AN ORDINANCE prohibiting the release of balloons and sky lanterns in Davao City was proposed in the 18th Davao City Council on Tuesday, January 8 to address both environment and public safety concerns relating to it.
Following the attempt of a well-known hotel in Metro Manila to beat a world record by dropping 130,000 balloons as part of its New Year’s Eve countdown, Davao City committee on peace and public safety Councilor Maria Belen Acosta said that the attempt is a wasteful and hazardous practice.
“When balloons deflate, they indiscriminately drop anywhere and everywhere, and they cannot be recovered and properly disposed,” Acosta said in her privilege speech during the regular session.
“Not only are the sky lanterns, or paper lanterns releases an act of littering, but they pose a harmful risk of igniting a fire when they land on trees, bushes or even houses,” she added.
The guidelines is still to be made after the committee hearings.
With the upcoming Chinese New Year, the release of sky lanterns as part of the Chinese culture is being put in the spotlight.
“Public safety will always prevail kasi ‘yan ang ating general welfare clause as enshrined in the constitution,” she said, adding that the committee will also invite the Filipino-Chinese community to hear their side on the matter.
Meanwhile, Interface Development Interventions (Idis) executive director Chinkie Golle-Peliño told reporters on Tuesday that they will fully support Acosta’s proposal.
“We are very happy. Hopefully ma-approve before the campaign period kay kana lang man na challenge gyud (because that is the only challenge),” Golle-Peliño said.
“Kaya happy kaayo mi kay she is very proactive. In fact, dili man gani siya ang head sa committee on environment pero nakita dayon niya na there is a need for that policy (We are very happy that she is very proactive as she saw the need for this policy even when she is not the head of the committee on environment),” she added.