Logging goes on unabated in Sierra Madre, says tribe chief

A tribal leader in Sierra Madre in northern Quezon warned
that more disasters were bound to happen if rampant illegal logging in
the country’s last forest frontier was not stopped.

“There will be more ‘Ondoys’ to come … if the government continues to
ignore Ondoy’s grim warning,” said Ramcey Astoveza, an Agta tribal
leader.

He said “if the indiscriminate cutting of trees in Sierra Madre
continues, flash floods will forever be the ‘demonic twin’ of every
major storm that will hit Metro Manila and provinces surrounding the
forest mountain.”

Astoveza said time was running out for President Benigno Aquino III to
act decisively before it’s too late for the forests of Sierra Madre.

He said a total log ban was needed in the mountains.

He urged the government to tap the indigenous people in its war
against illegal loggers.

“We’re more than willing to help because it’s a matter of life and
death for us,” Astoveza said.

He said a year after Tropical Storm “Ondoy” struck, left Metro Manila
and neighboring provinces submerged in water and killed hundreds of
people, “it’s business as usual for forest rapists.”

Fr. Pete Montallana shared the desperation of the mountain tribe leader.

“The same people are basically still in place. No systematic effort to
weed them out,” he said in a separate phone interview.

Dismayed by the inaction of the government, Montallana reported that
Task Force Sierra Madre, a forest watchdog based in the Prelature of
Infanta, has withdrawn from Metro-REINA (Real-Infanta-General Nakar)
Multisectoral Forest Management initiated by the government to protect
the forest.

“It is not doing its task. The destruction of Sierra Madre is becoming
more widespread,” the priest said.

Nap Buendicho, Agta tribal governor, welcomed the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) move to stop the issuance of
new logging permits but urged the government to intensify its drive
against illegal loggers.

“What should be seriously addressed by the DENR are the rampant
illegal logging activities. Legal loggers operate within the ambit of
the law but forest criminals are different. They operate outside the
law with impunity,” Buendicho said in an earlier interview.

Buendicho challenged Quezon officials to spearhead a serious and
sustained campaign against illegal logging.

Quezon Gov. David Suarez has vowed to plant a million trees in
different places, particularly in the denuded portions of the Sierra
Madre Mountains.

Read More

“Be kind to the environment”

A waste and pollution watchdog on Wednesday asked candidates to
minimize the environmental costs of the upcoming Barangay and
Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on October 25 by campaigning with
the welfare of Mother Earth in mind.

The EcoWaste Coalition exhorted all citizens seeking elective posts in
the country’s over 42,000 barangays not to repeat the environmental
lapses of the May 10 elections as they court community voters.

“We appeal to all aspiring public servants to restrain from wasting
too much resources and creating too much garbage as they woo the
electorate in their respective constituencies,” said Roy Alvarez,
president of EcoWaste Coalition.

“Let us not forget the wastefulness of the May 2010 local and national
elections and together aim for an environmentally-responsible exercise
of our right to suffrage,” he emphasized.

“As potential leaders in the frontline of public service, we expect
all the candidates to demonstrate their commitment to protect and
preserve the community environment by campaigning ‘clean and green’,”
he added.

Some of the major environmental lapses of the May 2010 polls, the
EcoWaste Coalition said, included the nailing of campaign materials on
trees and other places prohibited by the Commission on Elections,
wasting too much campaign funds and materials, driving smoke-belching
campaign vehicles, blasting extremely loud political jingles and
speeches, leaving trash in campaign sorties and not removing campaign
items after the polls.

“Another major, major shortcoming that we have observed was the
failure on the part of most politicians to integrate the environmental
agenda into their campaign platforms and pledges,” the EcoWaste
Coalition added.

To assist the candidates in campaigning in a non-wasteful way, the
EcoWaste Coalition re-issued its practical guidelines for a ‘clean and
green’ campaign.

To get started, the EcoWaste Coalition proposes that all those running
or the October 2010 polls should assign a person or team in the
campaign structure who will be responsible for greening the campaign
strategies and activities.

Candidates should refrain from using excessive campaign materials such
as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, stickers, decals, cloth and tarpaulin
streamers, and other campaign paraphernalia.

As much as possible, propaganda materials should be in post-consumer
recycled paper and carry a friendly reminder that says “para sa ating
kalusugan at kalikasan, huwag pong ikalat, itambak o sunugin” or its
equivalent in local languages.

Candidates should refrain from using campaign materials that are
hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings and balloons,
which often get burned or discarded in waterways, seas and dumpsites.

Politicos should spare the trees of propaganda materials that can harm
and even kill them, and reject graffiti or vandalism to popularize
themselves.

For litter-free campaign meetings, sorties and related activities, the
EcoWaste Coalition recommends the following:

■Shun throwing confetti, exploding firecrackers or releasing balloons
in campaign events.
■Refrain from using styrofoam, plastic bags and other single-use
containers for volunteers’ meals and drinks.
■Set up segregated waste bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable
discards in campaign assemblies.
■Designate “eco-volunteers” to look after the bins and guide the
public in the proper separation of their discards.
■Clean up right after the campaign event.
■Hire eco-aides to handle the segregated wastes for recycling and composting.
“We hope that all candidates will heed this urgent call for
environmental leadership and action by campaigning ‘clean and green’
and by putting environmental conservation and protection at the core
of their platforms to serve,” the EcoWaste Coalition said.

Read More

Simple Lang

Basurang Plastik: Iwasan, Bawasan, Wakasan

Matapos ang paggunita sa unang anibersaryo ng pananalasa ng bagyong
Ondoy sa bansa ay nagtipon sa Senado noong Lunes ang mga
makakalikasang aktibista upang hanapan ng solusyon ang isa sa
pangunahing sanhi ng matinding pagbaha noong nakaraaang taon: ang
plastic bag.

Kasama ang pasayaw-sayaw na halimaw na basurang plastik na
pinangalanang “LeOndoy” ay hiniling ng mga kasapi ng EcoWaste
Coalition sa mga Senador na gumawa ng isang malakas na batas laban sa
plastic bag para putulin ang lumalalang polusyon sa lansangan,
tambakan at karagatan.

Ang naturang pagkilos ay kaalinsabay ng pagdinig ng Senate Commitee on
Trade and Commerce at ng Senate Committee on Environment and Natural
Resources sa mga panukalang batas tungkol sa plastic bag na inihain
nina Senador Loren Legarda, Senador Miriam Defensor-Santiago at
Senador Manny Villar.

Hiling ng EcoWaste Coalition ang isang malakas at epektibong
regulasyon upang matuldukan ang laganap na epekto ng polusyong plastik
sa buong kapuluan.

Bilang paggunita sa mga aral ng bagyong Ondoy ay nais tawagin ng
EcoWaste Coalition ang batas na ito na “Ondoy Act for Plastic
Pollution Prevention and Reduction.”

Ayon sa grupo, ang walang pasubaling paggawa, paggamit at pagtatapon
ng mga basurang plastik ay isa sa pangunahing sanhi ng pagbabara sa
mga lagusan ng tubig at pagbaha.

Mula produksyon, transportasyon hanggang sa paghahakot, pagtatapon at
pagtatanggal sa mga basurang plastik sa mga estero ay gumagamit ng
sangkaterbang “fossil fuel” na nagbubuga ng mga “greenhouse gas” na
nagpapabago at nagpapainit naman sa klima.

Dagdag pa, ang pagsusunog ng mga basurang plastik ay nagbubuga ng mga
lasong kemikal na lalong nagpaparumi sa hangin at maging sa suplay ng
pagkain.

Para sa mas malakas at epektibong pagpuksa sa polusyong plastik ay
nais isabatas ng EcoWaste Coalition ang mga sumusunod:

1. Ipagbawal ang nakasanayang libreng pamimigay ng plastic bag sa
lahat ng mga komersiyal na establisyamento.

2.Patawan ng buwis (halimbawa: environmental tax o levy) ang plastic bag.

3. Ipagbawal ang lumalaganap na paggamit ng mga plastic bag bilang
banderitas sa mga piyesta at iba pang kasayahan.

4. Itakda ang “phase out” at ganap na pagbabawal sa mga plastic sando bag.

5. Ipagbawal ang pag-angkat ng mga plastic bag at iba pang isahang
gamit na “disposable” tulad ng mga lalagyang “polystyrene” (halimbawa:
Styrofoam) para sa inumin at pagkain.

6. Hilingin sa mga komersiyal na establisyamento na mag-alok ng mga
alternatibo sa plastic bag na magagamit pang muli.

7. Utusan ang mga supermarket at iba pang tindahan na payagan ang mga
mamimili ng magdala ng kani-kanilang bayong at ibang sisidlan para sa
mga ipinamili.

8. Itakda ang “extended producer responsibility” o ang pagpapataw ng
responsibilidad sa mga may gawa ng plastic bag sa buong "lifecycle" ng
kanilang produkto.

9. Pahigpitin ang pagbabawal sa pagkakalat, pagtatambak at pagsusunog
ng mga basurang plastik.

10.Isulong ang mga programang pangkabuhayan na magtataguyod sa
produksyon ng bayong at iba pang mga “reusable bag.”

11.Magsagawa ng tuloy-tuloy na pampublikong edukasyon sa epekto ng
plastic bag sa kalusugan, kalikasan at klima.

12.Lumahok sa taunang “International Plastic Bag Free Day” tuwing
ikatlo ng Hulyo.

Para sa malusog at ligtas na kinabukasan ay isama nawa ang naturang
“Ondoy Act” sa listahan ng mga prayoridad na batas ng pamahalaang
Aquino.

Read More

MMDA backs plastic ban

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority supports the call of
environmental advocates to ban the use of plastic bags as these clog
waterways and cause massive floodings.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said 80 percent of the garbage hauled
from waterways and esteros were non-biodegradable plastic products.

However, Tolentino admits he could not guarantee that the ban on
plastic use will be successful if the local government units and the
public will not cooperate.

The EcoWaste Coalition urged the public to use paper or woven bags or
“bayong” instead of plastic bags when they go to the market.

Tolentino said plastic bags prevent floodwaters from receding during
and after heavy downpour.

Read More

Paje should look at Payatas

Ped Xing is sure environmental campaigner and colleague Joey Papa
would agree that this is the impression that the public appears to
have after hearing national government officials make a pledge over
the weekend of a no repeat of the Ondoy tragedy a full year after it
struck.

The apparent lack of sincerity and commitment is manifested by the
continuing inaction of national agencies, particularly the Department
of Environment and Natural Resources, on the issue of the Payatas
dumpsite.

The Payatas tragedy is 10 years old this year. And yet, the dumpsite,
the collapse of which killed as many as 219 persons, remains open for
dirty business.

The tragedy took place in July 2000. In the aftermath of heavy rains
spurred by a typhoon, a mountain of garbage collapsed on hundreds of
shanties where scavenger families lived. After that tragedy, there
were also many “pledges” heard from government officials that the
tragedy would not happen again, but it looks like those vows have long
been forgotten, and a Payatas II is feared to happen anytime soon.

Reports say that the size of the garbage pile there has returned to
its pre-July 2000 level. And the residents in that area can only pray
that the remaining typhoons expected to hit the country before the end
of the year would not unleash enough rain to loosen that unstable
mountain of trash cascading down their rebuilt homes again.

But the greater tragedy is that DENR officials appear to have ignored
two important things: first, the continuing risks posed by the
operation of the dumpsite on the health and safety of the public; and
second, the illegality of its continuing operation.

It will be recalled that after the 2000 tragedy, lawmakers promptly
proceeded to craft a remedial legislation, Republic Act 2003 or the
Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

The implementing rules and regulations of that RA made two things very
clear: First, that open dumpsites are illegal. Second, erstwhile open
dumpsites subsequently labeled “controlled dumpsites” or “controlled
waste disposal facilities” are also illegal as of 2005 or five years
after RA 2003 was enacted.

This means there is a clear and continuing violation of the law by
the DENR for the past five years. The law is clear: that as of 2005,
all dumpsites, whether open or controlled, are “deemed closed and
phased out”.

So, why does the DENR continue to allow the operation of Payatas? How
come garbage trucks loaded with Quezon City human and industrial
wastes continue their sorties to the site to contribute to that
ever-growing mound of garbage? Is it possible for the DENR officials
not to notice the build-up of that monstrous trash heap?

This is ridiculous. How can they miss that hideous sight? It’s just
impossible. That dumpsite, conveniently re-labeled “controlled
waste disposal facility” is 22 hectares big, about four hectares
larger than the campus of the University of Santo Tomas in España.

Those who have managed to come near the site swear the stinking heap
is now about the height of a nine-storey building or a medium-rise
condominium.

Ped Xing’s embeds in the local community say garbage trucks continue
to offload about 2,000 tons of rubbish there a day.

Yes, on a daily basis – despite its status as an illegal facility.
Now, if the mere existence of the facility is in itself already
illegal, how much more its continued operation?

As DENR head, Secretary Ramon Paje chairs the National Solid Waste
Commission. This body was created also under RA 2003, the very same
law that made the dumpsite illegal. That commission is tasked to
ensure that every provision of the law and its implementing rules and
guidelines are followed to the letter.

Paje’s boss, President Aquino, has vowed an administration that would
lead the nation to “a straight and narrow path” of a moral and
transparent governance and a development plan in harmony with nature
and environmental preservation

Question: By his serial inaction, isn’t Paje breaking that P-Noy
promise by allowing Payatas to continue to operate in violation of
the very law which made him chairman of the National Solid Waste
Commission?

If the DENR and its head honcho tasked to implement the law can’t or
won’t do the job, then the effort, time, and money spent to enact RA
2003 was just one big solid waste.

Read More

Human Face ‘Major, major’: Death by plastic

LIFE OR death, paper or plastic? Plastic plague, plastic horror,
plastic scourge, plastic problem, plastic nightmare, plastic monster.
The bad words connected with plastic are so numerous and the havoc it
creates in our lives are so “major, major” so why do we still find
ourselves asking one another why plastic continues to rule our lives?
(Thank you, former Miss Earth Eco-Tourism, 2010 Miss Philippines and
Miss Universe runner-up Venus Raj for your unforgettable “major,
major.”)

There is even a saying that goes, “Plastic, like diamonds, are
forever.” But the saying stops there as, unlike diamonds, they are not
a girl’s or the earth’s best friend.

From the rising of the sun to its setting, we are constantly touching
or holding something plastic. Just look around you now. How many
things can you see that are made of plastic? The arm of the computer
chair on which my arms rest as I write this piece is made of hard
plastic.

And speaking of chairs and other furniture—and I must announce this
now to shame those concerned—there is a chunk of a sofa with plastic
upholstery that has been dumped into an open manhole along Mauban
Street in Quezon City. It’s been there for several weeks and I was
told that that piece of furniture was placed there to prevent students
from a nearby school from falling into the hole. Oh, what
thoughtfulness indeed on the part of the barangay officials. Because
of their creativity, they should be delivered to the likes of
hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza.

Plastic has become a major part of lives. It has many great and
practical uses. It can take the place of expensive and
need-to-conserve materials, such as wood and metal. Plastic can both
be a blessing and a scourge.

But the plastic thing we could all do without or have less and less of
are plastic bags.

The clamor of environmentalists all over the world to ban or limit the
use of plastic bags continues to be aired but despite decades of
campaigning, they are still the “major, major” things used for
carrying purchased goods.

On this first anniversary of the devastating typhoons “Ondoy” and
“Pepeng,” we remember with horror the unprecedented rampaging floods
that turned many parts of Luzon and Metro Manila into virtual oceans
and wreaked havoc on millions of lives. Mother Nature sent a message
to remind us of our long list of sins against her. One of them is our
garbage, and a huge bulk of this garbage that clogged the waterways
are plastic bags.

Last Monday, environmental, health and justice advocates trooped to
the Senate to press the lawmakers to pass a law to control the
reckless use and disposal of plastic bags and “to tame the plastic
monster.”

The event coincided with the joint hearing called by the Senate
committee on trade and commerce, chaired by Sen. Manny Villar, and the
committee on environment and natural Resources, chaired by Sen. Juan
Miguel Zubiri, to discuss bills filed by Senators Loren Legarda,
Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Villar on plastic bags.

Legarda’s SB 1368 is “an act providing for a proactive approach in
recycling plastic bags in stores and other retail outlets.” Santiago’s
SB 1543 is “an act regulating the use of plastic grocery bags.”
Villar’s SB 1103 is “an act promoting sound waste management by
requiring all department stores, malls and commercial establishments
to utilize reusable environment-friendly shopping bags and provide
them free of charge to customers and patrons, and for other purposes.”
You can access these bills on the Internet.

Sonia Mendoza of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Plastic
suggested that Legarda, Santiago and Villar should consolidate their
bills into a more encompassing “Ondoy Act for Plastic Pollution
Prevention and Reduction” that will “progressively cut the use of
plastic bags, with time-specific target for phase-out and eventual
ban, and assertively promote ecological alternatives.” Gigie Cruz,
also a member of Task Force on Plastics, noted the failure of the past
Congresses to adopt essential regulations on plastics.

EcoWaste recently sought out proposals regarding the plastics problem
from its partner groups. Proposals came from Buklod Tao, Global
Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Southeast Asia,
Kinaiyahan Foundation, Miss Earth Foundation, Mother Earth Foundation,
Philippine Earth Justice Center and Zero Waste Philippines.

Here are the top 12 proposals that they want included in the plastics law.

1. Ban the practice of giving free plastic bags to consumers in all
commercial establishments.

2. Impose a plastic bag environmental tax or levy.

3. Prohibit the use of plastic bags (i.e., thin-film, single-use
plastic bags) as banderitas (fiesta buntings).

4. Phase out and eventually ban plastic sando bags.

5. Bar the importation of plastic bags and other single-use
disposables such as polystyrene food and beverage containers.

6. Require commercial establishments to offer reusable alternatives to
plastic bags.

7. Direct supermarkets and other retail and wholesale shops to allow
their customers to bring and use bayong (native bags) and other
substitute containers for goods purchased.

8. Stipulate producer responsibility and accountability, including a
mandatory take-back for used bags.

9. Reinforce the prohibition against littering, dumping and burning of
plastic waste.

10. Put up livelihood programs in the countryside to support the
production of bayong and other reusable bags made of native materials.

11. Provide continuing public education on the health, environmental
and climate impacts of plastic bags.

12. Observe and participate in the “International Plastic Bag Free
Day” every 3rd of July.

Read More

Candidates Urged to Campaign 'Clean and Green'

Green advocates urged Wednesday candidates in
the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on October 25 to
avoid wasting resources and creating garbage to woo their respective
constituents.

“Let us not forget the wastefulness of the May 2010 local and national
elections and together aim for an environmentally-responsible exercise
of our right to suffrage,” Ecological Waste Coalition (EcoWaste)
president Roy Alvarez said.

“As potential leaders in the frontline of public service, we expect
all the candidates to demonstrate their commitment to protect and
preserve the community environment by campaigning ‘clean and green’,”
Alvarez said.

The group noted that some of the environmental degradation committed
in the recent May 10 elections were the nailing of campaign materials
on trees and other places prohibited by the Commission on Elections,
wasting too much campaign funds and materials, driving smoke-belching
campaign vehicles, blasting extremely loud political jingles and
speeches, leaving trash in campaign sorties and not removing campaign
items after the polls.

It also noted the failure of most politicians to integrate the
environmental agenda into their campaign platforms and pledges.

EcoWaste is providing practical guidelines for a clean and green
campaign for barangay and SK candidates.

The environmentalists recommended that each candidate should assign a
person or team in the campaign structure who will be responsible for
“greening” the campaign strategies and activities.

It also asked candidates to refrain from using excessive campaign
materials, such as leaflets, pamphlets, posters, stickers, decals,
cloth and tarpaulin streamers, and other campaign paraphernalia.

“As much as possible, propaganda materials should be in post-consumer
recycled paper and carry a friendly reminder (to protect nature),”
Alvarez said.

“Candidates should refrain from using campaign materials that are
hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings and balloons,
which often get burned or discarded in waterways, seas and dumpsites,”
he said.

The group also reminded politicians to spare trees from propaganda
materials that can harm and even kill them.

For litter-free campaign meetings, sorties and related activities,
EcoWaste recommended to shun throwing confetti, exploding firecrackers
or releasing balloons in campaign events.

“Refrain from using styrofoam, plastic bags and other single-use
containers for volunteers’ meals and drinks. Set up segregated waste
bins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards in campaign
assemblies,” it said.

“Designate ‘eco-volunteers’ to look after the bins and guide the
public in the proper separation of their discards. Clean up right
after the campaign event. Hire eco-aides to handle the segregated
wastes for recycling and composting,” it added.

“We hope that all candidates will heed this urgent call for
environmental leadership and action by campaigning ‘clean and green’
and by putting environmental conservation and protection at the core
of their platforms to serve,” it said.

Read More

“By simply banning it, tapos ang problema”—Villar

KUNG political will ang kailangan para masugpo ang pamamayagpag ng
jueteng, ito rin ang dapat gamitin para wakasan ang paggamit ng
plastic bags na pangunahing basura na dahilan ng mga pagbabara ng
estero at mga kanal tuwing bumabaha.

May mga pag-aaral ang Eco Waste Coalition na ang mga produktong
plastic, partikular ang plastic bags ay mula sa ‘petroleum’ at ito ay
non-biodegradable o hindi natutunaw.

Sa datos ng UN Environment Protection Agency, halos nasa 500 triyon ng
plastic bags ang nakukunsumo sa buong mundo kada taon subali’t wala pa
sa isang porsyento nito ang nare-recycle.

Magugunita na makalipas ang bagyong Ondoy at Pepeng nitong 2009, halos
mga plastic bags ang nakuhang basura na nakabara sa mga kanal.

Maraming buhay ang nawala, bilyun-bilyong piso ang halaga ng pinsala
mula sa inprastraktura, agrikultura, maituturing na malaking dagok sa
ating ekonomiya.

Sa joint committee hearing ng Senate Committee on Trade and Industry
ni Sen. Manuel Villar at Environment Committee ni Sen. Juan Miguel
Zubiri, iginiit ni Villar ang 100 porsyento rekomendasyon sa
pagbabawal ng paggamit ng plastik bags.

Ito ay matapos na marinig ang panig ng ilang mga imbitado mula sa
non-government organizations at hindi tuluyang makumbinsi sa mga rason
ng mga may-ari ng pagawaan ng plastic sa bansa.

“By simply banning it, tapos ang problema. It can spawn other
businesses,” diin ni Villar.

Iginiit ni Crispian Lao, president, Philippine Plastic Industry
Association, “recycled plastic are not burned but transformed to other
products. The problem arises when these plastic bags are not
recovered and when they go straight to dumpsites or waterways or
bodies of water. There are no harmful emissions because we transfer
it to onother product.”

Sinabi pa nito na nagkakaroon lamang ng problema sa paggamit ng
plastic bags ay yung maninipis ang pagkagawa at agad na itinatapon
dahil mabilis mapunit. Ang makakapal naman ay maaaring i-recycle ng
paulit-ulit.

Kinontra din ni Lao ang pahayag ng Solid Waste Management Association
of the Philippines (SWAPP) na 75 porsyento ng basura mula sa Local
Government Units (LGUs). “These plastic wastes go to recycling
facilities.”

Nabatid din sa pagdinig na 7,000 lamang mula sa 42,000 barangays ang
may ‘segregation and ecological waste management.”

Ayon kay Villar, sa halip na plastic ay gumamit ng recycable at
environment-friendly bags sa pamimili, sa shopping malls o sa
pamamalengke gaya ng mga bayong.

Naniniwala ang mambabatas na dapat suportahan ang kampanayang ito
laban sa paggamit ng plastic bags dahil makatutulong ito na makatipid
sa enerhiya at mga likas na yaman. Makababawas din ito sa bulto ng
basura na itinatapon sa araw-araw at himukin ang bawat mamamayan na
isulong ang pangangalaga sa ating kalikasan at kapaligiran.

Inirekomenda rin ni Villar sa shopping malls, groceries at mga
tindahan na i-charge o pabayaran ang bawat plastic bag na lalagyan ng
pinamili at ang benta nito ay dapat na mapunta sa isang foundation.
“Baka naman kasi pagkakitaan pa nila ito.”

Tinukoy naman ni Sonia Mendoza, chairperson, Mother Earth Foundation,
na ang Bangladesh ang kauna-unahang bansa na nagbawal sa
pagma-manufacture at paggamit ng plastic bags noong 2002, sinundan ng
South Africa, france, China at Taiwan.

“There is a need to compel manufacturers to implement a take back
system for end-of-life products, particularly single-use plastic
products. Prioritize a law that aims to bans the use of plastic,’ ani
Mendoza .

Kasabay nito, nangangamba si Lao sa posibilidad na mawalan ng
trabaho ang tinatayang 175,000 na mga manggagawa ng plastic kung
isusulong ang pagbabawal ng paggamit ng plastic. Kwarenta (40)
porsyento dito ay ‘plastic bag makers.”

Tiniyak naman ni Villar na bibigyan ng alternatibong industriya ang
nasabing mga manggagawa upang maresolba lamang ang problemang dulot ng
plastic.

MULTA

Alinsunod sa panukala ni Sen. Villar, dapat na striktong ipatupad ng
lahat ng all department stores, malls, at retail establishments namay
3 o higti pang mga sangay o tanggapan sa bansa na may capital na
mahigit sa P5 milyon ang paggamit ng ‘reusable and
environment-friendly shopping bags.’



Matapos ang tatlong taon na ‘effectivity’ ng naturang batas, dapat na
maging pangunahing ‘requirement’ ito sa sinomang nagnanais na
magparehistro na makapagtayo ng negosyo.

Magmumulta ng mahigit sa P100,000 ang mapatutunayang establisemento na
lalabag sa naturang batas at pagsasawalang bisa ng lisensiya nito na
makapa-operate ng kanilang negosyo.

Basura sa Laguna de Bay, kinunsinte ni Cataquiz

KINUKUWESTIYUN ng mga residente ng Southpeak sa San Pedro, Laguna kung
bakit kinukunsinte ng mga local na opisyales ang pagtatapon ng
tone-toneladang basura dito gayung nalalason nito ang mismong Laguna
de Bay na pinagmumulan ng kanilang kabuhayan.

Ayon sa isang residente na matagal nang naninirahan sa Southpeak,
tinatayang anim na kilometro lamang ang lapit ng dumpsite sa bunganga
ng Laguna de Bay.

Dumadaloy ang nakalalasong katas ng basura at iba pang polusyon sa
Laguna de Bay dahil sa Tunasan River na nagsisimula sa mababang bahagi
ng dumpsite.

Ang Laguna de Bay ang pangunahing lawa na pinagmumulan ng mga isdang
tabang na nabibili sa Metro Manila. Higit sa 70 porsiyento ng mga
isdang ibinebenta sa mga lokal na palengke ay huli mula rito.

Pangingisda ang pangunahing hanapbuhay ng mga naninirahan sa paligid
ng lawa at nanganganib na magutom ang pamilya ng marami sa mga
mangingisda dahil sa pagkasira ng lawa.

“Ang Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) na inatasan ng DENR
(Department of Environment and Natural Resources) para protektahan ang
Laguna de Bay ay parang nagsasawalang-kibo at hindi iniintindi ang
matinding panganib na dulot nito,” anang source.

Marami sa mga resident ng Southpeak ang nagdududa kung may kinalaman
ba dito si San Pedro Mayor Calixto R. Cataquiz dahil patuloy pa rin
ang operasyon ng dumpsite sa kabila ng kanilang pagtutol.

Batid na rin ng pulisya ng San Pedro ang pagkakaroon ng mga armadong
guwardiya sa palibot ng dumpsite kaya ganoon na lamang ang pangamba
ng ilang grupong makakalikasan na sadyain ang lugar para pag-aralan
ang tunay na sitwasyon doon.

“Totoo ang kasabihang ‘may pera sa basura.’ Pero ang hindi naiisip ng
mga taong nagkakamal ng milyon-milyong tongpats na maaaring
magkaroon ng malalaking problema sa kalusugan at kalikasan ang
mamamayan ng San Pedro,” ayon sa isang konsehal na tumangging
magpakilala.

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Successful Implementation of Medical Waste Treatment in Tanzania

Health Care Without Harm and partners today released a report showing how steam-based disinfection was used in an Tanzanian hospital to treat medical waste rather than incinerating it.

In many hospitals in the developing world, small scale incinerators are used to dispose of medical waste. Not so Bagamoyo District Hospital, on the coast of Tanzania in east Africa. Since October 2008, they have been using an autoclave and shredder to render their waste harmless before disposal.

Ruth Stringer, International Science and Policy Coordinator for Health Care Without Harm said “Poor or non-existant medical waste treatment is a threat to the health of literally millions of people worldwide, so we designed this pilot project to demonstrate a safe and sustainable way of treating it.” She also praised the many organizations who came together to make the project a success.

“From the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, through UNDP/GEF, JSI, AGENDA, the local administration and the hospital staff themselves, everyone has played their part to show that this is a perfectly soluble problem.”

AGENDA, a Tanzanian NGO, provided much of the on-the-ground support for the technology. “The system passed every efficacy test we ran” said Jamal Kiama, who is trained as a chemical and process engineer. “There were also few very maintenance problems, and all were fixed by local engineers. This kind of technology will be applicable right across Africa”.

As well as the technology, the human side is essential too. “JSI’s Making Medical Injections Safer programme trained the staff in how to segregate and handle the waste properly” said the Country Director, Dr Ernest Chenya. “We have reached out across the country with our training in injection safety. It is important to see that syringes and infectious waste are also treated and disposed of safely and sustainably”.

Another advantage of steam based waste treatment is that it avoids the creating of toxic chemicals such as the dioxins and furans, which are emitted from incinerators. Jorge Emmanuel, Chief Technical Advisor to the UNDP/GEF Global Medical waste project, and expert advisor on the project, said “Tanzania is one of over 150 countries that has committed to try and eliminate dioxins and furans, which build up in the food chain and can have effects at doses measured in millionths of a gram. We can estimate that by installing this system, the hospital has avoided emissions of almost 4 grams a year.”

The hospital will continue to use the system, but the team members are already building on their success. The UNDP/GEF project is funding research at the University of Dar es Salaam which will improve on the design of the Bagamoyo system. Professor Jamidu Katima,Principal of College of Engineering and Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam is leading the development. “We have identified a number of modifications which will allow us to process the waste more economically and to make the machines more reliable and easier to maintain. The first prototypes are only a matter of months away.”

Health Care Without Harm is very excited to be part of the UNDP/GEF project, according to Stringer. “More and more people are interested in installing non-incineration medical waste management technologies” she says. “Autoclaving is already a dominant technology in Europe and the US. In Bagamoyo we have demonstrated how effective it can be in Africa. We envision more and more healthcare systems switching in the coming months and years.”

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Cadmium in children’s jewelry

A GROUP campaigning for children’s safety from harmful chemicals has
called attention to the latest toxic scare sweeping across the U.S.
today: cadmium, a known carcinogen, in children’s jewelry.

The EcoWaste Coalition, which recently asked the Aquino government to
test toys for toxic chemicals as the Christmas season looms, revealed
that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has so far
issued five recall orders for cadmium-tainted children’s jewelry from
China, prompting policymakers to seek stringent standards.

The California State Senate, for instance, approved a law last August
banning the manufacture, shipment or sale of children’s jewelry
containing more than 0.03 percent cadmium by weight beginning in 2012.

From January to July this year, the CPSC issued recall orders
targeting more than 200,000 “made-in-China” children’s jewelry due to
their high levels of cadmium, warning that “cadmium is toxic if
ingested by young children and can cause adverse health effects.”

Among the items recalled were children’s metal necklaces, pendants,
rings, bracelets, earrings and trinkets that were imported from China
and sold in various retail outlets in the U.S.

While cadmium is listed in the revised Priority Chemical List
comprised of 48 chemicals, the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) has yet to issue a chemical control order (CCO) that
will regulate the use of cadmium and cadmium compounds.

The DENR has so far issued only four CCOs for asbestos, cyanide,
mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls.

CCOs are issued to prevent and reduce serious risks to public health,
workplace and the environment from the “priority chemicals.”

According to the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR), breathing high levels of cadmium can severely damage the
lungs. Eating food or drinking water with very high levels severely
irritates the stomach, leading to vomiting and diarrhea.

Long-term exposure to lower levels of cadmium, the ATSDR said, in air,
food, or water leads to a buildup of cadmium in the kidneys and may
raise the risk of kidney disease. Other long-term effects are lung
damage and fragile bones.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) has determined
that cadmium and cadmium compounds are known human carcinogens.

According to the Europe-based Safe Toys Coalition, children are much
more sensitive to exposure to toxic chemicals than adults.

“Their body systems are still premature and developing. Due to their
different behavior, they have different patterns of exposure, like
putting things in the mouth. They are unaware of risks and unable to
protect their health,” a statement by the Safe Toys Coalition said.

“Even the smallest amounts of hazardous chemicals are sufficient to
harm the development of a child -- sometimes with life-long
consequences. The increasing allergy and cancer rates demonstrate
this,” the Safe Toys Coalition warned.

Considering the above, the national authorities, I hope, will respond
to this newly-recognized threat against children’s health and safety.

Government action against cadmium in children’s jewelry will be in
line with the Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management
(SAICM) that seeks to “prevent the adverse effects of chemicals on the
health of children and other vulnerable groups and susceptible
environments.”

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Eco groups push for law to stop 'plastic pollution'

Environmental advocates have asked lawmakers
to ratify a law that control the reckless use and disposal of plastic
bags.

The EcoWaste Coalition together with other environmental groups have
pushed for a law that would prevent the continuous “plastic pollution”
in the country.

“The push for a robust legislation on plastic bags is totally
justified given the widespread contamination of the environment from
the unabated production, use and disposal of plastic bags,” the group
said.

The groups also appealed to the lawmakers to support the “Ondoy Act”
to end the plastic pollution in the communities.

Among those policies that the groups seek for are the ban of free
plastic bags distribution in commercial establishments; imposition of
plastic bag environmental tax; total ban of the plastic bags; and
prohibition of the importation of plastic bags and other single-use
disposables.

The group also asked the lawmakers to reinforce the prohibition
against littering, dumping and burning of plastic waste; put up
livelihood programs in the countryside to support the production of
bayong and other reusable bags from native materials; provide
continuing public education on the health, environmental and climate
impacts of plastic bags among others.

The advocates said “plastic bags end up mostly in the seas and
dumpsites where they take a long period of time to break into
miniscule bits of toxic chemicals, polluting the soil and water as
well as the food chain when animals mistake them for food.”

To get the attention of the lawmakers, the Eco groups have put
"LeOndoy," a plastic garbage monster made of used grocery bags, at the
Senate gate to address and remind legislators of the need to “tame the
plastic monster.”

Among those who joined the thrust were the Buklod Tao, Global Alliance
for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Kinaiyahan
Foundation, Miss Earth Foundation, Mother Earth Foundation, Philippine
Earth Justice Center and Zero Waste Philippines.

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Senators endorse bill mandating environment-friendly bags

SENATORS moved to ban plastic shopping bags and instead require
shopping malls and retailers to use recyclable and
environment-friendly bags.

The remedial legislation is contained in separate bills filed by Sens.
Loren Legarda, Manuel Villa and Miriam Santiago.

This developed as environment advocates, led by the EcoWaste
Coalition, put up a plastic garbage monster made of used grocery bags
outside the Senate compound as senators opened hearings on the three
bills to remind lawmakers of the need to “tame the  plastic monster”
one year after killer typhoon Ondoy hit the country.

The coalition pleaded with the senators to speed up passage of a law
to stop “the reckless use and disposal of plastic bags.”

At the hearing, Villar recalled that  exactly a year ago, Typhoon
Ondoy swamped much of Metro Manila to extraordinary level of
floodwater. “I still remember that the minute the floodwaters receded,
one of the obvious observations was that the plastic thrash had been
found to be a major cause of blocked drainage and floodways,” he said.

He noted that a survey conducted by the National Solid Waste
Commission of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in
2003 found that plastic materials comprised 15 percent of all solid
waste generated in Metro Manila.

“More recently, a survey conducted by the Quezon City Environmental
Protection and Waste Management Department at the Payatas Disposal
Facility this year found that plastic materials comprised 21 percent
of all garbage dumped at the facility. Plastic bags in particular,
comprised more than half of this amount,” he added.

Villar pressed for the early enactment of a law that will promote the
use of environment-friendly bags to conserve energy and natural
resources, reduce the volume of waste disposed daily, diminish plastic
bag litter and invite citizens to actively participate in practices
that promote a clean and sustainable environment.

Under Villar’s proposal, all department stores, malls, and retail
establishments with three or more stores, sales offices or branches
nationwide or those with capitalization of more than P5 million are
mandated to utilize reusable and environment-friendly shopping bags.

After three years of effectivity of the Act, the use of
environment-friendly bags is mandated in all commercial establishments
and shall be mandated as a requirement of registering or operating a
business or commercial endeavour.

Violation of this act will mean a penalty of revocation of license or
permit to operate a business and a fine of not less than P100,000.
Fines collected as penalties shall be constituted as a special
environment fund that will be used to disseminate information geared
towards the protection on Mother Earth.

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Let us junk our 'throw away' culture

Last Sunday, Sept. 26, we sadly commemorated the first anniversary of
Ondoy, the worst typhoon to hit Metro Manila to date. It was a
Saturday if it’s any consolation, it would have been worse had it
happened on a weekday when more people (including schoolchildren)
would have been out of their homes going about their humdrum day.

The untold destruction (the loss of lives and property) Ondoy left in
its wake remains vivid in the memory. It will not soon be forgotten.

But to quote William Wordsworth, “We will grieve not, rather find
strength in what remains behind.”

Sad to say, one thing that has remained behind, so say our waste and
climate advocates, is the Filipino consumers’ “throw away” culture,
which ought to be junked so we could restore Metro Manila’s (and the
country’s) ecological balance and health.

For starters, the EcoWaste Coalition, an anti-waste and pollution
watchdog, and allied groups are pushing for a concerted action to curb
crass consumerism as shown in the thoughtless use and disposal of
plastic bags and other single-use packaging materials.

Roy Alvarez, EcoWaste Coalition president, looks back (and forward):
“Typhoon Ondoy taught us in a deeply painful and costly way that
practices which defile and destroy the ecosystems have no place in our
fragile planet and should stop.”

He woefull adds, “Our addiction to plastic bags and to everything that
is disposable has exacerbated the effects of the epic flood and made
the post-Ondoy cleanup most difficult.”

As they say, if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the
problem. And to partly solve the problem, Alvarez proposes, “By
switching from disposable plastic bags to reusable bags and
containers, we will dramatically cut our waste size, and clean out our
waterways and dumpsites, which are bursting at the seams.”

Indeed, there’s nothing fantastic about plastic. So instead of plastic
bags, for a clean and green planet, eco advocates recommend the use of
practical (down-to-earth), reusable alternatives to plastic bags, such
as bayong and other baskets made of biodegradable plant materials like
anahaw, bamboo, buri, coconut, isay, kalagimay, nipa, rattan, and
water lily. Mind you, they’re eco chic you wouldn’t really mind toting
them to the supermarket or palengke.

Or if you want to be different while making a difference in your own
little way, EcoWaste suggests you design and sew your own reusable bag
from used materials such as rice sacks, flour bags, old curtains, and
worn-out clothes.

Gigie Cruz of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, a
member of the EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Plastic, enjoins
everyone, “In remembrance of all the people who perished in and
suffered from the onslaught of Ondoy, we appeal to all Filipinos
consumers and retailers alike to break the plastic habit and embrace
a plastic bag-free and zero waste lifestyle.”

She adds, “We further ask the authorities to act now on our petition
to forbid single-use plastic bags and not wait for the next Ondoy to
strike.”

In June last year, over 100 groups and individuals signed a petition
asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and
the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) to declare a
unilateral phase-out of “thin film single-use plastic bags to stop the
plastic invasion of the environment.”

Initiated by the EcoWaste Coalition, the petition followed the plea by
Dr. Achim Steiner, executive director of United Nations Environment
Programme, to phase out or ban “thin film single-use plastic bags
which choke marine life.”

Not using plastic bags won’t be that easy in fact, though consumers
are encouraged to use their green or eco bags, supermarkets still use
plastic bags. When we shop, stores still give us plastic bags except
perhaps for a few like Tickles, that popular chain of fun stores,
that’s got its own sleek sack with the clown design.

But something as simple as avoiding the use of plastic bags, the
petitioners can’t stress enough, will have a direct and meaningful
environmental, climate, economic, and cultural benefits, such as:
protection of the coral reefs and all marine animals from plastic
litter; reduction in the release of greenhouse gases, persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), and other harmful chemicals associated with
the production, consumption, and disposal of plastic bags; and
reversal of the “plasticization” of our lifestyle with the increased
promotion and adoption of eco-friendly and non-toxic choices.

Here are the grim statistics: Plastic bags and other synthetic
packaging materials comprised 76 percent of the four cubic meters of
garbage retrieved from Manila Bay in 2006, according to a survey
jointly conducted by EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace volunteers. Out
of the 76 percent, 51 percent consisted of plastic carry bags; 19
percent, junk food wrappers and sachets; five percent, styrofoams; and
one percent, hard plastics. As for the rest of the recovered trash, 10
percent was rubber and 13 percent was biodegradable waste.

Meanwhile, major green networks, led by the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM)
and EcoWaste Coalition, have thrown their support behind a growing
campaign to declare September 26 of every year as “Save Sierra Madre
Day.” The ATM has over 80 members nationwide while EcoWaste has over
100 members.

Fr. Pete Montallana has called attention to the urgency of protecting
the 1.5-million-hectare mountain range from widespread illegal logging
and other “developmental intrusions.”

The Aurora-based Franciscan priest asserts, “Forested mountains are
our best natural defenses against the twin scourges of ‘too much
water’ on one hand, and ‘too little water’ on the other. Ondoy and the
recent drought brought by El Niño could not have done their worst on
the island of Luzon if its once-majestic protector, the Sierra Madre,
had not been so degraded by unabated logging and other developmental
intrusions.”

Jaybee Garganera, ATM national coordinator, states that certain areas
should be declared as “no-go zones” for mining, such as Sierra Madre.

Rei Panaligan, EcoWaste coordinator notes with much concern, “Open
dumpsites, ‘sanitary’ landfills, and other waste disposal facilities
like used tire pyrolysis plants and cement kilns firing solid and
hazardous waste pose toxic threats to Sierra Madre and her capacity
to sustain life amid the climate crisis.”

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Mindfully Greenie "Have we learned from Ondoy?"

On Sept. 26 last year, typhoon “Ondoy” inflicted havoc on hundreds of
thousands of lives and damaged billions of pesos worth of properties.
While the Philippines is a “natural laboratory” for calamities, the
severity of the effects and the extent of destruction brought by Ondoy
were unprecedented. It revealed one glaring fact – we were simply not
prepared to respond to the disastrous effects of climate change.

Government agencies were (and still are) sorely lacking in rescue
equipment, and relied on the private sector and big non-government
organizations for assistance. There was no clear-cut delineation of
functions in disaster management between central and local government
units. The hapless victims and the constituents clearly did not have
the capacity to cope with the catastrophe.

What saved the day then was the massive outpouring of support from the
youth and civil society – always our knights in shining armor when our
ship is perilously close to sinking.

The swift action of the committed citizenry brought hope to the
victims and their families and even to those ready to write off the
country as being close to self-destruction.

We should not forget that the same vigor and enthusiasm of our
volunteers worked again in the May elections. Despite the influx of
funds from moneyed candidates, the people chose to elect a new
administration that promised to strengthen the weakened institutions
and restore our trust in the credibility-ravaged political system.

One year after the tragedy, two laws were passed as our nation’s
response to climate change: R.A. 9729, the Philippine Climate Change
Act of 2009 and R.A. 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Act of 2010. Have these legislative enactments made a
dent in instilling a sense of urgency in the minds of stakeholders,
especially our local government units, to enable our people to respond
to the hazards of climate change and protect our threatened
ecosystems? Except perhaps for Albay Province, we have yet to hear of
concrete programs of LGUs towards the integration of climate change
and disaster risk reduction and management.

Clearly, government’s misplaced priorities, projects incongruous with
sustainable development and the people’s apathy aggravated Ondoy’s
impacts. LGUs are still hung up on projects that are clearly
unsustainable and irrelevant in the era of climate crisis.

Mention must be made that in Cebu, there are planned reclamation
projects in Talisay City and Cordova and another project in Camotes
Island, through a House Bill to reduce, instead of increasing the
protected wildlife areas since they act as carbon sinks – all for the
sake of “economic development.”

Never mind if the scientists are already raising the clarion call for
action to protect our much-threatened biodiversity. The International
Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) declared that the Philippines
now ranks 10th in the world with the most number of threatened species
with 641 species found to be either critically endangered, endangered
or vulnerable.

Perry Alino of the University of the Philippines Marine Science
Institute and his peers, are alarmed at the massive coral bleaching in
our seas. Alino said “The threat is real and the future for our coral
reefs is at great risk and this rich legacy can be lost if we remain
inactive to this crisis.” (Inquirer, Sept. 6).

Bill Granert of the Soil and Water Conservation Foundation laments
that the bleaching “will start a chain reaction in the complex food
web of the reef. The result will probably be a drop in populations of
fish, shellfish and other organisms. This will adversely affect the
protein content of many Filipinos who rely on seafood for these
sources. This also includes the upland dwellers who eat dried fish and
other products from the ocean.”

When we allow our dwindling forests to be annihilated, the seas to be
overfished, protected areas to be exploited and even reduced, water to
be contaminated, septic tanks to be created out of our rivers and
waterways, use and toss plastics anywhere except in our sparklingly
clean homes, and leave communities unprepared to respond to climate
change, then we have not learned the lessons from Ondoy.

Ondoy was a wake-up call for us to embrace conservation and
sustainability as a way of life and as our response to climate change.

One year after the tragedy, have we realized that the key to our
development as a nation lies, not in reliance on the endless promises
of our politicians, but in the still vastly untapped reservoir of
talent, skills and resources of our people?

Now is the perfect time to ask ourselves if we are willing to continue
to be the active stakeholders that we all should be, especially in the
climate-challenged world we are in – and not just when disaster
strikes and pushes us to the edge.

If we did not care if our country was and still is considered a haven
for endemic species of flora and fauna which are considered by
scientists as a “global heritage,” it is never too late.

Let us be like Bianca Nicole Villamor, a child who cares about her
future and who reached out to the environmental lawyers to be trained
so that “that my words and actions will be more effective in helping
care for the environment and bring change to our dying world.”

It is time for swift action to protect and conserve our threatened
ecosystems. We join our colleagues from the EcoWaste Coalition and the
Save Sierra Madre Network (SSMN) in pushing for the campaign to
declare Sept. 26 every year as “Save Sierra Madre Day.” The mountain
needs to be protected from further devastation. If Sierra Madre were
only left untouched by illegal logging and destructive practices, it
is possible that Ondoy’s impact would have been minimized.

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Worst typhoon marked; Filipinos urged to control plastic use

Filipinos commemorated Sunday the first anniversary of the
typhoon that caused the worst floods to hit Manila in 40 years with
climate advocates calling on Filipinos to restore ecological balance.


Typhoon Ondoy (international codename: Ketsana) struck September 26,
2009 and affected four million Filipinos, killed 464, and destroyed
40,000 houses in and around Metro Manila.


Post your reaction to the Manila hostage crisis


Towns and cities staged prayers of remembrance of the victims of the
devastating typhoon. In Rizal province, a memorial was unveiled Sunday
for villagers who perished trying to save neighbors.


The government also announced it has provided rescue boats to help
respond to future inundations.


Office of the Civil Defense Administrator Benito Ramos said 160 rescue
boats have been provided for flood-prone Manila areas and 50 more will
be bought.


During last year's deluge, some army rescuers perished when their
rubber boats sank after being punctured by debris. The new rescue
boats, which can carry 12 to 18 people, have been fitted with
fiberglass hulls to prevent such accidents.


"Nature taught us so many lessons last year," Ramos said.


He also urged squatters to move away from river banks and for people
to dispose garbage properly to help prevent floods.


Meanwhile, the EcoWaste Coalition and allied groups earlier proposed
the switching from using disposable plastic bags to reusable bags and
containers.


"Typhoon Ondoy taught us in a deeply painful and costly way that
practices which defile and destroy the ecosystems have no place in our
fragile planet and should stop," said Roy Alvarez, president of
EcoWaste Coalition.


“Our addiction to plastic bags and to everything that is disposable
has exacerbated the effects of the epic flood and made the post-Ondoy
cleanup most difficult,” he added.


Alvarez also said that switching from disposable plastic bags to
reusable bags and containers will cut waste size and clean out
waterways and dumpsites.


Pampanga Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. also joined the fight on
the use of plastic bags as he introduced Resolution 783 in the House
of Representatives recently.


“The use of plastics being non-biodegradable is one of the causes of
ecological degradation; the use of plastic bags as packing materials
of goods sold by business establishments can be attributed as one main
factor in the environmental problems we are facing,” he said.


House Resolution 783 is an act providing for the phase-out of plastic
bags as packing materials of goods sold or disposed by sari-sari
stores, market vendors, department stores, and similar establishments,
prescribing penalties therefore, and for other purposes.


The bill proposes the phase-out of plastic bags, not as an answer, but
as a practical contribution to the demands and needs to solve our
environmental problems, said Gonzales.


“The measure is based on the concept of sacrificing some of our
convenience for the sake of Mother Earth,” he added.


The bill provides that the use of plastic bags as packing materials of
goods sold by sari-sari stores, market vendors, department stores, and
similar establishments shall be prohibited after the phase out period,
two years after its effectivity, as determined by the resolution.


After the phase-out period, only biodegradable plastics shall be
permitted to be used. Other biodegradable materials may also be used
as packing materials, as approved by the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources, the bill said.


The rapid advances in technology, as shown by the creation of
biodegradable plastics, will soften whatever increases in cost the
enactment of this law will bring, said Gonzales.


Gonzales said in the bill that the Department of Science and
Technology is tasked with assisting plastic manufacturers in acquiring
the appropriate technology required in the production of biodegradable
plastic bags.


Once approved violators of the act shall be fined P500 for the first
offense; P700 for the second offense; and P1,000 plus suspension of
the business permit for a period of 30 calendar days.


In lieu of plastic bags, the use of bayong or native woven bags and
other baskets made of biodegradable plant materials such as anahaw,
bamboo, buri, coconut, isay, kalagimay, nipa, rattan, and water lily
are recommended.

Read More

100 kilos of garbage collected from sea floor of Hundred Islands

More than 100 kilos of garbage were
collected from the sea floor of the Hundred Islands National Park
(HINP) during the celebration of the 25th International Coastal
Cleanup Day last Sept. 19.

City Engineer-designate Ismael Najera said these were collected by 15
professional divers known as ‘Scubasureros’ who dived in the water of
the HINP and participated in the coastal cleanup.

The divers came from the Philippine National Police at Camp Crame,
Philippine Army, PA Scout Rangers, some of the city’s professional
divers and a member of the Indonesian Army.

They scoured the ocean floor near the Cuenco, Clave and Quezon Islands
to collect garbage and debris that had gathered there over the years.

Najera said the divers collected plastics, cans, broken bottles,
pieces of wood and even clothes and sandals that might have been
thrown indiscriminately by tourists.

In other coastal communities, barangay leaders, concerned residents
and students combed the long coastline for debris.

They cleaned up the mangrove areas of Bued, Sabangan, Cayucay, Mona,
Baley-daan and Pangapisan, Bolo Beach in Barangay Pandan, and the
beaches in Barangays Telbang and Victoria.

Najera said Alaminos residents vowed to continue protecting the city’s
environment in any time of the year as their commitment to the thrust
on environmental protection of Mayor Hernani Braganza.

The coastal cleanup had for its theme: Trash travels: From our hands,
to sea, around the globe, through the time."

Councilor James Earl Aquino, city council's chairman on agriculture
who represented Mayor Braganza during the occasion, said trash will
never reach to sea if the people know how to dispose this properly.

He said because of the collective efforts of the Alaminos people over
the years, the city is not only dengue-free but also has not recorded
any incident of fish kill.

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1,500 Sacks of Garbage Collected in Manila Bay

Various environmental and maritime groups
yesterday conducted a massive coastal clean-up in different parts of
the country as part of the 25th International Coastal Clean-up Day.

Lieutenant Commander Armando Balilo, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
Public Information Officer and deputy chief staff for community
relations said that being one of the lead agencies together with the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on marine
environmental protection, its part of their duty to maintain the
cleanliness of not only of the shoreline but the entire territorial
waters.

According to Captain Lyndon La Torre, PCG deputy chief of staff for
marine environmental protection that a total of 1,500 sacks of garbage
were collected by the PCG volunteers in just three hours of clean-up
along the area of Manila Bay.

“Most of the waste collected by the volunteers during the clean-up
were plastics bags which is very hazardous to the marine environment
especially that it is a non biodegradable material”, La Torre said.

Several maritime stakeholders also participated in the said event
which is also the culminating activity of the International Maritime
Week. Last Friday, the PCG, Philippine Navy and private shipping firms
conducted a marine pollution exercise on combating oil spill.

In Anilao, Batangas members of the Coast Guard Special Operations
Group (CGSOG) scuba divers also conducted a clean-up on various dive
spot in the said area.

Dubbed as “Scubasurero”, the CGSOG divers led by their commanding
officer, Lieutenant Commander Marco Gines conducted a clean-up along
the coral reefs in the said area.

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Strong law to put an end to plastic pollution urged

Environmental health and justice advocates on
Monday asked senators to enact a law to bring the reckless use and
disposal of plastic bags under control.

A text survey conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition among its partner
groups revealed a range of proposals on what an effective law should
stipulate to effectively prevent and reduce waste and pollution from
plastic bags. The top 12 ideas that the groups would like to see in
the envisioned plastic law are as follows:

1. Ban the practice of giving free plastic bags to consumers in all
commercial establishments.

2. Impose plastic bag environmental tax or levy.

3. Prohibit the use of plastic bags (i.e., thin film single-use
plastic bags) as “banderitas.”

4. Phase out and eventually ban plastic sando bags.

5. Bar the importation of plastic bags and other single-use
disposables such as polystyrene food and beverage containers.

6. Require commercial establishments to offer reusable alternatives to
plastic bags.

7. Direct supermarkets and other retail and wholesale shops to allow
their customers to bring and use “bayong” and other substitute
containers for goods purchased.

8. Stipulate producer responsibility and accountability, including a
mandatory take back for used bags.

9. Reinforce the prohibition against the littering, dumping, and
burning plastic waste.

10. Put up livelihood programs in the countryside to support the
production of bayong and other reusable bags from native materials.

11. Provide continuing public education on the health, environmental,
and climate impacts of plastic bags.

12. Observe and participate in the “International Plastic Bag Free
Day” every 3rd of July.

Among those that responded in the survey were Buklod Tao, Global
Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Southeast Asia,
Kinaiyahan Foundation, Miss Earth Foundation, Mother Earth Foundation,
Philippine Earth Justice Center, and Zero Waste Philippines.

According to the groups, plastic bags end up mostly in the seas and
dumpsites where they take a long period of time to break into
miniscule bits of toxic chemicals, polluting the soil and water as
well as the food chain when animals mistake them for food.

As explained by Senator Manny Villar in Senate Bill 1103, “plastics
are essentially non-biodegradable, take more than 100 years to
dissolve, pollute the air and water, and damage natural habitat.”

Citing information from the UN report “Marine Litter—trash that
kills,” the EcoWaste Coalition said that plastics comprise 90 percent
of floating marine debris worldwide. In the Philippines, a plastic
discards survey organized by the EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace in
2006 showed that 76 percent of garbage found drifting in the historic
Manila Bay were plastic materials, 51 percent of which were plastic
bags.

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago in her explanatory note for Senate
Bill 1543 said that “somewhere between 500 billion to a trillion
plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year and millions end up in
the litter stream outside of landfills.”

In introducing Senate Bill 1368, Senate Loren Legarda said that “in
all instances plastic bags are easily moved from place to place,
clogging drainages in streets, polluting waterways and even
endangering fish and ecosystems,” adding that “the production of these
bags requires considerable amounts of crude oil and natural gas.”

"We ask our lawmakers to heed the admonition from Mother Earth and
support the envisaged 'Ondoy Act' to stop further plastic pollution of
our communities," the EcoWaste Coalition said.

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Green advocates push for a strong law to put an end to plastic pollution

A day after the first anniversary of typhoon
Ondoy, environmental health and justice advocates on Monday went to
the Senate to ask the lawmakers to enact a robust law to bring the
reckless use and disposal of plastic bags under control.

To draw the senators’ attention, members of the EcoWaste Coalition put
"LeOndoy," a plastic garbage monster made of used grocery bags at the
Senate gate to greet and remind legislators of the need to “tame the
plastic monster.”

The event coincided with the joint hearing called by the Senate
Committee on Trade and Commerce, chaired by Sen. Manny Villar, and the
Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, chaired by Sen. Juan
Miguel Zubiri, to discuss bills filed by Senators Loren Legarda,
Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Manny Villar on plastic bags.

“We have come here today to tell the Senators of the urgency of
enacting a robust law to tame the plastic monster that is wreaking
havoc on our fragile ecosystems,” declared Sonia Mendoza of the
EcoWaste Coalition’s Task Force on Plastics.

Senators Legarda, Santiago and Villar, suggested Mendoza, should
consolidate their legislative bills into a more encompassing “Ondoy
Act for Plastic Pollution Prevention and Reduction" that will
progressively cut the use of plastic bags, with time-specific target
for phase out and eventual ban, and assertively promote ecological
alternatives.

“We hope that our lawmakers will prioritize such a critical
environmental legislation and ensure its approval during the 15th
Congress for the sake of Mother Earth. It will surely help if P-Noy
will certify the bill as priority legislative measure,” added Gigie
Cruz, another member of the Task Force on Plastics, who noted the
failure of past Congresses to adopt essential regulations on plastics.

A text survey conducted by the EcoWaste Coalition among its partner
groups revealed a range of proposals on what an effective law should
stipulate to effectively prevent and reduce waste and pollution from
plastic bags.

Among those who responded were Buklod Tao, Global Alliance for
Incinerator Alternatives, Greenpeace Southeast Asia, Kinaiyahan
Foundation, Miss Earth Foundation, Mother Earth Foundation, Philippine
Earth Justice Center and Zero Waste Philippines.

The top 12 ideas that the groups would like to see in the envisioned
plastic law are as follows:

1. Ban the practice of giving free plastic bags to consumers in all
commercial establishments.

2. Impose plastic bag environmental tax or levy.

3. Prohibit the use of plastic bags (i.e., thin film single-use
plastic bags) as “banderitas”.

4. Phase out and eventually ban plastic sando bags.

5. Bar the importation of plastic bags and other single-use
disposables such as polystyrene food and beverage containers.

6. Require commercial establishments to offer reusable alternatives to
plastic bags.

7. Direct supermarkets and other retail and wholesale shops to allow
their customers to bring and use “bayong” and other substitute
containers for goods purchased.

8. Stipulate producer responsibility and accountability, including a
mandatory take back for used bags.

9. Reinforce the prohibition against the littering, dumping and
burning plastic waste.

10. Put up livelihood programs in the countryside to support the
production of bayong and other reusable bags from native materials.

11. Provide continuing public education on the health, environmental
and climate impacts of plastic bags.

12. Observe and participate in the “International Plastic Bag Free
Day” every 3rd of July.

The push for a robust legislation on plastic bags, the groups said is
totally justified given the widespread contamination of the
environment from the unabated production, use and disposal of plastic
bags.

According to the groups, plastic bags end up mostly in the seas and
dumpsites where they take a long period of time to break into
miniscule bits of toxic chemicals, polluting the soil and water as
well as the food chain when animals mistake them for food.

As explained by Sen. Villar in Senate Bill 1103, “plastics are
essentially non-biodegradable, take more than 100 years to dissolve,
pollute the air and water and damage natural habitat.”

Citing information from the UN report “ Marine Litter – trash that
kills,” the EcoWaste Coalition said that plastics comprise 90 percent
of floating marine debris worldwide.

In the Philippines, a plastic discards survey organized by the
EcoWaste Coalition and Greenpeace in 2006 showed that 76 percent of
garbage found drifting in the historic Manila Bay were plastic
materials, 51 percent of which were plastic bags.

Sen. Santiago in her explanatory note for Senate Bill 1543 said that
“somewhere between 500 billion to a trillion plastic bags are consumed
worldwide each year and millions end up in the litter stream outside
of landfills.”

In introducing Senate Bill 1368, Senate Legarda said that “in all
instances plastic bags are easily moved from place to place, clogging
drainages in streets, polluting waterways and even endangering fish
and ecosystems,” adding that “the production of these bags requires
considerable amounts of crude oil and natural gas.”

"We ask our lawmakers to heed the admonition from Mother Earth and
support the envisaged 'Ondoy Act' to stop further plastic pollution of
our communities," the EcoWaste Coalition said.

Read More

2nd batch of caregivers-to-be off to Japan

Following the provisions of the Japan-Philippines
Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), the second batch of 10
Filipino caregivers-to-be are scheduled to leave for Japan today,
September 26, the Japanese embassy here said in a news release.

Minister Akio Isomata, Minister for Economic Affairs at the embassy,
attended the send-off ceremony last Friday at the HEDC Building in UP
Diliman.

According to the embassy, these Filipino candidate caregivers under
the School Track stipulated in JPEPA will take a two- to four-year
school course in Japan. Upon their arrival in Japan, all candidates
will undergo six months of Japanese language training with the
Association for Overseas Technical Scholarship (AOTS).

Thereafter, they will enroll in caregiver schools in Japan and will be
qualified as careworkers upon completion of the course, it added.

At the send-off, Isomata said: “I don’t mean to frighten you but this
training will be very intensive and fast-paced so that you can acquire
adequate Japanese language skills in a shorter period as six months at
the level with which you can work in Japanese caregiving facilities.”

“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this Japanese language
training because whether or not you will be able to finish your
caregiver school curriculum successfully depends on your Japanese
language ability, as you are all aware.”

He suggested that to learn the language faster, the
candidate-caregivers should mingle with the Japanese people.

“I also hope you will have yourselves fully immersed in the Japanese
language environment, as well as in Japanese culture when you arrive
in Japan,” he added.

The first batch of candidates under the school track went to Japan in
September 2009 and is currently enrolled in caregiver schools.

The much-debated JPEPA has been effective since December 11, 2008.

JPEPA, Isomata said, would strengthen the strategic partnership
between Japan and the Philippines.

“We are neighbour-countries separated only by sea. And as you know,
for a very long time in the history, there has been a continuous
exchange of human resources and this has formed the basis of the good
relationship between our two countries. Your visit to Japan will also
contribute to increasing and maximizing such exchange,” he added.

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Sept. 26 as Save Sierra Madre Day gets support

As the nation recalls today the fury of
tropical storm “Ondoy” last year, environmentalists have thrown their
support behind a growing campaign to declare Sept. 26 of every year
“Save Sierra Madre Day.”

The Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) and the EcoWaste Coalition have expressed
their unity with the Save Sierra Madre Network (SSMN), the lead group
pushing for Save Sierra Madre Day.

The ATM has over 80 members nationwide, while the EcoWaste Coalition
has over 100 members.

Fr. Pete Montallana, one of the SSMN convenors, earlier announced
their plan to mark the first anniversary of Ondoy as Save Sierra Madre
Day to call attention to the urgency of protecting the 1.5-million
hectare mountain range from widespread illegal logging and other
“developmental intrusions.”

“Forested mountains are our best natural defenses against the twin
scourges of ‘too much water’ on one hand, and ‘too little water’ on
the other. Ondoy and the recent drought brought by El Niño could not
have done their worst on the island of Luzon if its once-majestic
protector, the Sierra Madre, has not been so degraded by unabated
logging and other ‘developmental’ intrusions,” the Aurora-based
Franciscan priest said.

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Another 'Ondoy' unlikely "Anniversary of big flood marked this Sunday"

A repeat of the devastation brought about by
tropical storm “Ondoy” a year ago this Sunday is most unlikely to
happen, despite the onset of rain-inducing La Niña, an official of the
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services
Administration (PAGASA) said on Saturday.

Dr. Susan Espinueva, chief of the PAGASA's Hydrometeorology Division,
said there is “a minimal possibility” of another “Ondoy” occurring in
Metro Manila, because the onset of northeast monsoon or
“hangingamihan” is expected to begin in a few weeks from now or as
early as October.

The northeast monsoon is the period when cold wind moves from Siberia
and felt in the Philippines, which is also characterized by a
generally drier condition from November to February.

“When ‘Ondoy’ struck the country, the storm was enhanced by the
southwest monsoon (hanging habagat) and modified by the topography,
that’s why the effect was intense. Those were the ingredients to
massive rains,” Espinueva explained in an interview.

“However, today, we don’t have the southwest monsoon as the northeast
monsoon, which is generally drier, is setting in the country. The
southwest monsoon usually has a tail that enhances a storm, but the
northeast monsoon only affects the path of the storm,” she said.

PAGASA reported that the amount of rainfall dumped by “Ondoy” was
recorded at 455 millimeters, exceeding the highest amount of rainfall
previously documented on June 7, 1967 at 334.5 millimeters.

Ondoy caused massive floods, particularly in Metro Manila and nearby
provinces of Rizal and Laguna, due to non-stop rains on Sept. 26,
2009.

Government records show that almost a million people or about 170,000
families were affected adversely by “Ondoy” in 21 provinces in the
country.

Meanwhile, at least 100,000 families sought shelter in evacuation
shelters due to the floods.

Although PAGASA does not expect a repeat of Ondoy, Espinueva said the
effects of La Niña may be felt beginning October, and will last until
early 2011 in some parts of the country.

“We are still in a transition period from El Niño to La Niña event,
that’s why we do not feel yet the effects of La Niña,” she pointed
out.

“We may feel the effects of a full-blown La Niña in November,
manifested by stronger storms and increased amount of rainfall in some
areas, particularly in the eastern part of the country,” she added.

Espinueva noted that La Niña will not adversely affect Metro Manila
because it is situated in the western portion of the country.

PAGASA characterized La Niña or literally “The Little Girl” as the
cooling of equatorial Pacific Ocean, which occurs every three to five
years on the average that lasts nine months to one year.

“It is most often that we experience typhoons in the last quarter of a
year. The storms during this period cross land or make landfall,
causing massive effects on areas that it will be passing through,”
Espinueva said.

“During La Niña conditions, major parts of the country experience near
normal to above normal rainfall conditions, particularly over the
eastern sections of the country. La Niña conditions also favor
tropical cyclone formation over the western Pacific, which tend to
increase the number of tropical cyclones,” PAGASA said.

Based on the latest La Niña advisory issued by the United States-based
Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA), La Niña strengthened in August, as negative sea
surface temperature anomalies reached at least -1 degree Centigrade
across most of the equatorial Pacific Ocean by the end of the month.

“Nearly all models predict La Niña to continue at least through early
2011. It is likely that the peak strength of this event will be at
least moderate to strong,” it said.

Espinueva said the installation of Doppler radars all over the country
will help the PAGASA monitor and estimate the amount of precipitation
produced by a storm even before an actual rainfall occurs.

At present, three Doppler radars were already in place — in Baler,
Aurora; Baguio City, and Subic Bay.

The Subic Bay radar is being calibrated, while a two-week training for
its use will begin before October.

PAGASA also expects to finish the installation of four other Doppler
radars in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur; Cebu; Tampakan, South Cotabato;
and Tagaytay City.

Espinueva pointed out that there are also automated weather stations
(AWS) in different parts of the country to document rainfall data,
particularly during storms.

PAGASA plans to increase to 160 the number of installed AWS and set up
150 more rain gauges nationwide.

Green advocates, on the other hand, appealed to the public to use
practical reusable alternatives to plastic bags, such as the native
"bayong" to prevent clogging waterways just like what happened during
“Ondoy’s” fury when tons of garbage, mainly plastic items, were
recovered from the Marikina River.

A survey jointly conducted by the Eco-Waste Coalition and Greenpeace
volunteers in 2006 revealed that the extent of plastic bags and other
synthetic packaging materials retrieved from Manila Bay reached 76
percent of the four cubic meters of garbage.

Out of the 76 percent, 51 percent were plastic carry bags, 19 percent
junk food wrappers, and sachets, 5 percent Styrofoam, and one percent
hard plastics.

The rest of the recovered trash, were rubber, 10 percent, and
biodegradable waste, 13 percent.

Better prepared
Malacañang assured that the Aquino administration is doing its best to
prevent the same damage left by Ondoy from occurring in the future.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Department of
Science and Technology (DoST) is now better prepared in handling such
disaster which resulted in loss of lives and properties particularly
in the National Capital Region.

The state weather bureau, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) which is under the DoST,
is now capable of issuing five-day forecasts that can easily be
understood by the public, on top of its daily forecasts.

Disaster prevention
As the nation marks the first anniversary of Ondoy’s onslaught,
authorities are now implementing an aggressive shift of strategy in
the government’s disaster response.

From exerting more efforts on relief and rescue operations, Defense
Secretary and concurrent National Disaster and Coordinating Council
(NDCC) Chairman Voltaire Gazmin said their focus is now more on
disaster prevention.

“We are in the process of fully implementing the mechanisms of a
Disaster Risk Management program, an all encompassing process to shift
from our focus on relief, to being prepared for the probable risks,”
said Gazmin.

Part of the paradigm shift, he said, is to map out all areas that are
at high risk to floods, particularly in densely populated areas in
Metro Manila and urban areas.

Other measures that are continuously being developed, he said, is to
further improve the capability to accurately predict weather
disturbances’ paths and impact, the rapid communication warning and
instructions and the prepositioning of rescue and relief assets in
flood and landslides-prone areas.

“We are currently implementing practical, scientific ways and means to
at least reduce the impact of last year’s tragedy. Mother Nature has
its way of expressing her displeasure and we may have to radically
adapt to extreme weather conditions. We must be prepared for the
unexpected,” said Gazmin.

“We can all avoid turning into hapless victims by becoming aware and
knowledgeable of what to do in times of disasters. We can also prevent
if not reduce the impact of last year’s flash floods by preserving our
environment,” he added.

Gazmin said simple acts of shunning indiscriminate dumping of garbage,
from every small piece of paper or plastic, would be of big help since
it may prevent clogging the sewers.

National survival agenda
Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said it’s not enough to
identify the problem but act to address it even as he called on the
government for the formation of a national survival agenda anchored on
public finance and adaptation to climate change.

“We know about the terrible effects of climate change and we are aware
that its impacts on the Philippines will worsen. Yet, it is simply not
enough to just name the problem," said Enrile. "We need to identify
long-term solutions to the climate crisis along with the means to fund
programs that will allow our people to cope with the rapidly and
dangerously changing climate," Enrile said.

Realizing the real threat of climate change, Enrile called for the
retooling of the national budget to address the vulnerabilities of
Filipino communities facing the projected increase in severity and
frequency of extreme weather events. The Senate President said he is
studying, and will file, a bill “that will create a survival fund for
local governments in anticipation of worsening impacts such as rising
sea levels, intense flooding and extreme precipitation.”

“We must do everything we can to make sure that our communities better
prepared to face calamities which may once again strike the country.
We don't want a repeat of Ondoy. We want to protect lives and our
communities,” he said.

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Gov't officials, beauty queens, environmentalists join hands in Manila

Government officials, beauty queens and
environmentalists joined hands in leading the 25th International
Coastal Cleanup Day at the coastlines of Manila Bay on Saturday, the
eve of the first anniversary of the devastation caused by tropical
cyclone “Ondoy" (Ketsana).

On Sept. 26 last year, Ondoy dumped floodwaters in a vast area of
Metro Manila and nearby provinces, killing scores of people and
leaving thousands of others homeless, aside from destroying billions
of pesos worth of private and public properties, including
infrastructure facilities.

Volunteers from the academe, national government agencies, concerned
local government units (LGUs) and stakeholders in private sector
joined Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Secretary Ramon Paje in cleaning up the Manila Bay coastlines.

Paje was in Bacoor, Cavite together with Cavite Congresswoman Lani
Mercado, Governor Juanito Victor Remulla Jr., Bacoor Mayor Strike B.
Revilla and Miss Earth beauties.

Participants gathered at the reclaimed area near the Coastal Road
Extension in Bacoor to clean up the coast.

Similar environmental activities were held at the Mall of Asia area in
Pasay City and along Roxas Boulevard.

Environmental group EcoWaste Coalition renewed its drive against
plastic bags and "environmentally harmful" practices, reminding
Filipino consumers to shun the “throw-away" culture to restore
ecological balance and health.

“Typhoon Ondoy taught us in a deeply painful and costly way that
practices which defile and destroy the ecosystems have no place in our
fragile planet and should stop," EcoWaste president Roy Alvarez said.

EcoWaste and allied groups pushed for concerted action to curb crass
consumerism practices, such as the "thoughtless" use and disposal of
plastic bags and other single-use packaging materials.

The group recommended the use of practical reusable alternatives to
plastic bags, including the “bayong" (traditional market bag) and
other baskets made of biodegradable plant materials such as anahaw,
bamboo, buri, coconut, isay, kalagimay, nipa, rattan and water lily.

Consumers can buy or even design and sew their own reusable bags from
used materials such as rice sacks, flour bags, old curtains and
worn-out clothes, Ecowaste said.

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EcoWaste Coalition calls on the public not to trash the cemeteries

A waste and pollution watchdog has called on the public to observe the
upcoming All Saints’/All Souls’ Days in a manner that will truly honor
the dead by keeping the cemeteries and surrounding communities
trash-free.

The EcoWaste Coalition, an environmental network of more than 100
groups, made the timely appeal as Catholic Filipinos make ready to
visit the cemeteries in huge numbers to pay respect to departed
relatives and friends.

“The beautiful tradition of remembering the dead has become a huge
garbage challenge with the supposedly hallowed burial sites instantly
turning into dumpsites by insensitive visitors,” observed Roy Alvarez,
President of the EcoWaste Coalition.

“Let us respect the dead and not desecrate the cemeteries with trash,”
he pleaded .

“The fragile state of the earth’s climate should rouse us into
simplifying our rituals and make do with less candles, flowers, meals
and definitely less plastic disposables,” he added.

“Through a waste-free ‘Undas,’ we also curb the climate impact of our
memorial day for the dead, increase the recovery and recycling of
resources and lessen the amount of trash going into the dumpsites,” he
added.

The drive for an eco-friendly “Undas” has earned the backing of a
Catholic Church leader.

“We join the EcoWaste Coalition in exhorting the faithful to think
about the environment of the living when remembering our dearly
departed,” stated Caloocan Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr.

“Please cut back on garbage, noise and air pollution for a healthier
environment for all,” Bishop Iñiguez, who also heads the Public
Affairs Committee of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines, said.

To guide the public in observing an eco-friendly “Undas,” the EcoWaste
Coalition has come up with practical suggestions for cemetery
administrators, entrepreneurs and the general public.

Among those who provided suggestions were Bishop Deogracias S.
Iñiguez, Jr., Franciscan priest Father Pete Montallana, statesman
ex-Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. and environmental leaders from Buklod
Tao, Citizens Concerned with Advocating Philippine Environmental
Sustainability, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Mother
Earth Foundation, Sagip Sierra Madre Environmental Society and the
EcoWaste Coalition Secretariat.

I. For cemetery administrators, the Ecowaste Coalition suggests the following:

1. Carry out a recycling program within their sites, including the
possibility of engaging the service of waste pickers in adjacent
neighborhoods.

2. Put up “recycling stations” (at the minimum two separate bins for
biodegradable and non-biodegradable discards), especially in high
traffic areas (entrances, exits, toilets, vendor areas etc.).

3. Hang cloth banners in strategic spots to announce that the cemetery
is a “waste-free zone” and that everyone is enjoined not to litter,
dump or set discards, including grass clippings, ablaze.

4. Integrate the ecological management of discards in catering and
vendor rules and regulations, including essential waste prevention and
reduction requisites.

5. Orient and require other potential waste generators such as the
accredited volunteer support groups to abide by the cemetery waste
policy.

6. Make use of the public address system to politely inform and
persuade all to support the cemetery’s effort to avoid and cut trash.

II. For ambulant merchants, fastfood stalls and other business shops,
the EcoWaste Coalition proposes the following:

1. Refrain from giving away plastic disposables such as bags, straws,
cups and other single-use plastic items. Hand them out only upon
request.

2. Serve food and beverage in reusable glasses and mugs, plates and cutlery.

3. Courteously show your customers where to put their discards for
recycling or disposal.

4. Bring your own trash bags or bins, avoid them from overflowing, and
keep your areas clean at all times.

5. Make a final sweep of your assigned spaces, ensuring that all trash
has been properly removed.

III. For the general public, the Ecowaste Coalition makes the
following suggestions:

1—> Clean the tombs of your departed ones without causing pollution,
for example, from the burning of grass and plant cuttings and garbage
piles.

2—> Walk, bike, carpool or take the public transportation to the cemeteries.

3—> Select clean-burning candles that do not yield black fumes or ash.
Lit a reasonable number only to minimize heat and pollution. Do not
let candles’ plastic receptacles or holders to burn.

4—> Offer local fresh flowers, not plastic ones, or consider bringing
potted plants and flowers instead. Simple, inexpensive flowers will
do. Avoid wrapping floral or plant offerings in plastic, which will
sooner or later end up as trash.

5—> Don’t play loud music, tone down noise in the cemetery and help
make the place conducive for prayers and for family bonding, too.

6—> Bring your own water jug to avoid purchasing bottled water. Please
watch “The Story of Bottled Water” to find out why:
http://storyofstuff.org/bottledwater/

7—> Go for waste-free meals. YES to reusable carriers, containers and
utensils such as lunchboxes and thermos, cloth napkins and silverware.
NO to throw-away bags, wraps, foil or Styrofoam, paper napkins, and
forks and spoons.

Also, refrain from patronizing junkfood and go for simple yet
nutritious home-prepared “baon.”

8—> Buy less or only as much as you know you will consume for items
such as food and beverage. Bring “bayong” or other reusable bags to
carry your stuff and purchases, and refuse plastic bags and wrappers
from vendors.

9—> Cut your waste size by not creating trash in the first place such
as by purchasing products with the least amount of packaging and
avoiding single-use plastic disposables.

10—> Take full responsibility for your discards. Put them into the
recycling bins and never litter. Better still, bring your own discards
bags and bring them home for sorting, reusing, recycling or
composting. Remember to leave the resting places of your loved ones
litter-free.

Buklod Tao, a member group of the EcoWaste Coalition, has kindly
offered to receive used Undas flowers and leaves for shredding in
their facility.
They will also accept discarded fruit juice doi packs that community
members will recycle into bags and other functional items. Buklod Tao
is located at 7 Dama de Noche, Barangay Banaba, San Mateo, Rizal.

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