REVILLA WANTS REMOVAL OF FLOATING TRASH

In observance of Earth day, Senator Bong Revilla Jr. called on concerned government agencies and the general public to take part of the removal of garbage in the shorelines, rivers and creeks in the metropolis and other parts of the country. According to the senator, it is the duty of the citizenry to make an effort to protect the environment including the conservation of water resources by proper disposal of solid waste. He stressed that the issue of littering, whether in streets or waterways, should not be disregarded because it causes several hazards in the environment and eventually to the people.

"Aside from being an eyesore and nose sore that would discourage the influx of foreign tourists, floating garbage along the coastlines, rivers and creeks would be a health hazard to the people and other living things," Revilla pointed out

The lawmaker revealed that since the 1940s, there was a dramatic increase in plastic use which resulted in huge quantity of plastics floating in the oceans and deposited on beaches worldwide. Revilla urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to coordinate with the Local Government Units (LGUs) on launching a waterways clean-up and anti-littering campaign nationwide.

He also suggested beachgoers to have their own trash bags where they will throw their garbage instead of leaving it in the beaches.

"As the saying goes, good things come in small packages. There are fears recently of looming garbage crisis. We must act in our own little way. Many people know that littering is a major environmental problem yet they still carelessly discard their trash," Revilla said. He also urged residents of the 41,882 barangays nationwide to faithfully practice garbage segregation in their neighborhood. "Let us reuse recyclable materials out of segregated garbage. This would reduce tons of trash delivered regularly in the dumpsite," Revilla said.

Revilla earlier filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 1692 or the "PUV-Cleanliness Act", mandating drivers and operators of all public utility vehicles (PUVs), including tricycles and pedicabs, to install a trashcan which will serve as container for their passenger's garbage.

He further explained garbage discarded from vehicles is second top primary source of litter, next to pedestrians dropping garbage on the streets and gutter.

"Fire starts from a litter every 12 minutes. Rats, cockroaches and flies that carry diseases thrive on litter. Birds and other animals choke on litter. There were streets accidents caused by litter. It's more than meets the eye," Revilla added.