For every Sunday of this year, the Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) together with partner groups and organizations has scheduled coordinated clean-ups at the Cawa-cawa boulevard.

“Tiene ya kame schedule for the entire year,” said OCENR public service officer Rodrigo Pagotaisidro Monday at the City Hall press briefing.

Helming and taking part of the regular clean ups are different groups from the non-government organizations, schools, barangays, and security forces, with whom the OCENR coordinated and tapped for support.

In addition to the clean ups, Pagotaisidro said the scheduled Sunday activities will also be an advocacy initiative to disseminate information on the solid waste management ordinance and the no-plastic order of the city government.

Meanwhile, information campaigns and drives are continuously being undertaken by the OCENR for the plastic holiday every Saturdays and Sundays in the city.

Pagotaisidro said the OCENR has conducted assemblies and meetings with barangays, and distributed flyers to help familiarize residents with the provisions of the executive order BC453-2019

While the executive order covers Saturdays and Sundays only, big malls and stores may opt to implement a plastic ban for the entire week.

“We don’t say na hinde puede entero semana, they can [implement],” Pagotaisidro said.

The current plastic holiday is a prelude to the coming up of an ordinance. The executive order has no attached sanctions, but the ordinance, once passed by the City Council, will carry the appropriate penalties for noncompliance.

The OCENR reported two barangays already implementing the plastic holiday – Tumaga and Sta. Maria.

The plastic holiday is also in effect at the Sta. Cruz and the main public market, with close monitoring of OCENR. (Jasmine Mohammadsali)