BACOLOD CITY – Single-use plastic will be prohibited in all government offices in Victorias City, Negros Occidental starting June 3.
This is pursuant to Executive Order No. 64, Series of 2022, issued by Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez.
Employees were encouraged to choose sustainable alternatives and help reduce plastic waste through reusable metal or bamboo straws, cloth or reusable shopping bags, eco-friendly bamboo cutlery, stainless steel or glass water bottles, biodegradable food containers, wooden stirrers or spoons, and refillable condiment containers.
The prohibition included the use of plastic straws, plastic bags, disposable cutlery, plastic water bottles, styrofoam containers, plastic stirrers, and plastic condiment packets.
In a statement, third district Rep. Jose Francisco “Kiko” Benitez lauded the mayor for taking the initiative as a way of protecting the environment.
The congressman authored Republic Act 11898, the Extended Producers' Responsibility Act, which mandates local government units (LGUs) and plastic manufacturers to recover, collect, and clean up all plastic waste.
The lawmaker also headed the technical working group in the 18th Congress responsible for passing on the third and final reading House Bill 9147 or the proposed Single-Use Plastic Products Regulations Act.
He said that banning of single-use plastics is a critical and concrete step towards a sustainable economy, and shall be a big win for the environment and for future generations to come.