Bontoc, Mountain Province – Third-termer Mayor Franklin Odsey of this capital town has turned his tarpaulins into recyclable and reusable eco bags.
Considering that one of his priority programs is solid waste management since he assumed office as mayor in 2013, he took the initiative to have his campaign tarpaulins sewn into durable eco bags at his own expense.
“As leaders, we have to live by example. I hope that this small act in support of solid waste management will inspire and challenge other political candidates, as well as their supporters, to be responsive and responsible in the removal of their campaign tarpaulins and turn it into reusable materials such as eco bags,” Odsey remarked.
He said that the eco bags to be made out of campaign tarpaulins will be distributed for free to the public.
“We have to level up in diverting as much of whatever waste materials produced into productive uses. With the campaign tarpaulins made into eco bags, I hope that we strengthen the No Plastic Bag Policy in the municipality in compliance to Municipal Ordinance No. 212, s. 2013,” the mayor added.
Also, during the campaign period, Odsey’s supporters donated and distributed green eco bags bearing his slogan ‘Go Odsey’ also in line with his waste reduction programs.
Odsey further elaborated that this initiative is in compliance and a response of the Bontoc municipal government to Republic Act (RA) 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which assigns the primary task of its implementation and enforcement to local governments, at the same time, emphasising the importance of minimizing waste using techniques such as recycling, resource recovery, reuse, and composting.
Thus, aside from his campaign tarpaulins, the mayor asked the permission and approval of other candidates, as well as members of the Team Odsey, who filed their candidacy for Sangguniang Bayan members of Bontoc for their campaign tarpaulins to be collected and be made into eco bags.
This is also in response to the call of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to all candidates and parties, elected or not to take down their campaign materials without delay and help clean after the waste produced during the elections to show their commitment to conserve and improve their communities.
By Alpine L. Killa
