In connection with the celebration of the World Environment Month, the Dr. Jovito R. Salonga Center for Law & Development of Silliman University held a forum on the proposed ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic shopping bags on dry goods, and regulating its use on wet goods in the city of Dumaguete.
Atty. Myrish Cadapan-Antonio, director of the Salonga Center, officially opened the forum and introduced the guests: proponents of the ordinance Vice Mayor Alan Gel Cordova and City Councilor Franklin Esmena Jr., and City Council Environment Committee Chair Atty Manuel Arbon.
Councilor Arbon explained that they were promulgating such ordinance because plastic is not biodegradable; it poses a serious problem in our garbage, clogs our canals and waterways, and is a environmental hazard.
He focused his discussion on the salient provisions of the proposed ordinance: Section 4 speaks of regulating the use of plastic bags on wet goods; Section 5 prohibits the distribution and selling of plastic bags on dry goods; Section 6 provides that plastic waste will not be collected but must be cleaned and dried before it is given to their respective barangays for proper disposal; Section 8 speaks of the information, education and communication campaign necessary for the effective implementation of the ordinance; Section 10 enumerates the prohibited acts on selling, providing and disposing of plastic bags; and Section 11 sets forth the penalties for violation of the ordinance.
“We are going in this direction of totally eliminating the use of plastic — but not within our term. We are here just to regulate and reduce the use of plastics; this is a paradigm shift, an attitudinal change of how we think and how we see the use plastics,” Vice Mayor Cordova said.
Among those who participated in the forum were law biology, and chemistry students from Negros Oriental State University, Foundation University and Silliman University, and representatives from Friends of the Environment. (PR)