Baguio barangay officials to help enforce citywide plastic-free ordinance

The city government has deputized 390 barangay officials from Baguio’s 128 barangays to help enforce the plastic-free ordinance.

City Information Office chief Aileen Refuerzo said Friday Mayor Mauricio Domogan issued Administrative Order (AO) No. 171 series of 2018, deputizing three representatives from each of the 128 barangays -- the barangay captain, barangay kagawad assigned on health and sanitation and ecological and environment committee, and his kagawad alternate -- to implement Ordinance No. 35-17, or the Plastic and Styrofoam-Free Baguio City Ordinance.

“The AO named the group as the ‘Plastic Carry/Shopping Bags and Styrofoam-Free Baguio Task Force or Task Force Anti-Plastic’,” Refuerzo said.

They will join members of the task force, led by the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), and the General Services Office (GSO), City Treasury Office, the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO), the business permit and licensing, public order and safety division, and public information divisions of the City Mayor’s Office.

Under the ordinance, “the task force will be in charge of issuing notices of violation, citation tickets indicating corresponding penalty or reprimand and confiscating and seizing the prohibited materials to be turned over to the Public Order and Services Division (POSD) of the City Mayor’s Office, along with the violators."

The deputized agents will also lead in the information-education-communication campaign of the ordinance and the orientation and training for the barangay officials.

The newly-deputized members of the task force will submit to the GSO a weekly report with copies of the notices of violation and/or citation tickers for proper monitoring.
 
Last September, Domogan deputized 43 operatives from the city government offices as force multipliers in addition to the original members who will implement the Plastic and Styrofoam-Free Baguio City Ordinance.

Refuerzo also noted that “only the sale, distribution and use of plastic carry or shopping bags and Styrofoam (are) prohibited and as such, stores cannot provide clients with plastic bags.”

Under the ordinance, customers can provide their own carry or shopping bags, so long as these are not made of plastic and that Styrofoam cannot be used as containers for cooked or raw food.

Plastic containers can be used as alternative for these types of food but must be carried in bags that are not made of plastic. The only exception for the prohibition is the use of plastic bags for primary packaging of wet goods and items.

Ordinance No. 35-17 prohibits business establishments from providing customers any plastic bag or polystyrene foam container for goods or items purchased or serving food or drink, take out or dine-in to customers in polystyrene containers or in plastic bags and will cover all business activities and establishments in the city, including city government schools and offices.

Violators face reprimand or immediate closure for establishments or a PHP1,000 fine for first offense; PHP3,000 and eight hours of community service for second offense; PHP5,000 for third offense; and suspension of business permit for six months for fourth offense.  

Source of news: Philippine News Agency 
Source of photo, eco bags: Herald Express