Litterbugs in our midst

I am one of the growing number of citizens who say “No to Plastic Bags” as a lifetime commitment. We are aware of its deleterious impact on our environment and the number of unimaginable deaths to creatures ingesting it. It contains petroleum, a fossil fuel, and adds to the growing carbon pollution and climate challenges that our generation and those yet unborn have to surmount.

When plastic and Styrofoam are mentioned, the National Solid Waste Management Commission immediately comes to mind, for its glaring failure to come up with a list of non-environmentally acceptable products. It chooses to wait for more local government units to come up with plastic regulation ordinances rather than implement its clear mandate, 13 years after RA 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Law became effective.

Cebu City is among the few local government units in the country which finally crafted an ordinance prohibiting the use of plastic bags. Every Saturday is a no-plastic bag day. So, one fine day, I prepared the camera to catch the historic moment when the saleslady would hand me the item I bought in a non-plastic receptacle. To my utter dismay, a plastic bag was used. I lost no time in asking the store manager why a big retail company would find it hard to comply with a very simple ordinance. She retorted that, “the plastic bag was quite small anyway.” Needless to say, I gave her a stern warning and dosage of unsolicited advice. Immediately, I called up Lito Vasquez, the chief of staff of Councilor Nida Cabrera, and suggested that a poster about the plastic bag regulation ordinance in each establishment would be a good idea.

It is equally important for stakeholders, especially students, to be knowledgeable about our laws and ordinances and monitor their compliance by all concerned. It would be beneficial if the city government set up a hotline for constituents to report transgressions. Malls can perhaps impose sanctions against stores which do not care about our environment. Let us be smart consumers and not patronize them. We can put up a Facebook account and upload pictures of the violations. The “Name and Shame” campaign would surely have a great impact in changing the nonchalant way by which we treat our laws.

The barangay elections again brought out the litterbugs who just do not care. Leaflets and sample ballots were strewn in the streets leading to the precincts. The candidates in the area where I voted were just in their makeshift tambayan, so unmindful of the litter everywhere.

The sight was the same in some cemeteries during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. The Eco-waste Coalition lamented the blatant violation of Republic Act 9003 despite persistent appeals by the government and civil society to avoid littering.

“We grieve over the rampant littering on Nov. 1 that sullied the cemeteries and adjoining streets. Although the volume of trash may not be as bad as in previous years, we find the littering that again marred the observance of Undas regrettable as cemeteries are hallowed places and should be garbage-free. Litterbugs should mind their bad habits and try recycling next time,” lamented my friend, Aileen Lucero, Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition.

The EcoWaste Coalition took the time to remind cemeteries, particularly the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City, of the violation of R.A. 3571 for allowing tarpaulin ads to be nailed on trees. The said law “prohibits the cutting, destroying or injuring of planted or growing trees, flowering plants and shrubs or plants of scenic value along public roads, in plazas, parks, school premises or in any other public ground.” It received the “Pako Award” for having the most trees injured by commercial tarpaulin advertisements nailed on defenseless trees. Among the advertisers were Army Navy, Chowking, Goldilocks, Jollibee, KFC, Lots’a Pizza, Shakey’s, Yellow Cab and Sogo Hotel.

“The tarps nailed on trees by popular food outlets leave a bad taste in the mouth and should be removed at once. This appalling act can cause stress to a tree and ultimately damage and kill it,” said Aileen Lucero.

The EcoWaste Coalition were aided by and received reports from its Basura Patrollers who visited some cemeteries in Metro Manila. Among the most visible discards abandoned by visitors in the cemetery as observed by the Basura Patrollers were food leftovers, disposable plates, cups and cutlery, Styrofoam containers, pizza boxes, plastic bags and bottles, soiled brown bags and newspapers, candy and snack wrappers, cigarette filters, and commercial leaflets. There were also reports of open burning as evidenced by the ash and incompletely burned materials found in some street corners, vacant lots and near tombs.

The horrendous incidents illustrate the still long journey ahead of us to educate all sectors of society, including even those in government, to be conscious of that responsibility to be good stewards of our planet. Many enforcers are simply not prioritizing the various laws’ enforcement.

Salute to those who do. I remember the story shared by a municipal environment officer who did not hesitate to issue a citation ticket to a judge for failure to segregate the wastes in the latter’s office. Or, of the unforgettable initiative of a barangay head, now a city councilor, in calling the attention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources years back for not complying with the city ordinance on solid waste management.

If citizens are actively involved in and sustain the campaign to follow our laws and assist in conducting an assessment of the compliance of various offices and agencies of the government of our environmental statutes, surely there will be changes in the landscape. The litterbugs will become relics of the unlamented uncaring past.