The Climate Change Commission imposed a plastic ban in its office operations through Office Order No. 2020-010 entitled Office Waste Management System dated 24 January 2020. Disposable plastics, such as plastic straws, stirrers, utensils, food wrappers, grocery bags, instant food packaging, lids, drinking bottles and caps are prohibited within the CCC-CCO premises during the conduct of official meetings, conferences, and other activities. MANILA, 15 January 2021 — During the 72nd Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) Inaugural Meeting 2021 and Induction of 2021 MAP Board of Governors, Finance Secretary and Chairperson-designate of the Climate Change Commission Carlos G. Dominguez said that the CCC will be pushing for a nationwide ban on single-use plastics. “While we are pursuing more sustainable practices during this pandemic, why not push ourselves even further by addressing our perennial problem on plastic pollution? Plastic waste clogs our waterways resulting in massive flooding. It kills marine life and threatens biodiversity, as well as causes global warming from the burning of fossil fuels to produce and transport these plastics. This will create more problems in the future, entailing more public costs and resources from us, if we don’t address this problem now,” Dominguez explained. For the CCC, single-use plastics such as sachets, thin shopping bags, and plastic "labo" bags, are a waste, public health, and climate change problem. The report “Plastic Exposed: How Waste Assessments and Brand Audits (WABA) are Helping Philippines Cities Fight Plastic Pollution” by the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA) found that Filipinos use around 59.7 billion pieces of sachets yearly. The report also stated that Filipinos use 20.6 billion pieces of shopping bags and 16.5 pieces of "labo" bags a year, approximately eight million tons of which end up in the ocean, impacting ecosystems and killing millions of sea birds, sea mammals, and fish. The climate body views plastic pollution as a serious climate-related concern, with the production and distribution of single-use plastics linked to fossil fuel extraction and transport, and contributing to the world’s increasing greenhouse gas levels. The improper and inadequate disposal and management of single-use plastics also pollutes the environment and disrupts ecosystems, resulting in significant biodiversity loss. The World Economic Forum (WEF) has highlighted the need for governments to ensure that waste management systems are well supported to deal with current and future plastic waste, especially with the significant increase in plastic pollution from home deliveries and medical waste due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Chairperson Dominguez also noted that many local government units have already issued ordinances to regulate or ban single-use plastics, and government agencies have adopted national policies to support this, such as the National Solid Waste Management Commission Resolution No. 1363 directing the ban on unnecessary single-use plastics in national and local government agencies and units, and the CCC Resolution on Adopting a Circular Economy. The DOF and CCC fully support legislative measures for a phase out of single-use plastics and for extended producer’s responsibility that will cover large-scale collection, sorting, and recycling or reusing of plastics. In the Senate, proponents include Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change Chair Cynthia Villar; and Senators Sonny Angara, Nancy Binay, Manny Pacquiao, Lito Lapid, Risa Hontiveros, and Francis Pangilinan; while in the House of Representatives, Speaker Lord Allan Jay Velasco, Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, and Committee on Ecology Chair Glona Labadlabad, have each filed their versions on banning single-use plastics and extended producer’s responsibility along with many other representatives, so that there are at least 38 bills pending. Dominguez urged top corporations, many of which are producers and retailers of plastic-based products, to take the lead in the private sector for the anti-single use plastics initiative and not wait for incentives from the government. “Corporations have the means and the responsibility to design a system where their products do not pollute our lands and seas and aggravate our problems on public health and climate change. They should not wait for any incentives from the government if it’s for the greater good and welfare of all Filipinos,” Dominguez concluded.
Twenty-eight year-old Pag-asa, first-ever Philippine eagle bred and hatched in captivity died on Wednesday night. Pag-asa is a renowned figure in wildlife conservation fight in the Philippines. Photo from the Philippine Eagle Foundation. MANILA, 12 January 2021 — Deputy Speaker and Lone District of Antique Representative Loren Legarda strongly called on law enforcement authorities to strengthen the implementation of wildlife-related laws and policies, and intensify the campaign to fight illegal wildlife trade to help prevent the possible emergence of another global pandemic through zoonotic diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention based in the United States, zoonotic diseases (also known as zoonoses) such as COVID-19 are caused by harmful viruses, bacterial, parasites, and fungi which can cause many different types of illnesses in people and animals, ranging from mild to serious illness and even death. These diseases are transmitted to humans due to the close connection between people and animals, through: Direct contact: Coming into contact with the saliva, blood, urine, mucous, feces, or other body fluids of an infected animal. Indirect contact: Coming into contact with areas where animals live and roam, or objects or surfaces that have been contaminated with germs. Examples include aquarium tank water, pet habitats, chicken coops, barns, plants, and soil, as well as pet food and water dishes. Vector-borne: Being bitten by a tick, or an insect like a mosquito or a flea. Foodborne: Eating or drinking something unsafe, such as unpasteurized (raw) milk, undercooked meat or eggs, or raw fruits and vegetables that are contaminated with feces from an infected animal. Contaminated food can cause illness in people and animals, including pets. Waterborne: Drinking or coming in contact with water that has been contaminated with feces from an infected animal. Studies have shown that wild animals consumed as food have been suspected to be responsible for the COVID-19 virus. But despite considerable research progress on COVID-19, the direct animal origin (intermediate host) of the virus remains ambiguous. Legarda echoed the view of experts that the spread of the COVID-19 should serve as a wake-up call to everyone to stop the proliferation of illegal wildlife trade and consumption of exotic foods. The laws on Philippine wildlife protection and conservation must be strictly implemented, amid the escalating threats of biodiversity loss and the global pandemic due to zoonotic diseases. Republic Act No. 9147 or the Wildlife Resources and Protection Act defines and penalizes illegal wildlife trade. Under the law, unlawful trading, possession and transport of wildlife species, as well as their derivatives and by-products, are punishable by a jail term of up to two years and a fine of not more than P200,000. Legarda said that despite domestic laws and international trade regulations protecting the country’s wildlife, poaching and illegal trade continue. Difficulties in investigation, few successful arrests and prosecutions, and low penalties pose a challenge to efforts to curb wildlife trafficking in the country. "Anyone who has had a loved one die of this disease knows the pain deeply and we owe it to them to make sure we do everything in our power to reduce the chances of another outbreak from lackluster enforcement of wildlife laws," she stressed. As the country works around the clock to provide adequate responses to arrest the spread of COVID-19 virus, Legarda said the government should also lead in addressing economic challenges and jumpstart resilient solutions to build back better and prevent zoonotic diseases.
MANILA, 11 January 2021 — The discussion to promote environmental consciousness, sustainability, and climate-adaptive practices in the better normal continues next Thursday, January 14, 2021 with Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda hosting the online series “Stories for a Better Normal” aired via Facebook Live at facebook.com/CCCPhl and facebook.com/conglorenlegarda. A partnership between the Climate Change Commission and Office of Deputy Speaker Loren Legarda, with support from the Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities, The Climate Reality Project-Philippines and Mother Earth Foundation, the “Stories for a Better Normal” is a two-hour weekly online feature series that aims to change the mindset of individuals, families, and communities by demonstrating ways in which a ‘better normal’ can be realized within our communities. For its 30th episode with the theme, “Reset, Restart, Renew,” Stories will welcome the new year with inspiring stories of climate action, environmental sustainability, and innovation. Nanette Medved-Po, Founder of Plastic Credit Exchange, Inc. (PCEx); Earl Patrick Forlales, Co-Founder and CEO of Cubo Modular; and Chef Myke ‘Tatung’ Sarthou, bestselling author, culinary heritage advocate, and online cooking show host of Simpol will join the online conversation to discuss plastic credits, bamboo housing, and sustainable dining habits, respectively. Amid the challenges of 2020 – the climate emergency, COVID-19 pandemic, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss, among others -- there are reasons to hope as we head into the new year. As the start of a new decade, the year 2021 is a turning point for global cooperation and enhanced climate action. Moreover, the United Nations declares 2021-2030 as the “Decade on Ecosystem Restoration,” which challenges everyone to massively scale-up restoration efforts that breathe new life into our degraded ecosystems. In the upcoming episode, Legarda and the guests will demonstrate practical ways to live in a more sustainable, climate-friendly way for us to start the year and the decade with a call to action at the individual and community levels. For more information on “Stories for a Better Normal”, visit the official Facebook pages of Congresswoman Loren Legarda and the Climate Change Commission or through our YouTube channels (youtube.com/senatorlorenlegarda and youtube.com/cccphl).
