DUMAGUETE CITY — It is high time that the city gets rid of plastics.
Zero waste advocates here thus believe, prompting them to sign a petition urging the office of the city mayor to implement the plastic regulation ordinance of Dumaguete.
War on Waste (WOW)-Break Free from Plastics co-convenor Maria Mercedes Ferrer said Wednesday the signing of the petition had commenced during the convergence of more than 1,200 youth advocates at Foundation University on Tuesday.
This will be presented to the mayor, with the city council furnished a copy.
The group is urging Mayor Felipe Remollo to implement the plastic-free ordinance of the city which was approved and implemented six years ago but was not sustained.
Ferrer urged lovers of the environment to bring their own reusable bags when shopping or going to the market. She also enjoined the public to start small by simply not using straws in drinking inside restaurants.
She said a door-to-door signature campaign would follow in schools, call centers, government offices and other establishments until the ideal number of signatories was reached to convince the mayor to enforce the ordinance.
Meanwhile, the group will also start a “zero waste” program in coastal barangays with the village of Looc as pilot area.
Ferrer explained that this will have a great impact on the environment as canals, esteros and rivers will be cleaned and fish sanctuaries and the corals will be protected.
Looc was chosen as pilot area because it has a fish sanctuary and is a recipient of wastewater discharges from the poblacion barangays. (Juancho Gallarde/PNA)
