Iloilo City - The Iloilo Provincial and City Governments have raised the bar on sustainability by embedding circular economy practices into two of the region’s biggest cultural celebrations, the Dinagyang and Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan Festivals.

A historic first for the Iloilo Provincial Government, the Kasadyahan sa Kabanwahanan Festival this year launched the Circularity Creativity Award, challenging participating tribes to creatively embed sustainability and circular economy principles into their cultural presentations. Festival Director for Program and Production Alfonso Baldonado III underscored the integration of a circular economy framework into the festival’s updated guidelines, encouraging groups to ensure that at least 30 per cent of their costumes and props are recyclable, reusable, or made from natural materials. 

Kasadyahan grand champion Tultugan Festival of the Municipality of Maasin bagged the first Circularity Creativity Award for integrating circular economy and regenerative design in their overall production. Without compromising creativity and ingenuity, three-time winner Tultugan showcased their bamboo-themed cultural performance using nature-based resources and biodegradable, reusable, repurposed, and recyclable materials in their costumes and props. 

This circular transition initiative is being implemented in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Philippines and supported by The Coca-Cola Foundation through the PH Plastics Circularity Project. Together, partners are translating circular economy principles into practical, on-the-ground solutions tailored to the realities of mass gatherings.

“The Province of Iloilo renews its commitment to championing Circular Economy – not only in our world-class festivals like Dinagyang and Kasadyahan, but across our meetings, events, and everyday governance. By reducing waste, promoting reuse, and protecting our environment, we ensure that development and sustainability go hand in hand for the benefit of present and future Ilonggos,” Iloilo Provincial Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. said.

The circular economy – an approach that focuses on reducing waste at source, keeping materials in use for as long as possible, and regenerating the environment – is gaining traction as a practical approach to the waste challenges. Applied to Dinagyang and Kasadyahan, it enables Iloilo to celebrate culture and heritage while protecting public spaces, coastal ecosystems, and communities.

Beyond performance guidelines, the Provincial Government operationalized circularity across festival activities. Anticipating significant volumes of food and plastic waste, the Iloilo Provincial Government’s Environment and Natural Resources Office led intensified public campaigns promoting waste segregation, reduced plastic waste, and clean-as-you-go practices, complemented by the installation of hydration stations. At the Kasadyahan Food Fest, stricter requirements were imposed on merchants and exhibitors, including the segregation of food waste from recyclables and residual waste, and a significant reduction of single-use plastic in food packaging, informed by lessons from previous festivals. 

To ensure effective implementation, the Provincial Government mobilized round-the-clock waste collection teams and coordinated closely with the Iloilo City Government, which complemented provincial efforts by repurposing previously collected tetra pack waste into event materials. 

“Integrating circular economy principles into large-scale events like festivals demonstrates how local governments like Iloilo can make an immediate impact where it matters most—on the ground. UNDP will scale up its support to local governments and communities embedding circular economy into local governance and building a sustainable economic model. To do so, we will also forge alliances with businesses and foundations, like The Coca Cola Foundation,” UNDP Philippines Resident Representative Christophe Bahuet said.

These festival initiatives are part of Iloilo’s broader, province-wide effort to mainstream CE practices beyond celebrations. With UNDP Philippines’ technical support, Iloilo has been piloting circular economy approaches to improve waste management and reduce plastic leakage into the environment. Lessons from integrating CE principles in major festivals will directly inform the finalization of a practical toolkit to integrate circular economy in meetings, incentives, conference, and events (MICE) tourism, scheduled for completion by mid-year. The toolkit provides planning guidance, operational checklists, and tools for tracking waste reduction and environmental impact. [E]

About the PH Plastics Circularity Project

The PH Plastics Circularity Project is implemented by the United Nations Development Programme in the Philippines (UNDP Philippines) with support from The Coca-Cola Foundation. It is part of a multi-country initiative that aims to tackle the growing challenge of plastic waste pollution and support the transition to a circular economy across nine countries in Asia. 

By focusing on key interventions at the local level—strengthening sustainable plastic waste management and circular economy policies and systems, empowering the informal waste sector, promoting inclusive business models, and driving behavior change to reduce plastic waste— the project reduces plastic leakage into the environment while improving livelihoods and advancing circular economy practices in the Philippines.