The Development Academy of the Philippines conferred the Government Best Practice Recognition (GBPR) plaque and certificate to the Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro on 17 December 2019 for the latter’s win in the 2018 search with its entry titled, “Fostering a Green Culture for Port Operations and Management”.
The awarding ceremony held in Luneta Hotel, Manila also included the announcement of winners for best practice from various agencies for 2019. Representing the PMO MO/C, Acting Executive Assistant Edsel A. Calo, and Environmental Specialist Core D. Suan received the award. Ms. Suan was also the presenter of the entry together with Port Manager Isidro V. Butaslac, Jr. during the evaluation on 18 December 2018 in Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
PMO MO/C was one of the five (5) winners for the said prestigious award. The PMO’s best practice highlights its initiatives for environmental protection, conservation, and sustainability through the employment of technology; issuance and compliance with environmental policies and mandates; and inculcating environmental awareness among port stakeholders.
The 2018 winners presented a short audio-visual presentation on the updates of their respective best practices one year later. Since its win, the PMO has sustained the benefits of gearing towards green port operations such as cost- energy savings and a clean port. In furtherance of the promotion of Solid Waste Management (SWM), the PMO has issued Memorandum Circular 001-2019 on the SWM program to ensure the reduction of non-recyclables by 10%, which included the regulation on the use of plastic materials (e.g plastic cups, tetra packs) inside the ports, especially in the Administration buildings.
One of the criteria for the evaluation of the best practice is the “replicability” of the same, for which one of the judges inquired on how the said the best practice can also be adopted by other PPA PMOs nationwide. In response, Mr. Calo informed that the PPA is institutionalizing the programs for environmental protection and sustainability to its ports nationwide. For one, the Top Management had approved the procurement and adoption of the Shore-Based Power Supply (SBPS) in the terminal ports such as the Port of Benoni in Camiguin Province. SBPS is working like a charging station to vessels docking in the port which means that vessels will not have to use their own engine while at berth, thereby reducing carbon dioxide emission and air pollutants.
The GBPR is one of the DAP’s strategies to help public sector organizations to further enhance their service towards excellent quality service. —by IMR Lam
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