BACOLOD City – This city may soon be banning the practice of releasing large quantity of balloons and sky lanterns. The city council last week passed on first reading the measure that would prohibit the release of the materials.
Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr., author of the proposed ordinance, said this move will address both environment and public safety concerns.
“Balloons are hazard when they enter the environment, particularly to the marine animals for these litter are mistaken as food that poses danger to their health and life,” Gamboa claimed.
He said in order to eliminate illegal garbage disposal and to save our environment from pollution, one of the ways is to regulate the balloon releases in the city.
Part of the provisions of Gamboa’s ordinance prohibits the vending or selling, delivering or deploying and giving or distributing helium-filled balloons for both public and private use.
The proposed measure also outlaw intentionally release or intentionally cause to be released into the atmosphere any balloons inflated with lighter-than-air gases or filled with helium, or other substances which causes the balloon to rise or float in the atmosphere at any single outdoor celebration, promotional activity, sporting or other public event.
It further prohibits the balloons released or knowingly or intentionally cause to be released are made from metallized nylon, metallized plastic or any foil-like substance, or have any strings, ribbons, or other materials attached to them.
Gamboa, however, cited several exceptions such as the balloons used for carrying scientific instrumentation during the performance of an experiment or testing procedure or by a person on behalf of a government agency or pursuant to a government contract for scientific or meteorological purposes./PN
