State-owned Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) has approved loans to 26 projects amounting to P3.8 billion under the Environmental Development Project (EDP), a policy based lending facility funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) intended to support viable and environmentally-sound investment projects.

DBP President and CEO Francisco F. del Rosario, Jr. reported that the EDP has supported projects for industrial prevention and control, new and renewable energy, water supply and sanitation, solid hazardous and health-care waste management. The EDP provides local government units (LGUs), government-owned and controlled corporations, cooperatives, associations, water districts, private corporations and private water-service providers with long-term funds to mobilize, encourage and support activities and investments in environment-friendly projects.