THE Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) is setting its sights on making Cebu City the first in the Philippines to achieve zero plastic waste contribution, as part of its broader commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability beyond climate change.
Speaking during the opening of the Cebu Business Month 2025, CCCI president Jay Yuvallos emphasized that sustainability must also be viewed through the lens of urban migration and its impact on growing cities.
“Sustainability isn’t just about climate issues—it’s about managing urban density and the infrastructure challenges that come with population growth,” said Yuvallos. “With a two-to-one growth rate in urban areas compared to rural areas, cities like Cebu are facing increasing traffic, flooding and sanitation concerns.”
Sustainability is one of the priority agenda the CCCI wants to focus on alongside, creating alliances for the promotion of Mice, industry and academe linkage, utilities and trade logistics.
To address sustainability and environmental challenges, the CCCI has begun collaborating with River Recycle, a foreign environmental firm specializing in the removal of plastic waste from rivers.
The partnership aims to support CCCI’s vision of transforming Cebu City into the country’s first zero plastic waste contributor—a bold, long-term environmental milestone.
According to a World Bank report in 2021, the Philippines consumes a staggering 163 million pieces of sachets every day.
The report said the Philippines grapples with unsustainable plastic production/consumption and insufficient solid waste management infrastructure. A staggering 2.7 million tons of plastic waste are generated in the Philippines each year, and an estimated 20 percent ends up in the ocean.
Yuvallos said the initiative also aligns with CCCI’s role as a regional leader in sustainability, as it heads the ASEAN Circular Economy Business Alliance (Aceba)—a regional initiative promoting sustainable business practices across Southeast Asia. Through Aceba, CCCI is currently developing programs that will be integrated into both its local and regional sustainability efforts.
“This is a powerful and challenging vision,” Yuvallos said, “but it is also an exciting time as Cebu positions itself as a pioneer in sustainability and circular economy innovation in the Asean region.”
The chamber plans to roll out a series of programs under both the local zero-waste campaign and its regional commitments to drive long-term, sustainable development rooted in innovation, collaboration and environmental responsibility. / KOC