Leyte SP to conduct public hearing on proposed ordinance banning use of plastic bags

TACLOBAN CITY – The Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Leyte will conduct a public hearing on March 1 at 9 a.m. at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Legislative Building for the proposed provincial ordinance banning the usage of plastic bag in the entire province of Leyte.

This was the information provided by the Leyte First District Board Member Roque Tiu who is the chair of the said committee and the chairman of the committee on public information of the provincial board members of Leyte and the main author of the Anti-Plastic Ordinance of the province.

Among those who are invited to the forthcoming public hearing are concerned sectors like market vendors, business establishments’ owners, municipal mayors, the Regional Directors of the Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Environmental Management Bureau.

During the public hearing, the author of the propose ordinance together with the members of committee will gather additional information or obtain additional public input and useful ideas provided by those who are invited as there are sectors in society who are to be affected once the proposed ordinance is passed and approved by the council.

Tiu added that the said public hearing is in preparation for the second reading of the proposed provincial ordinance which he authors.

The provincial ordinance authored by Tiu was in response to the emerging problem caused by plastic bags or its improper disposal as it causes the clogging of waterways during rainy days that resulted to flooding, this aside from being a non-biodegradable material hat harmfully affect the environment and health of human when it is burned.

In previous interview, the regional director of the DTI Director Cynthia Nierras had already announced her support to the proposed ordinance of Tiu as it will help their campaign to entice the public to “go back to basic” or to use indigenous and alternative materials such as “bayong” and paper bags.

Tiu and Nierras, however, clarified that the ordinance does not mean to totally prohibit the usage of plastic bag but rather limit its usage, as there are commodities and products that needs to be package with the use of plastic.

Leyte province is not the first local government unit to propose such ordinance.

Among those who first implemented such kind of ordinance are the municipality of Los Baños in Laguna, Burgos of Pangasinan and the city of Muntinlupa.

Tiu in earlier interview stressed that once his proposed ordinance is passed and approved by the members of the provincial board, they will forward a copy of the said ordinance to the members of city council of Ormoc and Tacloban in order for the members of the city council of the two cities that are politically independent to the provincial government to adopt and create same ordinance banning the usage of plastic bags. (ROEL AMAZONA)