Green governance - An integrated programs of local government units: A case of Northern Iloilo, Philippines

Fernan Peniero Tupas

doi:10.17485/ijst/v13i26.824

Abstract

Objectives: To develop a framework for green governance encompassing enterprise, government, social organizations, the public, and nature. Methods: This research used a case study to unveil the programs and projects of Northern Iloilo municipalities on green governance. The methods utilized were interviews, documentary analysis, and observation. All municipal and barangay officials in-charge of the environment were purposively selected as informants of this study. Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College, with its seven campuses within the 5th District of Iloilo, served as partners in strengthening programs, projects, policies, and ordinances from its programs such as fisheries, criminal justice, political science, and biology. Findings/application: The eleven towns of the 5th District of Iloilo are facing various environmental problems and issues such as garbage disposal, cutting trees, and coastal destructions. To mitigate this concern, the Local Government Units (LGUs) initiated different projects and programs and policies and ordinances for protection and preservation of natural resources. Among these municipalities, the municipalities of Barotac Viejo and Lemery as the main venue of the study were found out to have Environmental Code as a general policy for safeguarding and maintaining the environment. Even though that all local government units in northern Iloilo had adopted the national programs and laws of the government, still problems on the environment existed because the commitment of different stakeholders is weak. With this, the green environment practices made every entity of the community be encouraged to join the quest for a pollution-free environment. However, only a few participated. Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College, as a lone tertiary learning institution in the district, pledged to help green governance through research, extension, and instruction. However, the political-will of each leader was required to implement these programs effectively. The people must work together with the LGUs to achieve free from climate change. A collaborative effort is a key to success in green governance. Keywords: Green Environment; local government unit; 5th district of Iloilo; projects; ordinances

Highlights

The world is facing a gradual increase in temperature both on the earth’s land and water surfaces
The entire archipelago is affected by climate change
All parts of the country are suffering from the effects of Global Warming

Summary

Introduction

The world is facing a gradual increase in temperature both on the earth’s land and water surfaces. The average global temperature increased to 1.4 degrees in 1880 and drastically, around 2 to 11.5 degrees in the 100 years (1). This occurrence is called global warming—for instance, the burning of fossil fuel increases the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2). In the US, fossil fuels can generate electricity but produce about two billion tons of carbon dioxide per year (3). The continuous efforts of environmental experts failed to address climate change and in the 2018 report showed fossil fuels continue to increase exponentially (4). Global warming and climate change are synonymous with each other; climate change apart from the rise in temperature it denotes the status of biodiversity, escalating sea levels as well as other impacts on the environment (4)

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