Bontoc to ban plastic bags

BONTOC, Mountain Province-- Businessmen selling plastic bags in this capital town have three months to dispose of their plastic bags then refrain from vending the same.

This, after barangay officials agreed on coming out with barangay ordinances to ban the sale of plastic bags in this town.

The move is part of efforts to lessen non-biodegradable wastes in the municipality which contributes to massive pollution, especially in clogging of waterways that affect the welfare of the general public.

Barangay Poblacion Chairman Erlinda Bucaycay, who also sits as municipal vice president of the Association of Barangay Councils, said she has already warned businessmen in her barangay of the plan.

She advised those selling plastic bags to, instead, deal paper bags or other biodegradable or recyclable kinds of containers to help in global effort to preserve and protect the environment.

Bucaycay said the ban may be difficult, at first, to deal with but cited how it has already been implemented in other areas of the province like Besao.

“There is a need to make use of the inherent powers of officials in the end of protecting welfare of the public so I think this measure will not be considered as a violation to any entrepreneurial rights,” Bucaycay clarified.

She also advised residents to solve the problem of waste right at their houses.

She said households should observe proper waste segregation practices by using separate containers for biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.

It could be noted that the province of Kalinga filed a case against the areas along the Chico River which dump their waste on the river which flowed down to Kalinga communities affecting the health of the people nearby.

The implementation of the ban on selling and use of plastics in the town is in compliance to the provisions of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act for local governments and households to stop using plastics since it was discovered to have been the main source of pollutants in waterways. – Dexter A. See