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Taking a cue from their counterparts in 11 towns and cities in the country, 27 municipal mayors in Nueva Ecija have signed a resolution declaring a ban on the use of plastic bags to cut down on litter and pollution in support of the campaign for environmental protection.

Mayor Ferdinand R. Abesamis, president of the 27-member League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Nueva Ecija chapter, said the prohibition on the use of plastic bags is contained in LMP-NE Resolution 003-2011 passed during its regular meeting last July 5.
He said each of the member municipalities will convene its respective Sangguniang Bayan or municipal councils and enact ordinances parallel to the league resolution.

He added the league resolution will be transmitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan which will adopt the same and pass an ordinance, including the penalties for violations.

Abesamis said that prior to the passage of the LMP resolution, the ban had already been in effect in this town. “We are now enforcing it in Penaranda as part of our environmental plan and in support of the fight against global warming,” he said.

The league took the cue from the city government of Muntinlupa which implemented the plastic bag and styrofoam ban six months ago in order to ease the flooding and reduce the volume of collected garbage.

Muntinlupa City Mayor Alvin San Pedro said that since the ban took effect, the city was spared from flooding at the height of Typhoon Falcon last month.
In place of plastic bags, consumers now use alternative receptacles to place their groceries such as cardboard boxes, reusable green bags and paper bags made of old newspapers and magazines or the traditional “bayong” (native bags).