Kamayan Forum July 15: Successful Plastics Ban

Kamayan Forum, July 15:
Muntinlupa Ban on Plastics, 'Styros' a big success!

ALMOST HALF A YEAR after Muntinlupa City banned the use of plastic and styrofoam containers from being used in the city’s business establishments, especially in the food service industry, the city is happy to report success in preventing the incidence of flooding during the recent heavily rainy days, and also in addressing a big hazard on human health. Muntinlupa was lauded by Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino last January after the City Council passed the ordinance. Tolentino said “I laud the City Government of Muntinlupa, under the visionary leadership of Mayor Aldrin San Pedro for initiating this bold move for the sake of our environment.”

He added that he would push for the adoption of this measure as a model ordinance to be adopted by the fifteen other cities and one municipality comprising Metropolitan Manila, and exhorted other mayors throughout the Philippines to do the same. By now the city is ready to tell all why and how they did it.

This information will be shared at the 21-year-old Kamayan para sa Kalikasan monthly forum at Kamayan-Saisaki-Dads Restaurant (marked K in map) along EDSA (near SEC/Ortigas), Mandaluyong City, this coming third Friday, July 15. Convened jointly by the Clear Communicators for the Environment (CLEAR) and the SanibLakas ng mga Aktibong Lingkod ng Inang Kalikasan (SALIKA) with full sponsorship from Kamayan, the forum runs from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., in three distinct (non- interchangable) portions, and all those in attendance are given time at the microphones for their respective straight-to-the-point questions and comments.

Representing Mayor San Pedro at this coming Friday’s 257th session will be Al L. Cosio, head of the city’s Environment Sanitation Center. The Ecological Waste (Eco-Waste) Coalition will send its program officer on Zero-Waste, Ms. Christina Vergara, and Mr. Rafael Lopez will attend as the campaigner of the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) Task Force on Plastics. SALIKA Founding President Marie R. Marciano will moderate and synthesize.