ILOILO – “Let us treat our capitol like a barangay. We can’t tell barangays to come up with solid waste management plans if we don’t have one ourselves.”
Atty. Arturo Cangrejo, officer-in-charge of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), stressed this as he bared yesterday new solid waste management policies that all provincial government officials and employees must follow.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. wanted the capitol to serve as a model of the province’s 1,721 barangays in solid waste management, said Cangrejo.
Soon, he said, Defensor would be unveiling the Barangay Kapitolyo Solid Waste Management Program.
The following are the new solid waste management policies at the capitol:
* use of low-density plastics and Styrofoam as food containers or wrappers is not allowed except as first packaging
* caterers, ambulant vendors and canteen stallholders must use paper, table napkins, banana leaves or other biodegradable/ organic materials to wrap/package food items for sale
* purchases for catering services shall provide for refillable water containers instead of bottled mineral water; caterers are required to provide glass, paper or reusable cups for drinking purposes
* employees must bring their own metal, ceramic or other reusable food containers when buying “take out” food items from the canteen and/or ambulant vendors
* employees must bring their own mugs for drinking coffee and their beverages
* use of plastic straws and plastic stirrer is prohibited
* use of lavatories, urinals and toilet bowls in the comfort room to flush down food leftovers is strictly prohibited
* offices shall maintain separate waste bins for organic wastes, dry wastes and reject wastes
* collection of waste by the General Services Offices or janitorial services shall be between 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday
* no collection of unsegregated wastes; the office concerned shall be responsible to bring its uncollected waste to the materials recovery facility of the capitol
* a materials recovery facility shall be maintained near the gate at the west wing of the capitol building and at the Iloilo Sports Complex Compound in La Paz district
* only residual wastes shall be turned over to the contracted collector of the Iloilo City government
* employees shall practice “Trash in a Bottle” primarily for recycling purposes and as a way to reduce plastic waste.
“We already had meetings with waste generators diri sa capitol, sa aton canteen, mga ambulant vendors,” said Cangrejo.
The most immediate goal is to lessen the use of plastics. But Cangrejo did not discount the possibility that in the future, a total ban on the use of plastics may be imposed.
“That is the most ideal. Subong, amat-amat lang, indi pagulpihon,” he said./PN
