UPGRADE Innolab, together with government agencies, academic institutions, and partner organizations, kicked off the Circulab program on Tuesday, Jun 2, 2026, to boost Mindanao’s circular economy startups, MSMEs, and sustainable green jobs.
Circulab is a groundbreaking nine-month venture-building accelerator and the first acceleration program in Mindanao designed to strengthen high-potential startups and MSMEs by providing them with mentorships, value and supply chain activation, and granting individuals with P1.3 million.
It is also under the EU-PH Green Economy partnership and funded by the European Union with a EUR 60 million (P3.67 billion) grant that aims to support the Philippines’ green transition using a circular economy, reducing plastic waste, and promoting renewable energy use.
Key representatives from Upgrade Innolab, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) XI, E3 Philippines, and other partners signed the memorandum of understanding for the program and launched the first batch of grantees.
According to Upgrade Innolab president Richard Day, 40% of the country’s food supply, generating high levels of organic and industrial waste, is from Mindanao, and around 60% of recyclable waste in the region still ends up in landfills due to systemic gaps or linear practices.
“With much production of agri-industrial waste, it also means we have a big opportunity to turn agri-industrial waste into something. Our waste diverters, they are transforming waste into fuel, into renewable energy, into fertilizers, and a lot more things,” he said during a press conference.
He added that 20 to 30% of companies, startups, and MSMEs in Mindanao are engaged in the circular economy model.
The circular economy is an economic model to keep resources in circulation for as long as possible throughout their lifecycle in order to sustain production and reduce waste.
This process involves the “10 Rs” strategy: Refuse, Rethink, Reduce, Reuse, Repair, Refurbish, Remanufacture, Repurpose, Recycle, and Recover
