MANILA, 10 February 2023 – The Climate Change Commission PH (CCC) kicked off the month-long series of #PlasticFreePilipinas activities in the Senate as part of its campaign against single-use plastics (SUPs).

Hosted by Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, the launching of the photo exhibit titled “#PlasticFreeSaSenate” was attended by CCC Vice Chairperson and Executive Director Robert E.A. Borje and Commissioner Rachel Anne Herrera, along with representatives from environmental groups.
The exhibit illustrates the severity of the plastic pollution crisis in the country.

United with various environmental groups, the CCC pledged support for Senate Bill 246 authored by Senator Legarda, providing a new step towards a comprehensive and national ban on SUPs.

The proposed measure will pave the way for the proper regulation and management of SUPs, providing penalties, levies and incentives for industries and consumers.

“This measure will provide an ‘ambitious yet comprehensive’ approach to solving the problem of single-use plastics and supporting the development and use of more eco-friendly products and packaging. We will continue to lobby against single-use plastics and foster discussions on initiatives that advance real, demonstrable and lasting solutions to the plastic pollution crisis in the country,” Legarda said.

“The issues on climate change necessarily include the production and use of plastics, especially single-use plastics. Considering its negative impacts on the environment and human health, everyone must understand what needs to be done to effectively reduce, and ultimately, to eliminate these plastics,” VCED Borje stressed.

“The Commission supports the passage of a national regulation aimed at the phase-out and eventual ban of single-use plastics in the country which will also support the development and use of more eco-friendly packaging. This legislation, when implemented through a whole-of-nation approach, will give us a fighting chance to achieve the 1.5 survival limit as found by the scientific community,” Commissioner Herrera said.

The #PlasticFreePilipinas campaign also included activities such as the documentary screening of “Ang Huling Plastic” and “The Story of Plastic”; a zero waste bazaar, and a legislative forum on waste-to-energy.

These activities aim to amplify the call to ban SUPs, unmask single-use plastic production issues, false solutions, as well as highlight zero-waste businesses and mainstream zero-waste solutions.

The event is organized by the Plastic Free Pilipinas Project collaborators, namely, EcoWaste Coalition, Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives, Mother Earth Foundation, Greenpeace Philippines, and Ocean Conservancy, together with the Climate Change Commission, Oceana Philippines, and the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda.