ORMOC CITY Mayor Lucy Torres Gomez shared the extensive efforts of her administration to pursue environmental restoration, protection, and stewardship in a comprehensive manner during the Waste and Water Summit 2025, which took place at the City Superdome on September 19, 2025.
According to her, Ormoc is abundantly blessed with water resources, which sustain homes, fields, and daily life. “Water is essential to our way of living: it is the source from which we bathe, where we gather food for our tables, and what we drink to preserve our strength and well-being. Because of this, we recognize that protecting our waters is securing the health and future of our people,” said Mayor Gomez.
She also emphasized that Ormoc has always taken this responsibility very seriously, wherein this city’s local government is committed to maintaining the purity of the city’s water supply and making sure that all waste is managed appropriately. “Waste must never be allowed to compromise the sanctity of our rivers and streams. Indeed, our aspiration is not only to protect our waters but also to uphold cleanliness in every aspect of our environment—land, air, and sea—so that Ormoc may stand as a truly livable city for generations to come,” she stressed.
The Philippines currently uses chlorine to treat its water supply, protecting people from disease and providing safe drinking water. However, the mayor envisions a future where water sources are clean and pure. “Yet, I also hold a vision for a future wherein chlorine treatment will no longer be required—for our rivers, lakes, and reservoirs will already be as clean and pure as they are. A future when every Ormocanon may drink directly from our sources with confidence, knowing that their natural integrity has been preserved,” she also mentioned.
To realize said goal, LGU-Ormoc is now in the final stages of preparing the Ormoc City Water Quality Testing Laboratory for accreditation and also maintaining real-time water quality monitoring through the Ormoc Bay Water Quality Monitoring Area, in partnership with the DENR-EMB. Moreover, to further safeguard this city’s waterways, six trash traps were installed, monthly water quality sampling is conducted, and the septage treatment facility at the Ormoc City Ecowaste Center continues to operate to ensure that wastewater is processed safely before being released back into the environment.
On the other hand, along with the septage facility, the city’s 32-hectare Eco Waste Center also has a Central Material Recovery Facility, a Sanitary Landfill, and a Healthcare Waste Treatment Facility. These facilities work together to make sure that waste in all its forms is managed responsibly, kept away from valuable water sources, and kept from polluting the air, water, and land. Also, regular coastal cleanups are also conducted as a part of LGU-Ormoc’s commitment to maintaining the environment, complementing the infrastructures that have been established.
In support of these efforts, this city’s government also enacted a No Single-Use Plastic Ordinance, a landmark policy that reduces plastic pollution at its source and decreases the burden on the waste management systems.
In addition, the city is also a partner of the Circular Economy Program through the European Union-Philippines Green Economy Partnership.
Ormoc’s holistic environmental stewardship has earned it recognition as one of the Top Ten Outstanding Local Governance Programs in the Philippines by the Galing Pook Foundation, highlighting the city’s collective efforts. According to the mayor, Ormoc aims to become a Blue Zone, promoting long, healthy lives. Water is essential for this, and caring for it is an environmental responsibility and a foundation for resilience and happiness.
Ormoc City, accordingly, was chosen as this year’s host by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), which orchestrated the event. The activity was also graced by DENR Regional Executive Director Arturo Salazar, DENR-EMB Regional Director Engineer Alex Jimenez, Dagami Municipal Mayor Jose Jingle Sudario, and LGU-Ormoc’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) Head Ingrid Macabare. By Gwen Maurillo (EV Mail SEPTEMBER 15-21, 2025 issue)
