‘Pansa-nopen’: Baguio bats for recycling culture
In the early 2000s, the summer capital began attracting tourists for something that has since become widespread across the country: cheap imported garments sold in local “wagwagan” or “ukay-ukay”—secondhand shops where items, often from “balikbayan” boxes, are literally shaken off (“wagwag” in Ilocano) and resold.
These thrift stores trace their roots to the late 1970s, when entrepreneurs bought surplus items from American expatriates and soldiers at the former John Hay Air Station, who sold belongings through garage sales. The goods—popular “PX” items—were then resold to Baguio residents eager for imported products.
Eventually, Baguio’s wagwagan gained wider attention when celebrities popularized “treasure hunts” for vintage clothing. This evolved into a search for branded garments shipped in balikbayan boxes by overseas Filipino workers in Japan, Hong Kong, and South Korea.
By 2004, these secondhand stores had cemented their reputation, way before similar outlets would spread nationwide.
Today, wagwagan continues to attract Generation Z shoppers seeking fast fashion at low cost.
Deeper significance
But beyond trends, these thrift stores have taken on deeper significance—serving as a foundation for Baguio’s push toward a circular economy, where waste is repurposed into usable goods.
This culture of reuse, combined with the city’s long-standing habit of repurposing everyday items, underpins “Pansa-nopen,” the term Mayor Benjamin Magalong has adopted to brand Baguio’s eco-friendly urban lifestyle and solid waste management policy under Ordinance No. 15, series of 2026.
“Pansa-nopen,” an Ibaloy term meaning “coming together for a shared purpose,” reflects practices that generations of Baguio residents have long embraced, said architect Donna Tabangin, the city planning officer.
Many households, she noted, reuse containers—from biscuit tins to ice cream tubs—as storage, keepsake boxes, or even rainwater collectors.
The concept also echoes indigenous traditions of maximizing resources. In Barangay Happy Hallow, an Ibaloy ancestral domain, residents continue to prepare “ava” (taro) using every part of the plant, ensuring nothing goes to waste.
But Baguio’s environmental push comes amid mounting challenges. Due to overdevelopment and population growth, the city spends around P200 million annually to transport waste to landfills—a cost Tabangin described as “expensive waste.” The city’s waste capacity threshold was breached as early as 1994.
Steady increase
Data from the City Planning, Development and Sustainability Office show a steady increase in daily waste—from 593.28 tons in 2023 to a projected 598.42 tons by 2032.
However, a 2022 study found that about 30 percent of waste is recyclable and 35.9 percent biodegradable, indicating significant potential for diversion and reuse.
To address this, barangays are being equipped with recycling facilities as part of a broader effort to reshape community waste habits.
On March 30, the city also introduced its business sector to “circular tourism” during a summit organized with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), which selected Baguio for its green local governance initiative supported by the European Union.
Tabangin noted that waste generation tends to rise alongside economic growth. In 2022, Baguio produced over 65,000 tons of waste as its gross city domestic product reached P155.11 billion. By 2024, waste increased to nearly 74,000 tons, even as economic output grew further.
The city council is considering measures such as environmental fees for tourists, but officials say circular tourism encourages businesses to take a more active role. Hotels, for instance, are being urged to shift from single-use sachets to refillable containers—though the proposal has faced resistance due to cost concerns.
Circular economy
Other initiatives include promoting farm-to-table dining, where restaurants source ingredients from local organic gardens. A pilot concept is being developed using resources from Barangay Happy Hallow, according to UNDP consultant Marjorie Balay-as.
Efforts are also underway to integrate circular economy principles into school curricula, with educational materials designed to teach sustainability at an early age.
In 2024, Mayor Magalong moved away from proposals to build waste-to-energy plants, instead advocating zero-waste strategies such as recycling, reduced consumption, and the conversion of waste into new products.
From its wagwagan roots to its evolving sustainability agenda, Baguio is redefining how a city can turn waste into opportunity—anchored in tradition, driven by necessity, and aimed at a greener future.
