by Reina Beatriz Peralta

Quezon City - Flood in some places that reached almost six feet high which leave great number of casualties, damaged properties, washed-out houses and tons and tons of garbage scattered in roads and floating in bodies of water, were evident after the occurrence of the monsoon rains.

            The city is now strictly implementing the city ordinance Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP) 2103, popularly known as ”Bring Your Own Reusable Recyclable Bag” or plastic ban which ordered all business establishments in Quezon City since September 1, to avoid using plastic bags as a solution to the city’s longest and major environmental problem- garbage, which cause floods.

            Business establishments like Shoe Mart (SM) encourage their costumers to bring with them reusable or eco-bags.  If they don’t have that kind of bag, the company will provide them paper bags. But if it is really needed, the costumer will be paying two pesos for the plastic bag that will be given to them.  The payment for the plastic bags will be put to the environmental project fund of the company.

            Together with this city ordinance is the proper punishment for those who will violate the law, and this will be effective on the first of October.  In the first offense, the violator will be paying Php1000.  Php3000 will be the charge for the second offense and for the last offense is a payment of Php5000 plus cancellation of business permit.

            “Actually, matagal nang merong ganito (plastic ban) pero wala pang pangil ang batas no'n, at saka walang disiplina ‘yong tao.  Matitigas pa kasi ang ulo ng mga tao noon, at saka ‘di pa sila na-e-educate ng maayos ‘di tulad ngayon," Araceli F. Bañacia, the Project Development Officer of Quezon City’s Environment Protection and Waste Management Department (EPWMD) said.

            Aside from SP 2103, the city is also implementing other laws to help solve problems about garbage like “No Segregation, No Collection Skim” which orders the people to separate biodegradable waste from non-biodegradable before the door-to-door weekly collection, and the “Managing of the City’s Solid Waste” which encourages the people to practice proper waste disposal.




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