ANGELES CITY – First District Rep. Carmelo “Tarzan” Lazatin welcomed the senate bill banning the use and manufacture of plastics nationwide as a move to save and protect the environment.
Lazatin said the bill of Sen. Loren Legarda she recently filed would complement his counterpart bill designed to ban “harmful plastics.”
The two-term solon filed House Bill No. 3939, or “an act banning the manufacture, distribution, and sale of ultra-thin polypropylene plastic bagging materials.” He was the first to ask for the ban on the use of plastics in his bill he filed last January 11.
But Lazatin stressed that his bill would not ban the manufacture and use of recyclable plastics.
Legarda, chair of the senate committee on Climate Change, filed Senate Bill 2759, or the Total Plastic Bag Ban Act of 2011, which prohibits groceries, supermarkets, public markets, restaurants, fast food chains, department stores, retail stores and other similar establishments from using non-biodegradable plastic bags.
“The senate bill of Loren is most welcome. When my bill is approved in the Lower House, it will breeze past the Senate because of the lady senator’s bill supporting the ban on plastics,” said Lazatin. Based on the documents obtained yesterday, it was Lazatin who first sought the ban on the use of plastics in the country as he filed his house bill earlier this year.
Citing the growing population in the country and destruction of many habitats and worsening pollution in many countries, Lazatin said “we must end many destructive activities to the environment and begin to collectively address the problem about the issue on the use of harmful plastics.”
Lazatin admitted that it’s “still a long process” before they can save the environment as many communities still practice destructive activities.
“One of the big issues that should be resolved is the proliferation of ultra-thin polypropylene plastic material used as packaging or bagging material in our market,” said Lazatin.
“Worse, the plastic poses threat to marine life, birds and other mammals according to studies. Discarded plastic bags like polypropylene material also contributes heavily for blocking drainages and worsen floodings,” he added.
Jess Cortez, a stall owner at the Pampang Public Market here, said Lazatin’s bill is “good and needed to save the planet.” He added that the national government should support the bill of Lazatin and Legarda.
“But we must also produce environment-friendly bags and use them in our markets all over the world daily,” said Cortez.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, in a report, said that about 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
In the House Bill, Lazatin said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are tasked to formulate “within 90 days upon approval of this Act the implementing rules and regulations and assist industries and establishments on how to comply with this Act.”
Lazatin proposed penalties ranging from P5,000 to P20,000 and 30 days imprisonment for violators.
Lazatin said the bill of Sen. Loren Legarda she recently filed would complement his counterpart bill designed to ban “harmful plastics.”
The two-term solon filed House Bill No. 3939, or “an act banning the manufacture, distribution, and sale of ultra-thin polypropylene plastic bagging materials.” He was the first to ask for the ban on the use of plastics in his bill he filed last January 11.
But Lazatin stressed that his bill would not ban the manufacture and use of recyclable plastics.
Legarda, chair of the senate committee on Climate Change, filed Senate Bill 2759, or the Total Plastic Bag Ban Act of 2011, which prohibits groceries, supermarkets, public markets, restaurants, fast food chains, department stores, retail stores and other similar establishments from using non-biodegradable plastic bags.
“The senate bill of Loren is most welcome. When my bill is approved in the Lower House, it will breeze past the Senate because of the lady senator’s bill supporting the ban on plastics,” said Lazatin. Based on the documents obtained yesterday, it was Lazatin who first sought the ban on the use of plastics in the country as he filed his house bill earlier this year.
Citing the growing population in the country and destruction of many habitats and worsening pollution in many countries, Lazatin said “we must end many destructive activities to the environment and begin to collectively address the problem about the issue on the use of harmful plastics.”
Lazatin admitted that it’s “still a long process” before they can save the environment as many communities still practice destructive activities.
“One of the big issues that should be resolved is the proliferation of ultra-thin polypropylene plastic material used as packaging or bagging material in our market,” said Lazatin.
“Worse, the plastic poses threat to marine life, birds and other mammals according to studies. Discarded plastic bags like polypropylene material also contributes heavily for blocking drainages and worsen floodings,” he added.
Jess Cortez, a stall owner at the Pampang Public Market here, said Lazatin’s bill is “good and needed to save the planet.” He added that the national government should support the bill of Lazatin and Legarda.
“But we must also produce environment-friendly bags and use them in our markets all over the world daily,” said Cortez.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, in a report, said that about 500 billion to one trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide each year.
In the House Bill, Lazatin said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are tasked to formulate “within 90 days upon approval of this Act the implementing rules and regulations and assist industries and establishments on how to comply with this Act.”
Lazatin proposed penalties ranging from P5,000 to P20,000 and 30 days imprisonment for violators.
