LGUS, candidates have 3 days to clean up poll mess – DILG

By Christian Crow Maghanoy

ALL local government units (LGUs) and candidates were told by the Dept. of the Interior and Local Government to remove and dispose of all campaign materials within three days.
    "Cleanup of election litter is the first order of business after the polls. Aside from incumbent LGU officials, we urge all candidates, winners and non-winners alike, to take it upon themselves to lead in the removal of their campaign materials," Interior Secretary Eduardo Año told the media Wednesday.
    In an advisory to local chief executives (LCEs), Año urged the proper disposal of election propaganda materials in line with environmental laws and local ordinances and regulations against illegal dumping, open burning, and littering.
    He also prods the utilization of barangay (village) and LGU material recovery facilities to collect and restore reusable materials as well as in coming up with innovative and safe strategies to recycle or upcycle reusable campaign waste materials.
    Año pointed out that campaign propaganda made of plastics and other nonbiodegradable materials, if improperly disposed of, may have detrimental effects on public health and the environment.
    "Impose the responsibility to the organizers of political activities, to ensure that waste generated by their activities, and their attendees will be properly managed and disposed of," he said in the advisory to LCEs.
    "Hinihimok din po natin ang ating mga kababayan na makiisa sa cleanup drive ng kanilang LGUs at barangay (We also urge our countrymen to join the clean-up drive of the LGU and barangay). We have done our part in exercising our right to vote. Let's continue to participate in governance through our simple ways of cleaning up our neighborhood from election litter," he said.
    Año said campaign propaganda made of plastics and other nonbiodegradable materials, if improperly disposed of, may have detrimental effects on public health and the environment.
    He said that section 10 of Republic Act (RA) 9003, known as the "Ecological Solid Waste Management Act," says that pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 7160 or the "Local Government Code," the LGUs shall be primarily responsible for the implementation and enforcement of the provisions of RA 9003 within their respective jurisdictions.