LEGAZPI CITY — Tabaco City received Saringaya Award — the highest environmental award conferred by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) — for transforming the wasteland into an ecological nature park and incorporating innovative environmental practices.
The Saringaya Award was handed over by DENR officials in Bicol led by Regional Executive Director (RED) Francisco Milla Jr., and DENR Assistant Secretary for Field Operations-Luzon and Visayas, Engr. Gilbert Gonzales, to Tabaco City Mayor and Rep. Krisel Lagman during a ceremony held at Marison Hotel in Legazpi City.
Now on its 23rd year, Tabaco City garnered 98 percent, besting Legazpi City for best LGU category.
The Saringaya Awards was established in 2000 to honor outstanding individuals, academe, people’s organizations or non-government organizations, industry, and local government units for their efforts and advocacies in environmental protection and conservation.
Milla said that Tabaco was conferred the award for its outstanding achievements in Solid Waste Management (SWM) and Urban Environmental Planning, local government unit (LGU) category.
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Tabaco operates a fully functional Category II Sanitary Landfill and a centralized Materials Recovery Facility (MRF), incorporating innovative practices such as ecobrick production, vermicomposting, windrow composting, and other alternative technologies.
“One of the city’s flagship projects, the Hiraya Manawari Nature Park, features green space development using upcycled materials, promoting creative recycling and community engagement,” Milla said.
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Because of this, Tabaco City has been recognized as one of the best-performing LGUs in Albay in terms of SWM. Its facilities and strategies now serve as benchmarks for other LGUs striving to develop sustainable and replicable waste management systems.
Hiraya Manawari is one of the showcases of Tabaco, once an empty parcel of land where all the transformation of the place was made of waste and converted into a beautiful nature park using upcycled trash by government employees.
Today, the place is one of the ecotourism destinations in Albay.
For the academic category, the Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (CBSUA) was awarded for its exceptional environmental efforts and initiatives. CBSUA has been a model institution, earning both DENR-EMB and ISO 14001:2015 Environmental Management System certifications.
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The university also maintains global academic rankings, reflecting its strong commitment to environmental sustainability, innovation, and social responsibility.
CBSUA has implemented a range of programs and projects, such as air quality monitoring, mangrove restoration activities, innovative waste management practices, and environmental science education. These initiatives have consistently demonstrated CBSUA’s dedication to sustainability and environmental stewardship across the Bicol Region and beyond.
Another Saringaya awardee was the World-Wide Fund for Nature Philippines – Donsol Integrated Conservation Program, under the People’s Organization and Non-Governmental Organization (PO/NGO) Category.
The WWF was honored for its substantial contributions to the conservation of marine biodiversity and community-based environmental management within the Ticao-Burias Pass Protected Seascape.
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For the Industry Category, the Metropolitan Naga Water District was awarded for its exemplary efforts in advancing environmental conservation and sustainability within its operations and service areas.
The DENR also paid tribute to its various sponsors, national government agency partners, private sector and media partners for pushing the environmental programs and projects in the Bicol Region with impactful contributions.
These include the Access and Benefit Sharing Project Team, Energy Development Corp., Gold Crest Aviary Inc., and the Philippine Geothermal Production Company Inc. The media entities recognized by DENR were reporters and managers of The Manila Times, DZGB, Bombo Radyo, Philippine Information Agency, Radyo Pilipinas and Philippine News Agency.
