TABUK CITY, Kalinga – A total of 68,611 assorted sando bags were confiscated by the personnel from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) together with the City Public Order and Safety Office, City Public Information Office, and Tabuk City Police Station during the two-day operation conducted in barangays Bulanao, Dagupan Centro, and Dagupan West from August 6-7.
The monitoring is in compliance with the full implementation of Ordinance No. 003, Series of 2021, regulating the use of cellophane and sando bags as packaging materials and the utilization of polystyrene within the Dagupan and Bulanao public markets, including nearby establishments.
According to Cesar Waay of the CENRO, the monitoring is to ensure that vendors in public markets and business facility owners are following the local ordinance.
Aside from sando bags, the team also confiscated 95 styro cups, 50 styro bowls, 140 styro plates, and 254 styro lunch boxes.
The majority of vendors in the two public markets and business establishment owners complied with the ordinance, while some remained noncompliant, with around 10 citation tickets issued to the violators.
The public was also reminded to report violators to proper authorities, such as barangay officials, because they were given authority to confiscate the prohibited materials within their jurisdiction.
The prohibited materials that were confiscated were destroyed by the team in front of the owners to assure that they would not be reused. The sando bags will be brought to the sanitary landfill for proper disposal.
The authorities reminded the public to bring their own ecobags or containers when buying in the public market or other business establishments to ensure compliance with the city ordinance.
The monitoring will also continue in the public markets and other barangays in the city.
Additionally, the CENRO has also urged all the barangay officials to police violators of the ordinance in their jurisdiction. By Ian Addatu
