“A Plastic Free July” is a new activity launched by the advocacy group “Ayaw ni Princesa ng Plastic Bags” here in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
The group of volunteers wants to go into an aggressive Information Education Communication (IEC) campaign on the effects of plastic to the environment, particularly to the marine ecosystem.
It is going to be one of the major activities of the organization that was founded last September 2017.
Since then, “Ayaw ni Princesa ng Plastic Bags” launched several programs and formed groups to focus on specific concerns. These are:
1. Blue Warriors – These are the individuals or group of individuals who initiated/conducted the organized clean-up activity from Ridge to Reef in Puerto Princesa; mainly participated by hikers/trekkers/couple/local tourists.
2. ECOmmitment – to recognize the contribution of individual or group who are using Eco-Friendly products i.e Eco or Tote Bag, Paper Bag, Bamboo and Stainless Steel Straw, Native Basket, Reusable Items such as Tupperware, Water Bottle and others.
3. Pick a Plastic Princesan’s (3P’s) in 3 Minutes (Launched on May 27, 2018 at City Baywalk before the actual activity of 3P’s in 3 Minutes) – they are planning to bring and introduce this activity to the academe from elementary/high school and the community this July to expand the advocacy and be part of the movement. 4. Eye (i) Observed – these are the scenarios observed or witnessed in a particular place and mostly plastic wastes that we commonly found in the mountain, rivers, or in coastal areas, in underwater, water ways, or street canals and sometimes in urban communities; lastly
5. Information Education Communication (IEC) campaign – we facilitate and talk about the basic ecology (nine ecological principles) and the effect of plastic (visual presentation from Ayaw ni Princesa ng Plastic bags) to the environment or in an ecosystems and mostly were invited by local community, academe, youth groups, peoples organization, NGO, and we also featured in local media to talk our advocacy (radio, TV Patrol Palawan and social media).
This advocacy reaches outside Puerto Princesa-from Cuyo,Araceli , Espanola, San Vicente, El Nido and Coron to down south in Narra, Quezon, and Barangay Rio Tuba in Bataraza. These municipalities have already implemented campaigns to address the issues in protecting our own environment.
There are some people who are responsive for their call to this advocacy, but it is undeniable that some do not share the same belief.
With the hope that education is one of the key challenges that people are facing nowadays when it comes to these issues, the group encourages the community to inculcate in the minds of the young generation the importance of having a good, healthy, and balanced environment.
Puerto Princesa was once a Hall of Fame Awardee as the Cleanest and Greenest Component City in the Philippines.
The group emphasizes how simple as the following the projection of our environment can be:
To implement our ordinance on the anti-littering and solid waste-management and push the MRF Program in the barangay level, we have this “mga pabatid” but still we need to enforce this.
We need to learn on how to refuse the Big Five (5) Plastic Bag, Mineral Water Bottle, Straw/Stirrer, Cutlery (spoon and fork), and cup and instead we need to embrace the use of Eco or Tote Bag, Reusable Water Bottle, Stainless Steel; Bamboo and Paper Straw, Stainless Steel (spoon and fork), Cup and Mug.
Be more responsible in disposing our wastes and put our trash in the proper bin, and we need to segregate our waste from plastic, bottles, paper, and others.
Lastly we need to Respect our Laws and Ordinances (i.e City Anti-Littering Ordinance and R.A 9003 or Solid Waste Management Act of 2001),
“Nature is here and she gives us smile in our heart when we see and witness her unique beauty like sunset at baywalk, hidden falls in PP, walking at the coast, crossing the river and trekking the mountain, or roam around in downtown Puerto Princesa,” EDILBERTO “EDONG” MAGPAYO, founder of Ayaw ni Princesa ng Plastic Bags.
“We need to follow its rules and guidelines. This is not only for us but also for the protection and conservation of our only home, and we must remember that we just borrowed all these from our children’s children’, and the children of the Earth.”