ANGELES CITY – “Isang kilong bigas kapalit ng isang kilong plastic na basura – hindi lang sa Angeles City o sa Unang Distrito ng Pampanga kung hindi sa buong bansa.”
Thus, Pampanga 1st District Rep. Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin, Jr. predicated House Bill No. 7781, calling for the integration of the “Walang Plastikam, Palit-Bigas” Program in the 10-year Solid Waste Management (SWM) Plan of all provinces, cities, and municipalities in the country, pursuant to RA 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000).
Filed by Lazatin on Feb. 12, HB 7781 seeks to institutionalize Angeles City’s award-winning Walang Plastikan: Plastic-Palit-Bigas Program that was implemented in the city from 2022 to 2024, during his term as mayor.
Under the program, residents of Angeles City were able to receive one kilo of rice for every kilo of plastic waste that they turned over to the city government.
With HB 7781, Lazatin hopes to bring this program to the entire country.
In addition to addressing hunger among marginalized sectors, the program is intended to promote segregation at source; increase diversion through reuse, recycling, and recovery; and reduce the volume of residual waste requiring disposal.
Under the proposed bill, all provinces, cities, and municipalities, through their respective Local SWM Boards, shall integrate the Walang Plastikan Program as a component of their ten-year SWM Plan and shall adopt implementing guidelines appropriate to local conditions, including eligibility requirements, exchange rates or point systems, collection schedules, and coordination with barangay materials recovery facilities or other authorized facilities.
The program was started in Angeles City in 2022, with P90 million allocated in the City’s Annual Investment Program (AIP) for its implementation. Another P100 million was allocated in 2023, and P90 million for 2024.
From January to December 2022, the Angeles City Government was able to distribute 1,693,213 kilos of rice to city residents in exchange for an equal amount of plastic waste; 932,863 kilos from January to December 2023; and 299,555 kilos from January to March 2024 – a total of 2,925,631 kilos.
The plastic waste collected by the city was then delivered to Holcim Philippines – Angeles City’s partner organization for the program – in exchange for cement that was then used by the city engineer’s office for construction and maintenance.
Some of the plastic wastes were also used by the city engineer’s office to produce its own sustainable brick pavers.
The Walang Plastikan Program also helped the beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) with 3,356 out of 3,858 (87%) 4Ps beneficiary families availing themselves of the Walang Plastikan Program.
In 2024, the Walang Plastikan Program was included among the 17 national finalists in the Walang Gutom Awards of the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Galing Pook Foundation.
During the final panel presentation for the award, Lazatin emphasized the contribution of the Walang Plastikan Program in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular SDG 2: Zero Hunger and SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production.
“Walang magugutom. Walang kalam ang tiyan. No one goes to bed hungry,” Lazatin said. Team Lazatin Media
