Makati City says ‘No to Plastic’

Makati City is one of the densely populated cities in Metro Manila. It is deliberated as the 16th-largest city in the Philippines and has a diverse culture because of different nationalities. Its culture, entertainment, lifestyle, and business have greatly developed over the years.

When you roam around the city, you’ll see different establishments ranging from business, malls, markets, and different real estate properties. Makati has been recognized as one of the populated districts in the metro that’s why the mayor of the city, Jejomar Erwin Binay, has mandated a ban for plastic that started on June 20. There were teams deployed under the Plastic Monitoring Task Force (PMTF) to inspect different areas in the city. It is led by the Department of Environmental Services (DES) that acted to enforce the ban. The people behind the teams were instructed comprehensively on the contents and legal basis of Executive Order (EO) No. 007 series of 2012. This prohibits the sale, distribution, and use of plastic and other non-biodegradable materials such as Styrofoam as packaging materials.

No excuses

We all know that plastic substances can harm the environment. These things come in different shapes and sizes that can block the drainage system and other road utilities. When the drainage system is blocked, there will be risk for flashfloods. On the first day of implementation, several market vendors are comprehended because of the violation against the plastic ban. Some were penalized while other people were discharged with a warning.

According to Danilo Villas, head of the city’s Department of Environment Services, there were people caught unaware of the plastic ban and some stores were still giving away Styrofoam packaging and plastic bags for their products. He also added that store owners, vendors and other business establishments should have no excuse for not complying with the ordinance because they were given a nine-year adjustment period by the city government.

Implementation of the plastic ban

Mayor Binay extended the deadline of the provision on “Use of Environment-Friendly Materials” to June 20^th, through the Executive Order 007 that ended last December 31, 2012. The mayor stretched the deadline to give sufficient time for establishments to diminish their inventories and substitute plastic with environment-friendly materials such as paper or eco bags.

Individual violators will be fined with 1,000 pesos or will be imprisoned for 5 to 30 days, or both at the discretion of the court. Establishment or corporations that will be comprehended because of their violation to the plastic ban will be fined 5,000 pesos, or the owner may be imprisoned from 30 days to a year, or both at the court’s discretion. The business permit or license may also be cancelled if there will be a warrant made