Mayor to certify Single-use Plastic Ban ordinance as urgent

Photo from Interfacing Development Interventions
Photo from Interfacing Development Interventions

IN RESPONSE to various calls from different environment groups, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio is set to certify the proposed "Single-use Plastic (SUP) Ban" ordinance in the city as urgent.

"We are intent on writing the Sangguniang Panlungsod (City Council) on saying na urgent ang ban of single-use plastic," the mayor said in a radio interview on 87.5 FM Davao City Disaster Radio on Monday, February 1, 2020.

She said that she was requested to submit a letter to the council intending to have the proposed ordinance as one of their priority legislative measures to be passed.

The ordinance is still pending with the committee on environment, led by Councilor Diosdado Mahipus Jr.

Right after the mayor's interview, Mahipus told SunStar Davao in an online message that the proposed ordinance has already been prepared and is now awaiting its signature from the committee members.

"Given the support of the mayor, we are confident that the proposed ordinance will pass the scrutiny of the city council and will be supported by the people," the councilor said, adding the public can expect the item to be deliberated in the Council in the coming weeks.

Interfacing Development Interventions (Idis) Executive Director Mark Penalver said in a forwarded statement that they "highly appreciated" the mayor's pronouncement, adding that plastic pollution is a very serious problem that needs to be addressed.

"This problem does not only affect the urban area as plastic has since found its way in rural and coastal areas polluting our rivers and seas, and endangering wildlife," Penalver said.

He said Duterte-Carpio's statement "is also very timely" as they recently culminated the Zero Waste Month, which is celebrated every January.

"We call on fellow Dabawenyos to also rethink and shift to a more sustainable lifestyle. This may cause inconvenience and or entail some sacrifices but let's think of it as our contribution to better our beloved Davao," Penalver said.

Jill Banta, regional coordinator for Mindanao, Break Free from Plastic PH Project, said in an online message that they also laud the mayor's pronouncement. They are hoping that the ordinance will be enacted this year.

She said the measure is needed especially with the ongoing pandemic, which has somehow led to more plastic wastes.

"Once the SUP Ban ordinance is passed, the LGU must ensure that it will create systems that will allow for enthusiastic public participation, through supporting community-based Zero Waste/plastic-free stores and alternative delivery systems of refill and reuse," Banta said.

Meanwhile, in a virtual presser on Monday morning, she said they saw delays on its passage due to some plastic manufacturers lobbying against its passage.

Ecoteneo Director MyLai Santos said the pandemic had affected the pacing of its deliberation. She added three committee hearings were already held to tackle the measure.

Santos admitted they had expressed worries that this would delay its passage. But she said some plastic manufacturers took advantage of the situation.

"We want them to please not use the pandemic as an excuse to delay the proposed single-use plastic ban ordinance, and other environmental ordinances, which will benefit us and possibly impact the health of everyone," Banta said.

The mayor certifying the proposed SUP Ban Ordinance comes days after the certified the Idis and Bantay Bukid volunteers renewed their call for the urgent passage of the ordinance banning single-use plastics in Davao City after different types of solid wastes were collected in a recent river clean-up drive at Panigan-Tamugan Watershed in Baguio District, Davao City on January 27, 2021.

In a joint statement Friday, January 29, 2021, Idis and Bantay Bukid said they were able to collect a total of 1,954 pieces of different types of solid wastes such as plastics, cans, bottles, glass, face masks, and face shields.

"While the banning of single-use plastics ordinance has been into several committee hearings, it could have been better if the City Council would urgently tackle this matter and pass this ordinance now," the groups said.

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