, the city will use recycled materials for the decorations to reduce reliance on commercially produced decorative materials.
Mapalo said local artists have been commissioned to create Christmas installations that preserve the festive spirit while maximizing the use of recycled materials and minimizing the use of new commercial products.
“Through these activities, Baguio aims to demonstrate that celebrating Christmas can go hand in hand with environmental responsibility by promoting the creative reuse of materials, reducing waste, and supporting local artists,” he said. – Aileen P. Refuerzo
