AFTER authoring an ordinance that requires residents and business owners to clean their surroundings, Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Rico Amores has enacted another ordinance aimed at keeping the city clean and green: limiting the use of single-use plastic.
Starting Oct. 16, residents and business owners in Lapu-Lapu City are barred from using single -use plastics every Wednesday and Saturday. This is in compliance of City Ordinance No. 15-003-2019, authored by Councilor Rico Amores, who is the chairman on the committee on environment.
The ordinance encourages residents to use eco bags, paper bags, rattan, net bags or other recyclable materials when they make their purchases.
This early, Lapu-Lapu residents had better get used to it as from twice a week, Councilor Amores wants it implemented six times a week starting next year.
Aside from limiting the use of single-use plastic, the ordinance also bars the use of plastic straws from Monday to Saturday.
Small businesses caught violating the ordinance will pay a P500 fine for the first offense while large establishments will pay P1,000 for their first offense.
Small businesses that commit a second offense will pay P2,000 to P3,000 and will have their licenses suspended for 15 days. The fine for second offense for large establishments is P3,000 and a 15-day suspension of their license.
A third offense will incur fines ranging from P4,000 to P5,000 and an indefinite suspension of permit, while a fourth offense will incur a revocation of the business permit.
Amores said they were lenient during the first day so the business establishments will have a chance to adjust. However, he advised them to get used to the practice.
“Next year, I will make an amendatory ordinance that will extend the ban from Monday to Saturday,” he said.
Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has also ordered the City Environment and Natural Resources Office to make sure the establishments in the city will comply with the ordiance.
“We just gave them a warning because there are some who weren’t informed. We just informed them that starting Oct. 16, the ordinance is in effect,” Chan said. (GCM of SuperBalita Cebu, ML)