Bontoc bans sale of plastic bags

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

Barangay officials approved in principle of coming out with barangay ordinances to ban the sale of plastic bags in an effort to lessen non-biodegradable wastes in town.

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 them to switch to paper or other biodegradable or recyclable bags.

She says the ban 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 arrest the problem of waste right at their houses. She said that 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 in the river.

Accordingly, this garbage flows down to Kalinga communities, affecting the health of the people nearby.(Angel Baybay)