Plastic bags banned in Marikina cops’ headquarters

The headquarters of the Marikina City police is a zero-plastic zone—well, almost.

A policeman caught bringing a plastic bag into the police station will have to do 20 pushups as penalty. Jail visitors, on the other hand, are stopped whenever the desk officer spots food carried in plastic bags.

The 300-strong police force of Marikina City launched the campaign in January this year, and was admittedly far different from their usual anti-criminality drives, said Senior Superintendent Romeo Magsalos, Marikina police chief.

By his estimate, Magsalos said the police have prevented at least 120,000 plastic bags from being thrown into the Marikina River, and the city’s canals and dumps.

“This is a simple effort. We don’t need huge funds to be able to do this. By merely refusing to use plastic bags and Styrofoam, we can contribute our bit to the prevention of environment degradation,” Magsalos said.

“We were also victims during the ‘Ondoy’ floods and I felt we had to do something,” Magsalos said.

He recounted that while wading through the flood waters last year, he saw countless plastic bags floating in the water.

Magsalos said he is hoping other police stations would follow their lead. “Our job is not only to protect our people but the environment as well,” he said.

“One trillion plastic bags used worldwide every year, and only one percent are recycled. The rest end up in our rivers and oceans,” he said.

“Carrying a plastic bag means 20 pushups for us and a reprimand from the boss,” said Police Officer 2 Dhonnie Deladia of the police’s community relations unit.

He recalled the timPlastic bags banned in Marikina cops’ headquarters

By Niña Calleja
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:27:00 11/19/2010

Filed Under: Synthetics & Plastics, Police, Environmental pollution

MANILA, Philippines—The headquarters of the Marikina City police is a zero-plastic zone—well, almost.

A policeman caught bringing a plastic bag into the police station will have to do 20 pushups as penalty. Jail visitors, on the other hand, are stopped whenever the desk officer spots food carried in plastic bags.

The 300-strong police force of Marikina City launched the campaign in January this year, and was admittedly far different from their usual anti-criminality drives, said Senior Superintendent Romeo Magsalos, Marikina police chief.

By his estimate, Magsalos said the police have prevented at least 120,000 plastic bags from being thrown into the Marikina River, and the city’s canals and dumps.

“This is a simple effort. We don’t need huge funds to be able to do this. By merely refusing to use plastic bags and Styrofoam, we can contribute our bit to the prevention of environment degradation,” Magsalos said.

“We were also victims during the ‘Ondoy’ floods and I felt we had to do something,” Magsalos said.

He recounted that while wading through the flood waters last year, he saw countless plastic bags floating in the water.

Magsalos said he is hoping other police stations would follow their lead. “Our job is not only to protect our people but the environment as well,” he said.

“One trillion plastic bags used worldwide every year, and only one percent are recycled. The rest end up in our rivers and oceans,” he said.

“Carrying a plastic bag means 20 pushups for us and a reprimand from the boss,” said Police Officer 2 Dhonnie Deladia of the police’s community relations unit.

He recalled the time when the police chief saw him holding a plastic bag. “I was punished that day and had to do 20 pushups,” the policeman said.

Deladia added that they were also asked to refrain from using plastic in their homes. “We were told that change must start from us, and we must also teach our children to do the same,” he said.

e when the police chief saw him holding a plastic bag. “I was punished that day and had to do 20 pushups,” the policeman said.

Deladia added that they were also asked to refrain from using plastic in their homes. “We were told that change must start from us, and we must also teach our children to do the same,” he said.

Posted in: Plastic bags banned in Marikina