The city consultation was held in December 1999, when representatives from local government, national line agencies, Barangay units, local universities, environmental related NGOs, `private sector and peoplefs organizations attended the four day event. Six consultation groups were established to validate the draft City Environmental Profile, by discussing the probable causes of problems identified in the profile, and suggesting strategic solutions to solid waste management, coastal pollution and agricultural productivity. In order to catalyze further cross-sectoral coordination and public participation a number of environmental improvement projects were identified: strengthening solid waste management by composting biodegradable wastes, city coastal clean-up, artificial reef development, mangrove rehabilitation and plantation project, peri-urban organic farming, water resource management, and the development of a fish sanctuary.
At the time that the Local Environmental Planning and Management (L-EPM) process was introduced, the city already had an existing Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) therefore, rather than developing another document, the project integrated the City Environmental Profile developed from the EPM process with the Socioeconomic Profile of the CLUP, thus resulting to a Socio-ecological Profile of the City. This integration has effectively upgraded the database of the City, which is managed by the City Planning and Development Office. The EPM products like the priority issues, strategies and action plans were likewise picked up by both the City Planning and Development Office and City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office as basis for implementation.
