A greener Puerto Princesa City
Recently, Maia has achieved two small milestones that will hopefully contribute to transform the scenario in Puerto Princesa City and its surrounding. After concluding Bahay Pangarap, they were able to present the project during the open Sessions of the City Council. The efforts were to highlight the relevance of ecobricks and natural building as initiatives to sustainability on the island. Focusing on the educational and environmental elements of the project, the topic was acclaimed by all the councils, who expressed support to further collaborations between Maia Earth Organization, Inc. and segments of city government, leading to the approval of the resolution SDR 35-2025 that reads:
“A resolution earnestly requesting the Honorable City Mayor, through the City Engineering Department, to study the concept behind the Bahay Pangarap Project as a potential solution to the City’s solid waste problem and to consider a possible partnership with Maia Earth Organization, In. (13)”
Maia Earth Organization Inc. presenting Ecobricks at the City Council on the 28 of July, 2025
Plastic consumption is one of the highlights when it comes to Green Justice and the impact of communities. It is estimated that 2.7 million tons of plastic waste are generated in the Philippines each year, and an estimated 20 percent ends up in the ocean.
Besides our initiatives at Maia, across Palawan, efforts into protecting this Home have been seen. Puerto Princesa City, the capital of Palawan with a population of 307,079, is the first Green Justice Zone in the country, emphasizing the integration of environmental considerations into the justice system. The city has been carrying out initiatives that support sustainable tourism and business practices, waste management, urban forestry and biodiversity.
Maia Earth’s Accreditation
This August 15, 2025, Maia has been accredited as a Civil Society Organization by the City Council (Sanggunian Panlungsod), which enables us to be part of the developmental planning in the city and to be part of the Environmental Committee, working within the system and building stronger partnerships with institutions on the island.
Maia Earth’s representatives during the accreditation meeting with City Councilor Herbert Dilig, committee chairman for CSO Accreditation, and Dr. Romeo Valdez, President of the People's Organization.
The Province of Palawan is an archipelago of one main island and other 1700 small ones. Known as “the last ecological frontier” of the Philippines, it is home to 87 different cultural groups and to unique and biodiverse old-grown (and most importantly, untouched) forests, mangroves, coral reefs and endemic fauna. It is not a surprise that the place is recognized by UNESCO as both a Biosphere Reserve and as the location of two UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
With such rich environment, the island struggles with challenges that many other emerging economies do: how to balance the fast pace of development that strikes huge gaps between urban and rural sites, between rich and poor populations while the more facing land grabbing / corporate land acquisition, mining, agricultural expansion, deforestation and the effects of a growing economy based on tourism.
The picture is big, but so is our dedication to what we do, knowing that we are not in hurry, but at the same time, making every minute count on the road towards equity and wellbeing between people and Earth.
