Igniting a Circular Revolution: Taiwan to Host Asia-Pacific's First Circular Economy Hotspot

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

An event poised to ignite a new era of cross-border collaboration and innovation in the Asia-Pacific circular economy is on the horizon. For the first time, the internationally renowned Circular Economy Hotspot (CE Hotspot) will be hosted in the Asia-Pacific region, with Taiwan taking the lead as the inaugural host. The Asia-Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable & Hotspot 2025 (APCER & Hotspot 2025) is set to unfold in Taipei from October 20–23, 2025.

A Stage for Global and Regional Collaboration

Co-hosted by Taiwan’s Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Agriculture, and the Circular Taiwan Network, the event will center on the theme, “Leading Circular Collaboration,” and the global initiative, “Circular Collaboration for Climate Crisis (CC4CC)”. The event’s core mission is to transform "Good Ideas" into "Good Business" through "Good Governance". This will be accomplished through the Circular Trilogy framework, strategically positioning Taiwan as a pivotal hub for circular economy innovation and cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

Immersive Tours and International Dialogue

On October 21, participants can delve into Taiwan’s circular economy with six themed industry tours. These tours offer an inside look at diverse sectors, including:

Agriculture & Food (Asia Plant Organic Farm) 

Textiles (Hop Lion Feather Works Corp.) 

High-Tech & Electronics (TSMC Taichung Zero-Waste Manufacturing Center) 

Architecture & Construction (Taipei 101, Sustainable Materials Library) 

Plastics & Packaging (Spring Pool Glass) 

Community-Driven Circular Business Models 

These immersive experiences will highlight Taiwan's innovative circular practices, from zero-waste farming and textile recycling to green building and glass upcycling. They will showcase how circular design and partnerships are turning ideas into tangible action.

The following day, October 22, will feature a plenary forum, "Circular Trilogy," and international panels where global experts will discuss how governments are shaping national circular economy strategies. The day will also include a special focus on Taiwan’s draft Circular Economy Roadmap. Showcases will demonstrate circular innovations across six industries, highlighting how Taiwan and the Asia-Pacific are responding to global developments like the Global Plastics Treaty. The evening will culminate in a Business Matchmaking Session, fostering connections between Taiwanese companies and international circular economy partners.

Shaping the Future of the Circular Economy

The final day, October 23, will focus on "system-level enablers" with five parallel sessions. These sessions will cover critical topics such as:

Policy & Governance 

Financial Enablers 

Business Transformation 

Trade & Traceability 

Consumer Engagement 

As home to one of the world's most concentrated and diverse circular economy ecosystems, Taiwan is ready to showcase its proven model through immersive experiences that go beyond mere success stories. This event will offer participants a deep dive into the design, processes, and collaborative models that drive every decision.

A Call for Future Hosts

Beyond the 2025 event, the spotlight is already turning to the future. Applications are now open for the next host of the Asia-Pacific CE Hotspot in 2026/2027. The preliminary application deadline is September 15, and the winning country or city will be announced during the forum in Taipei. This rotation of the event is designed to foster a deeper understanding of each region’s unique challenges and opportunities, accelerating knowledge exchange and creating new avenues for circular collaboration.

For more details on the program, you can visit the official website: www.apcer.asia/apcer-hotspot-2025. 

For information on becoming the next host, visit: 

https://www.apcer.asia/apcer-hotspot-2025/host-Asia-Pacific-CE-hotspot-2026-2027.

Redemption or Rhetoric? PBBM’s Narrative "Mahiya Naman Kayo" on Flood Control

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

Act One: Reframing the Stage

In the Philippines, where every rainfall and flash flood becomes a political mirror, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has launched what may be his most audacious narrative shift yet. He has reframed the national story: the threat is no longer abstract; it is corruption that allows floods to ravage lives and communities. This “enemy” offers a face, a clear target on which every aggrieved Filipino can unite.

On July 28, 2025, during his fourth State of the Nation Address, Marcos delivered a thunderbolt: he condemned flood-control graft—ghost projects and half-built dikes—as moral crimes. His words, laden with lamentation and moral outrage—“Mahiya kayo sa inyong kapwa Pilipino!”—ignited applause and indignation across the chamber 

Act Two: The Guide Emerges

The narrative doesn’t pause at the outcry: Marcos positions himself not as a performer but as a guide. He commands action—a cleansing of the system, naming the guilty, and bringing them to justice. He tasks the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) with compiling a nationwide registry of suspect flood-control ventures: failures, purported ghost initiatives, substandard builds. The stage is set, transparency enforced, and suspects are warned 

Then came the digital bridge between the head of state and the masses: sumbongsapangulo.ph, unveiled on August 11, 2025—a platform where ordinary Filipinos could report anomalies. Marcos pledged personally to read each account—bringing the presidency face-to-face with the Filipino who's frustrated, displaced, or grieving 

In just three days, the platform logged more than 1,100 reports and over 800 feedback entries from nearly 85,000 visits 

Within the administration, talk has turned to “blacklisting” contractors behind ineffective flood control—all under the watchful eyes of civilians.

Act Three: The Probe Intensifies

The narrative spotlight now illuminates the Senate. On August 19, 2025, the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee initiated a probe—aptly dubbed “Philippines Under Water.” Allegations of ghost projects, favoritism, and multimillion-peso schemes have surfaced.

Senator Rodante Marcoleta described the crisis in stark terms: pervasive, cancerous corruption destroying communities, yet hidden behind facades of progress 

Senator Erwin Tulfo diagnosed it as a "grand robbery," alleging kickbacks draining project budgets until only a fraction remains for actual construction 

Together, they vow to name names and hold people accountable.

Act Four: A Redemption Arc Awaits

Just like Duterte’s infamous—and terrifying—War on Drugs, Marcos is staging a narrative that could define his legacy. Duterte filled the streets with spectacle—the visible crackdown, the bodies, the ever-present fear. Here, the stage is less bloody but far more symbolic: transparency, citizen empowerment, institutional reckoning.

Yet there’s a catch—only if tangible results follow. If no one is prosecuted, jailed, or held accountable, and floods persist unrelenting, this dramatic narrative risks collapsing into farce.

Will we see contractors indicted? Will infrastructure improve? Will flood-prone areas actually dry out, or at least become less devastated by the next monsoon or typhoon? The truth of this “redemption arc” hinges on whether it plays out in courtrooms, not just press releases.

Act Five: The Road to 2028

On that path toward the 2028 presidential race, "Bagong Pilipinas" and continuity of the anti-corruption crusade could become the fulcrum of Marcos’s political legacy—especially if he anoints a successor to carry the torch. But like all wars of narratives, the story must deliver results to endure.

If citizens see concrete convictions, repaired dikes, and fewer floods, this could become his equivalent of a decisive victory. But absent that, his final act may end up as a tragic, empty encore.

The Stakes

Narrative power: Marcos has shifted from infrastructure builder to people's crusader.

Public trust: Citizens have been given a voice—and expect follow-through.

Institutional integrity: The rule of law now stands center stage.

Legacy and future ambitions: Redemption today fuels political capital tomorrow.

In this story war, the script is clear—but the ending remains unwritten. PBBM’s crusade against flood-control corruption could be remembered as his boldest redemption—or his most hollow stunt.

What do you think—will this story reach its anticipated climax, or fizzle into a forgotten subplot?

A Green Awakening: The Human Story of the Filipino Environmental Movement

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

In the archipelago’s political wilderness, a small flame ignited on November 30, 1996, when a diverse coalition of activists, academics, and visionaries formed the Philippine Greens. It wasn’t polished politicians but passionate guardians of the Earth who convened—not with grand ambition but with fierce conviction. Their manifesto was not just paper—it was the heartbeat of resistance, and three years later, in 1999, they launched Society, Ecology and Transformation, a blueprint for ecological redemption in a nation battered by industrial threats.

From protests against the intrusion of biotech giants to conducting a grueling 30-day hunger strike opposing Bt corn, they spoke up through action—raw, relentless, and resolute.

Green Politics Takes Shape

As the 2000s dawned, the call for structured political engagement grew. In 2004, the Philippine Green Republican Party emerged, but its green credentials remained questionable in the eyes of purists. The tide turned in 2010 with the Kalikasan Partylist, a more genuine green political force. Meanwhile, the re-emergent Green Party of the Philippines (GPP-KALIKASAN MUNA) whispered its rallying cry: “Kalikasan Muna, Ngayon Na!”

Under its banner, a formidable leadership rose. David D’Angelo, a climate advocate since the mid-1990s and a key architect of green policy, has led GPP (and BKM) since 2019—fusing political savvy with grassroots heart 

By 2023–2024, GPP earned recognition as an associate member of the Asia-Pacific Greens Federation and Global Greens—securing international solidarity to deepen their roots across the Philippines 

Hearts of Bayanihan Para sa Kalikasan Movement (BKM)

In parallel, the Bayanihan Para sa Kalikasan Movement Inc. gave the movement a soul. It’s anchored in the Filipino value of bayanihan—community action for a common purpose. Though its founding date remains hidden in oral history, by March 2025, its leadership and clarity of vision were firmly in place 

Chairperson: David D’Angelo

President: Eric Raymundo—an engineer and BKM’s heartbeat, champion of circular economy initiatives like eco-bricks and plastic repurposing, showcased in a bold presentation during the Green Party’s National Environmental Leader’s Summit 

Vice Chairperson: Nic Satur Jr.

Vice President: Jeph S. Ramos—who later became President of GPP, bringing grassroots empowerment into party’s roadmap 

Treasurer: Joseph Ezekiel Pasturan Gayatin (also GPP treasurer)

Secretary: Mariella Amagan

Auditor: Josephine Cabatuando

Board Members include Ross Flores Del Rosario—wielding media prowess to amplify the message—and Reach Peñaflor, Johnny M. Estuya, Randy Andales Mangubat, Rachel Baldonado, and Paul Monteccino, each contributing leadership in media, data, community, and education 

Faces in the Green Movement

At GPP’s helm, here’s how leadership was organized as of early 2025:

Chairperson: David D’Angelo

President: Jeph Ramos—driving grassroots momentum

Vice President for International Affairs: Gilbert Gamas—connecting GPP to global green networks

Vice President for Internal Affairs: Emelita L. Cordero—structuring the party’s internal framework

Vice President for External Affairs: Ross Flores Del Rosario—melding media strategy with environmental messaging 

Party Secretary: Geraldine Kocherry

Deputy Secretary: Rachel Baldonado—an educational veteran with a Master’s in Environmental Education 

Treasurer: Joseph Gayatin (also GKM treasurer)

Deputy Treasurer: Niel Cauyao

Auditor: Engr. Reach Peñaflor—ensuring fiscal transparency

Deputy Auditor: Jericho Encarnacion—steadfast in ecological financial oversight 

Timeline Embedded in Story

From the genesis of the Philippine Greens in 1996, through the roadmap of Society, Ecology and Transformation in 1999, to the controversial wave of 2004 (PGRP), the more promising emergence of the Kalikasan Partylist in 2010, and the steady rise of GPP under David D’Angelo from 2019, we see the transformation from activism to political presence. By 2023–2024, international recognition via Asia-Pacific and Global Greens solidified the party’s legitimacy. In March 2025, GPP and BKM elected a leadership determined to push for climate emergency proclamations, circular economy actions, greener governance, and upcoming electoral contests. By August 15, 2025, BKM and Saint Louis College energized coastal clean-ups—real-world proof of the bayanihan spirit in motion.

The Soul of the Movement

This is a narrative shaped not just by policies, but by individuals—David D’Angelo’s steady conviction, Eric Raymundo’s engineer’s innovation, Jeph Ramos’s grassroots passion, Ross Del Rosario’s media shaping, Reach Peñaflor’s financial integrity, and Rachel Baldonado’s lifelong commitment to teaching green values. Their names are not footnotes—they are the frontlines.

Under their stewardship, strategies—from eco-bricks to media campaigns, from grassroots assemblies to candidate slates—are no longer abstract. They pulse with urgency, strategy, and hope.

In a world teetering on climate collapse, the Philippines' green revival stands out—not as a token, but as a testament: that in community, leadership, and unity, the seeds of true environmental justice are planted.