Manila – President Rodrigo Duterte is mulling to prohibit the use of plastics in the country, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
Duterte brought up the idea during a Cabinet meeting in the Palace as he urged the Congress to pass a bill that will implement a nationwide ban on plastic products.
“The President floated the idea to ban the use of plastics, which according to him would require legislative action,” Panelo said on Thursday.
Duterte made the pitch after Vernice Victorio, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Natural Resources Development Corp. shared with the Cabinet the priority programs for environment and climate change resiliency.
Duterte, during the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Thailand, said ASEAN member states must ensure environmental sustainability and protect biodiversity in the region’s pursuit for development.
“We must work together to address the problem of marine debris. And we must build resilient and stronger communities to adapt to the effects of climate change,” Duterte added.
A Senate bill, authored by Sen. Francis Pangilinan, aims to ban the use of all single-use plastics one year after the measure becomes effective. Those who would re-use and recycle would receive incentives.
The bill defines single-use plastics as those disposable plastics which are commonly used for packaging, and includes items intended to be used only once before they are thrown away or recycled.
Among these plastics were grocery bags, food packaging, films and bags, water bottles, straws, stirrers, containers, styrofoam/styros, cups, sachets, and plastic cutlery./PN
