‘Unnecessary’ single-use plastics banned from City Hall, public spaces

By Emme Rose Santiagudo

The Iloilo City government has banned the use of unnecessary single-use plastic products in the offices of City Hall and public spaces in the metro.

Mayor Jerry Treñas said he issued a memorandum order after observing the magnitude of plastic trash recovered from the Iloilo River Esplanade, public plazas and other spaces in the metro.

“Ang single use of plastic indi na naton pagpa-usar sa parks, plazas, kay nakita naton kadamo na gid nga basura sang plastic sa aton Esplanade kag mga pampubliko nga lugar,” Treñas said in an interview Wednesday.

In a memorandum order dated Feb. 28, 2020, Treñas directed all departments and offices to follow the implementation of the plastic ban.

“As part of the effort of the city government to educate and lead to curb the use of single-use plastic items that pollute waterways, kill marine life and contribute to our country’s increasing solid waste, you are hereby directed to follow the implementation of the plastics bans, which forms part of the government’s solid waste avoidance and minimization strategy,” the order said.

The order is also in compliance with the resolution of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on the implementation of the ban on the use of “unnecessary” single-use plastic products by national government agencies, local government units, and all other government-controlled offices.

The plastic products covered by the ban include cups less than 0.2 millimeters in thickness, drinking straws, coffee stirrers, spoons, forks, knives, “labo” or thin and translucent plastic bags, and thin-filmed sands bags lower than 15 microns.