MANILA, Philippines — A group advocating for zero waste and toxic-free environment on Thursday slammed the brazen littering at Rizal Park where thousands of people welcomed and spent Christmas Day.
EcoWaste Coalition denounced the persistent littering by park visitors and underscored that the inconsiderate and irresponsible act that should not be repeated for celebrations on New Year’s Eve and the overnight vigil preceding the traslacion of the Black Nazarene on January 9.
“While we thank the park maintenance workers for diligently sweeping up after the visitors, we despise the brazen littering by some uncaring people because this is not an OK thing to do,” Jove Benosa, the group’s zero waste campaigner, said in a statement.
Benosa noted that among those left by uncaring visitors were plastic bags, bottles, cups, plastic utensils, paper, styrofoam food containers and food leftovers.
“Litter is not only unsightly but also unhygienic and polluting. Litter attracts flies and rats and causes the spread of diseases while creating rotting smell from food waste. Litter, especially single-use plastic bags, can be blown or washed into waterways and the oceans, harming aquatic life,” he said.
Littering, he added, is an offense that can be fined with P300 to P1,000 or sanctioned with community service of up to 15 days under the Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management.
Manila City Ordinance 7866 also penalizes the illegal disposal of garbage with a fine of P3,000 or imprisonment of 30 days or both depending on the discretion of the court.
“Let’s all cooperate in protecting Rizal Park and other green spaces from turning into virtual dumps by sticking with the eco-mantra ‘take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but memories, kill nothing but time’ and by just simply being respectful to fellow visitors and to Mother Earth,” Benosa said.