PASAY CITY -- In observance of Zero Waste Month, Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda urged Filipinos to shun the use of single-use plastics and be more prudent in waste disposal.
Legarda, one of the foremost legislators in terms of climate justice, said that the country needs to re-assess itself at the heels of the 28th UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai.
"We must push ourselves to live more sustainably since plastics use fossil fuels, which in turn contributes to more greenhouse gas emissions in the world," asserted Legarda.
"Despite living a simple life, we can lean on using materials that are sustainable, reusable, and non-harmful to the environment to lessen our dependency on single-use plastics," she added.
Pursuant to Proclamation No. 760, s. 2014, the Philippines has been observing Zero Waste Month every January.
According to the decree, all government units and departments are urged to extend their support and participate in endeavors dedicated to the observance of the month.
"Single-use plastics are a burden to the environment, especially in our local setting, when they are carelessly thrown into our rivers and tributaries, it causes clogging, leading to widespread flooding -- endangering thousands of lives in the process," lamented Legarda.
"Not everything is recycled. It ends up at either landfills or the ocean, again endangering the delicate balance of our ecosystem, which may lead to problems in food security," she continued.
Among the landmark legislation Legarda passed is Republic Act No. 9003, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
The law issued penalties for littering in public places, open burning of solid waste, importing consumer products packaged in non-environmentally friendly materials, and many more non-environmentally friendly acts.
It also provided for ecological solid waste management, which created incentives for compliant sectors.
Legarda also paved the way for the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS), which mandates the protection of specific areas that host biologically unique flora and fauna. (OSLL)
