By RALPH JOHN MIJARES
ROXAS City — A city councilor here lamented the violation of the ordinance banning the use of plastic bags by three establishments here.
Councilor Powell del Rosario got hold of photographs and information about the erring establishments: two branches of Mercury Drug (McKinley and Hughes Street) and the Robinsons Place mall’s Department Store here.
“Ngaman ang mga local establishments or stalls nagasunod sa ordinansa, [pero] ang mga stores owned by national companies, nagapasaway,” del Rosario asked during a Sangguniang Panlungsod session.
Authored by del Rosario, the “No Plastic Ordinance” is now effective every day after being implemented only on select days of the week in 2011.
The ordinance prohibits the sale or purchase of plastic bags for packaging of dry goods and as secondary packaging of wet goods, and the use of polystyrene foam food container.
However, the use of plastic as primary packaging for wet goods is allowed, del Rosario clarified.
He said he is “confident” that the City Licensing Division will give the erring establishments a notice of violation. He also demanded the businesses to comply with the ordinance.
Robinsons Place mall here cannot be reached for comment as of this writing.
Mercury Drug McKinley branch manager Ruth Limosnero said she and three other branch managers here wrote Mayor Angel Alan Celino, requesting that their branches be allowed to use their biodegradable plastic bags January this year.
Limosnero said they use paper bags every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.
On the other hand, Mercury Drug Hughes Street branch manager Melanie Melgar said they use plastic bags only when a customer demands for it.
The branch, however, uses paper bags, boxes and “eco bags” most of the time, she said.
Melgar promised to explain to their customers that the No Plastic Ordinance must be strictly implemented.
Mercury Drug also has branches on Roxas Avenue and San Roque Extension here.
Citing the city government’s lack of enough manpower, del Rosario urged the public to help monitor violations of the ordinance./PN
