1 More day without plastic bags pushed in Cebu City

CEBU, Philippines —  To minimize plastic wastes, Cebu City Councilor Noel Archival Sr. wants to add one more day to the city’s plastic ban on top of the existing two days in a week.

Archival, an environmentalist, said there is a need to gradually implement the ultimate goal of total plastic ban in the city.

“Despite the regulations imposed by the local government, plastic waste still remains to be a huge contributor in the city’s increasing amount of garbage. It has been reported that 70 percent of drainage in the city of Cebu is clogged with trash, largely coming from plastic wastes,” he said.

Archival said there are cities in Metro Manila that have implemented the total ban of the use of plastic in various business establishments such us in Makati, Muntinlupa, and Pasig.

As of now, the city is implementing the plastic ban every Wednesday and Saturday as mandated under City Ordinance 2343. Archival wants to include every Friday in the prohibition to use and sale plastic shopping bags.

“Hinay-hinayon nato ang mga tao. Karon, one day. Kon ma-approve man gali ni, apil na ang Friday until ma use na atong tao. Gradual lang, dili abrupt,” he told reporters.

In the proposed measure, he cited the study of University of Georgia in 2017 that the Philippines ranked third largest producer of plastic wastes worldwide.

Archival said the country was also cited as third largest contributor to ocean plastic according to the 2015 report of Ocean Conservancy and Mckinsey Center for Business and Environment.

“To minimize the increase of plastic waste and the city’s contribution to ocean pollution, as well as drainage clogs that cause floods in the City of Cebu, there is a need to further regulate the use of plastic shopping bags by adding one additional day,” he added.

The proposed measure was referred to the council’s committee on laws, ordinances, and styling for appropriate actions and recommendations.

It will be submitted to a public hearing later to hear the side of the affected stakeholders before the proposed measure will be discussed for final deliberation.

This is not the first time that the City Council will discuss a proposal to ban plastics in the city on certain days of the week. In the previous years, Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia submitted two proposals to ban the use of plastics but was denied due to lack of support from the other members of the City Council. — FPL (FREEMAN)