Environment Group Lauds Move to Make Bicol Plastic Bag Free

By MARVYN N. BENANING/ October 14, 2010/ http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/282185/environment-group-lauds-move-make-bicol-plastic-bagfree

MANILA, Philippines – Pangataman-Bikol (Bicol Center for Environmental Protection) has commended Sorsogon Board Member Vladimir Ramon Frivaldo for proposing an ordinance to ban the use of plastic bags in the province.
Pangataman-Bikol president and board of trustees chief Prof. Joel Batanes said Frivaldo’s bid is laudable and added his suggestion for everyone to use recyclable materials for packaging is most welcome.
“We commend Frivaldo for his initiative and his concern for the environment. We just hope that the Sorsogon provincial board will enact it post haste and that all the other provincial boards in the region at least will adopt the measure,” he added.
“Based on the data of the Environment Management Bureau- Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 5 (EMB-DENR 5) 70 percent of waste comes from domestic sources, 20 percent is industrial and 10 percent commercial. Since it is a fact that majority of household waste consists of plastic bags and packing materials from stores, it is high time that this be eliminated or at least be reduced significantly. Bicol as we know is a disaster-prone region and it would be best if we could lessen these disasters by reducing our wastes. Floods and the ill effects of burning plastics will certainly be minimized with this measure,” Batanes said.
“We just have to correct a point on the proposal though; we are of the position that the one that should be fined is not the consumer but the store if they still use plastic bags. Consumers would no longer demand for plastic bags if they know that there is none available,” he said.