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)