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BY LEONISA GRACE LADIANA
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ILOILO City – Public market vendors have started using biodegradable plastic bags. Regulation Ordinance No. 2013-403 has banned non-biodegradable ones.
The vendors, however, have some concerns.
Fish vendor Herna Lapu-os, 24, said biodegradable plastic bags are costlier than the non-biodegradable ones.
Fearful of being penalized, she hurriedly bought several packs of biodegradable plastic bags days before the ordinance took effect on July 1.
“Biodegradable plastic bags are environment-friendly. But do we have enough supply of it,” asked Lapu-os.
Demand for biodegradable plastic bags could further increase their price, she warned.
Lapu-os said she made sure her biodegradable plastic bags were labeled such. It was a challenge finding ones with the label, she said.
“We hope sellers or suppliers of biodegradable plastic bags should label theirs as such, individually if possible,” said Lapu-os.
Violators of the ordinance will be penalized with a P500 fine on first offense; P700 fine, confiscation of non-biodegradable plastic bags and suspension of business permit for one week on second offense; and P1,000 fine, confiscation of plastic bags and cancellation of business permit on third offense.
Biodegradable plastic bags are thinner, smaller and may not be strong enough, said 61-year-old vendor Gloria Callado at the Iloilo Central Market.
“What happens if a customer buys a lot of stuff from me? The biggest biodegradable plastic bag I managed to secure is medium in size,” she told Panay News.
Some buyers are too lazy to bring their own shopping bags, observed Callado.
Fruit vendor Glor Nedia, 43, urged market shoppers to better bring their own bags.
“That’s what they do in Oton, Iloilo. Here in Iloilo City those going to the market should make that a habit, too,” said Nedia.
Regulation Ordinance No. 2013-403 encourages the use of alternative packaging materials such as reusable bags, woven bags, cloth bags, rattan baskets, shopping bags made of recycled waste paper, and other bags made of biodegradable materials like banana leaves, water lily and corn stalk, among others.
Market vendors will certainly follow the ordinance, said fish vendor Pichie Fuentes, 46.
“We have prepared for it. We bought biodegradable plastic bags,” she stressed.
The “indiscriminate use and disposal of plastics” has “deleterious effects,” the regulation ordinance stated.
“No establishment, ambulant or itinerant vendors, market vendors, and the like shall utilize or provide plastic bags as packaging material to customers,” read part of the ordinance.
Covered by the ordinance are sari-sari (variety) stores, market vendors, hawkers or bolanteros, supermarkets, department stores/malls, groceries or restaurants, canteens, fast-food chains, bakeries, coffee shops, hotels, catering services, and other similar establishments.
However, the ordinance permits some items with no handles, holes or strings to be packed in plastic bags, provided the wrappers do not exceed 8 inches in width and 12 inches in length in its unexpanded form.
Such items are food “with consistency,” including hot or cold cooked food, such as those sold in restaurants, carinderias and the like, and items such as flour, sugar, coffee, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, ice, ice candy, and the like.
All establishments are required to post notices in conspicuous places within their premises bearing the words, “This is an environment-friendly store. Please bring your own reusable shopping bags (Iloilo City Plastic Bag Ordinance).”
The City Environment and Natural Resources Office has been tasked to enforce the ordinance./PN
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