By Nef Luczon/PNA
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — The city’s Regulatory and Complaint Board (RCB) is willing to assist the local government in monitoring the implementation of the single-use plastics ban, which will take effect on January 1, 2019.
Lawyer Edgardo Uy, RCB chief, on Saturday said although the board’s mandate does not include enforcing the plastics ban, it will dip its fingers on it if called to do so.
Uy noted that RCB is part of the task force that implements the city’s anti-smoking ban, although the board is not compelled by law to do so.
The plastic regulation is based on City Ordinance No. 13378-2018 or the “Integrated Eco-biological Solid Waste Management Ordinance of Cagayan de Oro City”.
Uy said the RCB was created in 1979 to regulate the operation of movie houses and other places of amusement, but the board’s functions have been expanded after the ordinance that created it was amended in 1994.
“RCB’s mandate expanded, as it had to regulate gambling houses, lodging houses, and similar establishments,” he added.
Recently, RCB members were busy inspecting firecracker and pyrotechnic stores in the city, seeing to it that the vendors complied with special permits and safety regulations.
