Lapu dad proposes regulating single-use plastic, prohibiting plastic straws

Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu—A city dad here would like to regulate the use of single-use plastic and prohibit the use of plastic straws.

Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Rico Amores proposed an ordinance in the Sangguniang Panlungsod entitled “Regulating the Use of Single Plastic and Prohibiting the Use of Plastic Straws.”

“We know very well nga problema na kaayo ta sa environment karon. Unya kabaw baya ta na ang plastic mahilis na siya, we’ll say [in] 50 years. Since Lapu-Lapu is a tourist destination city, we have to show to our visitors nga limpyo atong lugar,” Amores said.

(We all know very well we have a problem with our environment today. And we all know that plastic takes around 50 years before it decomposes. Since Lapu-Lapu is a tourist destination city, we have to show to our visitors that our city is clean.)

Amores said that plastics are one of the reasons why the drainage in the city is clogged, which is why there is flooding whenever there is  heavy rain.

Every day, Amores said that the city is collecting around 50 tons of garbage, around 60 to 80 percent of these are plastics.

Yesterday, a public hearing was conducted in the session hall, which was attended by vendors in the City’s Public Market and some business establishments, such as food-chain stores.

“Acceptable kaayo sa mga tawo kay ang mga tawo karon kay concern naman pod sa environment,” he added.

(The plan is acceptable to the people because they are already concerned with the environment.) 

Amores, however, told CDN Digital that some vendors and business establishments are asking for several exceptions in the use of single-use plastics.

“That’s reasonable ang ilang gipangayo nga exception, like ice water and ice candy, it takes two-to-tango. Unsaon man nimo pag-ice water ug ice candy kun way plastic? Unya ang sauce, reasonable pod kay dili man nimo masud ug papel ang sauce sa mga barbequehan,” he said.

(That’s reasonable because like ice water and ice candy, it takes two to tango. How will you make them without using plastic? Also sauce, it’s reasonable too because you can’t put sauce in barbecue stations in paper cups.)

Other exceptions suggested by several stakeholders are the use of plastic spoon and forks for takeout orders and the use of plastic cups for floats and salads.

Amores urged business establishments to display and sell eco-bags, net bags, among others, to give shoppers an alternative, for the proposed ordinance that will ban the use of plastic bags.

He added that once the proposed ordinance will be approved, plastic ban will be implemented on Wednesday and Saturday.

“But if the public will already be able to adjust, I’m planning to implement it from Monday to Sunday through making the necessary amendments,” Amores added. /bmjo