Green Category
Overview
Does your community have a green story worth sharing?
The Green Category is for organizations in Quezon City actively working to make the city greener, more sustainable, and more livable. Whether you’re ensuring food security, designing green spaces, managing plastic waste, or promoting textile circularity, we recognize what you are ALREADY DOING well, and we invest in your NEXT IDEA with a cash grant to take it further.
Our evaluation is grounded in three core pillars:
- Creative: We reward fresh, locally-adapted ideas, not just size or budget.
- Impactful: We look for real benefits to real people, especially vulnerable communities.
- Sustainable: We fund initiatives designed to outlast the grant and inspire others.
Find your project story’s theme and subtheme below to see if you qualify and what you’ll need to apply:
Themes
Theme G1: Food Security
G1.1 Food Surplus Management
Initiatives that save edible but unsold food and redirect it to people and communities in need.
WHY IT MATTERS
Ensuring everyone has access to safe, nutritious food while actively preventing waste helps communities thrive and reduces environmental impact by diverting usable food away from landfills.
A Few Examples:
- Hotel and restaurant surplus redistribution
- Food rescue networks
- Produce recovery from markets
- Decentralized food bank hubs
- Manufacturing surplus reallocation
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G1.1 if your story is about redirecting edible surplus food to those in need BEFORE it goes to waste.
G1.2 Food Waste Recovery
Initiatives turning food scraps and organic waste into useful resources like fertilizer, animal feed, or energy.
WHY IT MATTERS
Recovering organic waste diverts it from landfills, significantly reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions like methane, and creates valuable resources that can be fed back into the local ecosystem.
A Few Examples:
- Household and barangay-level Bokashi composting
- Public market organic waste biodigesters
- On-site aerobic food digesters for commercial spaces
- Closed-loop urban farming using recovered food waste
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G1.2 if your story is about transforming organic food scraps and waste into usable agricultural or energy resources.
Theme G2: Green Building
G2.1 Resource Efficiency
Recognizes building projects that achieve “Reward-Level” standards under the QC Green Building Ordinance by actively saving energy, conserving water, and reducing carbon emissions.
WHY IT MATTERS
Efficient buildings drastically reduce utility costs and carbon footprints. Integrating smart and natural technologies ensures urban infrastructure is sustainable for the future.
A Few Examples:
- Renewable energy systems (such as solar panels)
- Green roofs and green walls
- Efficient motors and water pumps
- Water recycling system
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G2.1 if your story is about physical improvements that reduce energy and water consumption in buildings and facilities.
G2.2 Greening Urban Spaces
Initiatives creating and restoring green spaces, parks, and natural waterways within the city to boost biodiversity and climate resilience.
WHY IT MATTERS
Integrating nature into dense urban areas mitigates heat, naturally manages stormwater runoff, and improves the mental and physical well-being of residents.
A Few Examples:
- River and waterway ecological restoration parks
- Underground urban water retention systems for flood control
- Naturalized concrete canals supporting biodiversity and preservation of urban wetlands
- Vertical gardens in heavy transit corridors
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G2.2 if your story is about creating, restoring, or protecting natural ecosystems, parks, or waterways in the city.
Theme G3: Plastic Waste Management
G3.1 Reduction
Initiatives stopping plastic waste before it starts by promoting reusables, bulk buying, and strict sorting at home.
WHY IT MATTERS
Preventing plastic use at the source is the most effective way to eliminate long-term pollution, protect local waterways, and shift community consumption habits.
A Few Examples:
- Zero-waste micro-enterprises and community refill stations
- Strictly enforced decentralized barangay segregation
- Policy-driven retail charges for single-use plastics
- Transitioning to natural woven packaging
- Volunteer-led multi-category recycling hubs
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G3.1 if your story is about strategies, education, and community systems that prevent plastic waste from being generated in the first place.
G3.2 Recovery & Circular Use
Initiatives collecting hard-to-recycle plastics and transforming them into durable, usable products like eco-bricks or furniture.
WHY IT MATTERS
Giving discarded plastics a second life prevents them from clogging waterways and landfills while providing functional community products and alternative livelihoods.
A Few Examples:
- Utilization of flexible plastics into durable eco-lumber
- Recycling multi-layered packaging into paving blocks
- Integrating shredded plastics into stronger hollow blocks
- Open-source community plastic melting workspaces
- Processing soft plastics into institutional furniture
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G3.2 if your story is about collecting existing plastic waste and processing it into new, durable materials.
Theme G4: Textile Circularity
G4.1 Waste Diversion
Initiatives rescuing old fabrics and scrap materials by mending them or transforming them into entirely new, valuable items.
WHY IT MATTERS
Preventing plastic use at the source is the most effective way to eliminate long-term pollution, protect local waterways, and shift community consumption habits.
A Few Examples:
- Zero-waste micro-enterprises and community refill stations
- Strictly enforced decentralized barangay segregation
- Policy-driven retail charges for single-use plastics
- Transitioning to natural woven packaging
- Volunteer-led multi-category recycling hubs
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G3.1 if your story is about strategies, education, and community systems that prevent plastic waste from being generated in the first place.
Diverting textiles reduces landfill mass and combats the severe environmental toll of fast fashion production, while often preserving local crafting traditions.
A Few Examples:
- Upcycling scrap cloth into premium accessories
- City-wide textile donation bins for industrial repurposing
- Community weaving hubs using discarded fabrics
- Repurposing hospitality linens into new apparel
- Zero-waste garment manufacturing
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G4.1 if your story is about physically altering or repurposing discarded textiles into new, usable items.
G4.2 Sustainable Practices
Initiatives encouraging communities to rent, swap, or buy secondhand clothes instead of always purchasing brand new ones.
WHY IT MATTERS
Shifting consumer behavior toward sharing and reusing extends the lifecycle of garments, normalizes circular fashion, and fosters a sustainable community economy.
A Few Examples:
- Permanent physical spaces for point-based clothing swaps
- “Clothing as a Service” rental platforms
- Curated youth-focused secondhand markets
- Community workshops on mending and darning
- Localized redistribution drives for gently used corporate wear
FOR APPLICANTS
Choose G4.2 if your story is about platforms, markets, or educational drives that promote secondhand clothing use and repair.
Who Can Join
Barangays & Local Government Units
Is your barangay running an environmental program? You can apply if your initiative is led by Barangay councils, SKs (Sangguniang Kabataan), or local neighborhood committees. Joint entries are welcome.
Schools & The Academe
Public and private schools, universities, student councils, and environmental clubs qualify. Student-led programs are eligible if endorsed by the school administration.
NGOs & CSOs
Operating in Quezon City with active environmental programming? Non-governmental organizations, civil society organizations, and community-based volunteer groups are eligible. All sectors are welcome.
MSMEs (Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises)
Local cafes, sustainable fashion brands, zero-waste stores, and tech startups qualify.
Hospitals & Healthcare Facilities
Clinics, public hospitals, and private medical centers focusing on green healthcare waste solutions qualify. Both public and private facilities are welcome.
Corporations & Big Businesses
Real estate developers, retail chains, and multinational companies operating in QC qualify. Your initiative must demonstrate a clear benefit to your surrounding community, not just your organization.
Homeowners Associations (HOAs)
Subdivisions and residential communities running localized green projects qualify.
Public Markets & Vendors Associations
Groups focusing on food waste reduction or plastic bans in wet markets qualify.
How To Join
Attend Orientation Day
An optional orientation to learn the themes, scoring criteria, and how to fill out the form. Highly recommended — especially if you’re applying for the first time.
Choose Your Theme & Subtheme
Decide between Resilient (DRRM work) or Green (environmental work). Then pick the single theme and subtheme that best fits your project.
Fill Out the Entry Form
Fill out the form. Start with Sections A and B. Section A describes your existing project (Evidence-Based Practice). Section B outlines your innovation proposal. Be accurate, specific, and transparent—judges reward real impact, not polished language.
Gather Simple Documents
Photos, 1–2 reports, and org registration. You do NOT need fancy reports — real evidence matters most.
Submit Your Entry
Online via the Google Form, by email, or walk-in at QCDRRMO / QCCCESD offices. It’s free and takes about 30 minutes.
Application
Ready to apply? Fill out the Green Category entry form and share what your organization is already doing and what you’re planning next. The form takes you step by step – and you only submit what’s needed at each stage.
You can submit your application through any of the following channels:
- Online: Visit greenawards.quezoncity.gov.ph. This is the fastest method, so you can save your progress anytime.
- Email: Send to entry.greenawards@quezoncity.gov.ph. This is ideal for those with more limited internet access.
- Walk-In: Visit QCCCESD, 6F Civic Center D, QC Hall. In special cases, our staff will help you complete the application.
What You Need to Prepare
- Part A: Describe an environmental initiative you ALREADY HAVE (running 6+ months)—what it does, who benefits, what makes it unique.
- Part B: Describe your NEW IDEA—what you will do with the grant, who will benefit, and how it builds on Part A.
- Documentation: Organization registration (or partner letter).
- Media: 3-5 photos or 2 videos.
- Impact Proof: 1-2 records proving the project’s impact (e.g., end of project report, impact report, case studies).
Evaluation
The entries will undergo a three-step evaluation process:
STEP 1
DESK REVIEW & EVALUATION
Your submitted entry is reviewed by the QCGA team based on the following criteria. Top entries from each subtheme advance to the next round.
Part A: Your Existing Initiative (50%)
- Innovation & Creativity: Is your approach unique and locally adapted
- Community Impact & Reach: Who benefits, especially vulnerable groups?
- Sustainability & Continuity: Will it continue without you or the grant?
Part B: Your Innovation Proposal (50%)
- Relevance & Need: Are you solving a real, specific problem in QC?
- Feasibility & Proportionality: Is your plan realistic for your size?
- Clarity of Impact & Beneficiaries: Are outcomes specific and measurable?
STEP 2
COMMUNITY VISIT
Our team visits your community or facility to see your work firsthand. Bring any supporting documents, photos, reports, or records that show your initiative in action. This is your chance to show us what the form can’t fully capture.
STEP 3
JUDGES’ PRESENTATION
Finalists present to an expert panel. You’ll share what your organization has already done and what you’re planning next. Presentation slots are confirmed at least one week in advance. No formal stage experience required – just tell your story.
Need Help?
For questions, email entry.greenawards@quezoncity.gov.ph or visit QCDRRMO & QCCCESD, 4F Civic Center D, QC City Hall.
