Mariano Marcos
State University

MMSU commits to ecological solid waste management in Region I

Mariano Marcos State University has reaffirmed its partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–Environmental Management Bureau (DENR–EMB) Region I and other stakeholders for the Regional Ecology Center (REC) through the signing of a memorandum of commitment in Bauang, La Union, on July 1, 2025.

MMSU, along with government and non-government agencies, private sector representatives, non-government organizations, and academic institutions, committed to working together to improve solid waste management, promote environmental sustainability, collaborate on regional ecological issues, and support the mandates of RA 11898 or Extended Producer Responsibility law and RA 9003 or The Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

As part of the REC, the university will help implement various partnership initiatives through education and public information campaigns, assist in developing informational materials, and actively participate in related programs.

Signing on behalf of MMSU was Vice President for Planning and Strategic Foresight Mee Jay Domingo. He was joined by Campus Sustainability Chief Ronnel Pagurayan.

MMSU President Virgilio Julius P. Manzano, Jr., who was unable to attend the event, expressed the university's commitment to Region 1 for its participation in the promotion and advancement of ecological solid waste management.

“As a leading higher education institution in Region I, we are 100% willing to work with various agencies for environmental sustainability, as MMSU is known for being environment-conscious,” he added.

Region I’s REC was established in 2019 in accordance with Republic Act 9003, or the Philippine Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which mandates the creation of a National Ecology Center.