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[av_heading heading=’Don’t leave Dinagyang trash behind’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”][/av_heading]
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Sunday, January 22, 2017
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ILOILO City – Dinagyang revelers are being challenged to make this year’s edition of the premier festival a celebration like no other in the Philippines – garbage-free.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) noted a “trend” in the country’s various festivities – these usually leave the streets full of trash.
“Given this trend, it would be a great idea to promote a clean Dinagyang. It sure could become a festival like no other,” said Regional Director Jim Sampulna.
The environmental watch group EcoWaste Coalition asked Santo Niño devotees to be mindful of their trash, too.
“We would like to reiterate our call for a cleaner celebration of the feast of Santo Niño,” said Ochie Tolentino, zero waste campaigner of the EcoWaste Coalition.
What is needed, said Sampulna, is “a well-disciplined mental attitude to manage waste.”
“We hope Ilonggos and others joining the festival would give emphasis to clean, this being a religious festivity primarily. We can always engage in a clean, fun festival if we choose to,” said Sampulna. “Cleanliness is next to godliness.”
Santo Niño devotees, particularly the adults, should rise to the occasion and treat the environment with respect – an indispensable value that the young can learn from the old in this era of climate change, said EcoWaste’s Tolentino.
“We specifically request concerned barangay councils, neighborhood associations and parish communities with Santo Niño as patron to seek ways of enjoining the cooperation of their constituents for a trash-less fiesta,” said Tolentino.
For his part, Sampulna reminded the public of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act or Republic Act 9003 – the law mandating proper waste segregation in households, barangays, municipalities and cities, schools and business establishments.
“It also promotes waste recycling, waste reduction, waste reusing and composting to attain sustainability of waste management,” said Sampulna. “We should heed the mandate to manage our wastes.”
The EcoWaste Coalition appealed for reduced fiesta garbage soon after the mammoth feast of the Black Nazarene on Jan. 9 in Manila that saw a twofold increase in the trash collection for the Traslacion this year.
“Please make it a point not leave any trash behind,” said Tolentino.
The Translacion garbage collected were mostly plastic water bottles, plastic food containers and utensils, plastic cups, plastic bags, wrappers, carton boxes, newspapers and cigarette butts.
According to Tolentino, observing simple steps in ecological solid waste management such as by not littering, dumping and burning waste materials will contribute to a better environmental and health conditions.
The EcoWaste Coalition emphasized that all Filipinos should not be dependent on street sweepers who will do their job uncomplainingly.
“Keeping our communities spick and span is a shared assignment and not the sole responsibility of street sweepers even though they are paid to do it,” Tolentino pointed out. “Please do not litter just because someone else will pick up after you.”/PN
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