Three local government units in Mindanao will receive European Union funding support for feasibility studies and training to develop circular economy public-private partnership projects under the EU-Philippines Green Economy Partnership.
Iligan City, the Island Garden City of Samal and Zamboanga City were selected through a competitive process and will receive technical support to prepare feasibility studies and training on managing public-private partnerships, the European External Action Service (EEAS) reported on Thursday.
The pilot projects are expected to include measures to integrate informal waste workers through gender, diversity and social inclusion mechanisms.
The award letters were signed in Metro Manila on 3 June 2026.
EU Ambassador Massimo Santoro said the EU was supporting “inclusive circular economy public-private partnerships” that would bring investment to local communities and involve the private sector in addressing waste and circularity issues.
The training and selection process was coordinated by the Department of Trade and Industry and the Philippines’ Public-Private Partnership Center, the central agency that monitors public-private partnership projects in the country.
Funding and programme details
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of the Interior and Local Government observed the process, the EEAS said.
The partnership is funded by a PHP 3.67 billion (EUR 60 million) EU grant and is scheduled to run from 2023 to 2028 in collaboration with the Philippine government.
It focuses on developing a circular economy and reducing plastic waste, and also includes work on energy efficiency, renewable energy and climate change mitigation and adaptation.
The initiative is part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, and the “Green Business, Infrastructure and Finance” project is implemented by Expertise France and co-implemented by the Global Green Growth Institute.
