INFORMATION BLITZ: Paalala sa mga OFW-members ng PhilHealth: Ang PhilHealth membership and contribution ay MANDATORY ayon sa batas kaya magpamiyembro at magbayad ng kontribusyon bago umalis ng bansa. Seguraduhin ang proteksyon ng kalusugan ng iyong sarili at pamilya.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Pagadian Chamber launches “Di Ko’g Plastic”


By Alma L. Tingcang

PAGADIAN CITY, April 25 (PIA) - - In response to the alarming issues and concerns on global warming and climate change, the Pagadian - Zamboanga del Sur Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation, Inc. (PZCCIFI), launched an environmental advocacy campaign on Tuesday, April 24 at the Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) Conference Hall.

Ms. Mercedes Lourdes S. Quisumbing, PZCCIFI President said the advocacy campaign dubbed “Di Ko’g Plastic” aims to have a plastic holiday in which no plastic bags will be used every Saturday starting May, 2012.

“Plastics clog waterways which cause flooding and our country is beset with this problem,” Ms. Quisumbing elucidated. “This is a call to action and the Chamber responded through this advocacy campaign with the support of other stakeholders.”

In cooperation with the DTI, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Education, the local government of Pagadian City and the business sector particularly supermarkets and groceries, the campaign calls for a plastic holiday every Saturday, considered to be the market day for most people, starting in May.

Further, the campaign encourages the use of “bayong” or tarpaulin bags as a way of minimizing the non-biodegradable waste which is plastic.

“The nearest place which do not use plastic bags is Dumingag, Zamboanga del Sur, in support to environmental protection. It also produces “bayongs” of different sizes made of native materials,” Quisumbing explained. Other towns producing “bayong” are Lakewood, Kumalarang and Labangan.

Hopefully with this campaign, we will be able to generate employment and livelihood not only in the city but in the province as well and that bayong/tarpaulin bag making will become a profitable industry here.

As Ms. Dixie Sarmiento said, “as we say goodbye to plastic bags, we would be supporting the bayong industry in the province.” This would be done every Saturday only so it would not be very difficult to adopt and advocate.

“We will not just be doing business but we will be able to help the environment as well,” Ms. Quisumbing concluded. (ALT-PIA9/Zambo Sur)