Ban single-use plastics in CamSur!

In support of Break Free From Plastic's (BFFP) national petition (a petition which calls on the 19th Congress of the Philippines to urgently pass a comprehensive bill banning single-use plastic packaging and products), we, the ONHS 12-A STEM G4 students as advocates of Go Green: A Meme-morable Online Environmental Campaign, are launching a similar but local-oriented petition urging the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur to create and enact an ordinance prohibiting single-use plastic in the province.

A PETITION TO BAN SINGLE-USE PLASTICS IN THE PROVINCE OF CAMARINES SUR 

Based on a study conducted for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region V by the Save Our Future Foundation, Inc., Camarines Sur generates more than half of the Bicol region's total solid waste. Additionally, the latest reports of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in Bicol (BFAR-5) indicate an increase in the volume of ocean waste over the past years.

Various local government units (LGUs) have passed ordinances and started implementing plastics regulations since 2011. Official figures from NSWMC, as of 2019, report that 489 cities and municipalities (or 30% of all cities and municipalities in the country) have some form of policy to regulate the use of plastics, particularly plastic bags. However, the effectiveness of these initiatives is not yet assessed. It is not impossible that the Camarines Sur provincial legislature have made a SUP-related ordinance in the past but probably, years later since its ratification, that ordinance might have been neglected and remained unrevised and unimplemented. If there actually was, it needs to be reassessed and appropriately implemented by the LGU because plastic pollution still seems widespread in the province. But, the root problem here lies in the supply of plastic because if we cut it, there will be less or no plastic waste. 

The sad truth is we have ordinances on waste disposal, but we do not have restrictions on waste production. So, despite of our ongoing efforts, the problem on plastic pollution just keeps on worsening. More action is needed to protect both public health and our environment.

Banning plastics has been recognized by the United Nations as a practical measure against plastic waste. Various cities and municipalities across the country have already taken a stand on this. In Metro Manila, there are currently seven cities that have implemented ordinances banning single-use plastics: Las Piñas, Makati, Muntinlupa, Parañaque, Pasay, Pasig, and Quezon City. Moreover, Cebu City Council enacted an ordinance last year banning all single-use plastic materials in all business establishments. However, the ordinance still needs the signature of the local chief executive.

With all of these and a particular emphasis on the fact that Camarines Sur is the Bicol region's leading producer of solid waste and that more action is required to reduce the province's negative environmental impact, this petition requests that:

(1) the Camarines Sur Provincial Board amend and expand existing ordinances to ban, or at least regulate single-use plastics and impose heavier legal consequences;

(2) the ordinance and any amendments to it be strictly implemented by the Office of the Provincial Governor of Camarines Sur; and

(3) all residential and commercial establishments within the Province of Camarines Sur observe and uphold the ordinance in all transactions and activities.

We can only address the problem of plastic pollution and the climate emergency through systemic change. The enforcement of a comprehensive plastic ban in the Province of Camarines Sur is an integral step towards solving said problems and ensuring a future for later generations.

An inclusive provincial ban on single-use plastic will not only "clean up" the plastic problem. It will also ensure that no more harmful disposable plastic will pollute our cities, municipalities, beaches, and mountains, kill wildlife and marine life, and threaten our health.

This petition's ultimate objective is to urge the Camarines Sur Provincial Board to legislate an ordinance prohibiting the production, distribution, and use of all single-use plastic products and packaging in the province. We seek the support of all Bicolanos, our Go Green buddies, and the people who want a plastic-free Camarines Sur, to demand accountability and action from our policymakers in response to these environmental issues.

#MakeCamSurPlasticFree  #GoGreenCamSur