September 11, 2023
This was shared by Rosilyn C. Sanchez, Officer-in-Charge of the Ormoc City Environment and Natural Resource Office, during The Climate Reality Project Philippines’ knowledge exchange session Klima Eskwela: Climate Science, Arts, and Action held at the Ormoc City Hall last September 1 and 2.
Conducted in partnership with the Climate Change Commission, the Department of Education Ormoc City Division, and the City Government of Ormoc, the Klima Eskwela session was attended by more than 50 students and faculty members of the New Ormoc National High School in Ormoc City, Leyte.
“In 2021, Ormoc City Ordinance No. 51 was enacted. Under this ordinance, the sale and use of [certain] SUPs [single-use plastics] within Ormoc City is prohibited. Selling is only allowed for customers outside of Ormoc City given that the Official Receipt of Sale indicates that the buyer is residing outside of Ormoc City,” Sanchez explained.
Under the said ordinance, the following items were declared as prohibited single-use plastics: (1) sando bags with handles made of plastic or plastic composite, including oxo-biodegradable, with less than 15 microns in thickness; (2) stirrers made of plastic or plastic composite (all sizes, thickness, and length); (3) utensils and cutleries made of plastic or plastic composite; (4) plastic roll bags with less than 15 microns in thickness, except oxo-biodegradable and oxo-degradable; (5) cups made of plastic or plastic composite with less than 0.20 mm of thickness; (6) Styrofoam cups made of plastic or plastic composite.
Business operators found in violation of this ordinance shall be fined for every act of violation and shall be grounds for revocation of permits issued for its continued operation.
In just a year of implementation, the City Government of Ormoc saw the number of plastic products recovered from coastal clean-ups decline from 10,522 in 2020 to 3,000 in 2021—a testament to the effectiveness of single-use plastic bans.
A new report released by the United Nations Environment Programme revealed that bans on single-use plastics are necessary to complement pricing policies, such as levies and Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) schemes.
The two-day Klima Eskwela session in Ormoc City served as a platform for youth leaders to learn more about the latest climate science, national and local climate change action plans, and the interlinkages of climate change and plastic pollution.
Climate Reality Leader Jonathan John Maldupana delivered a presentation on the basics of climate change, specifically how human activities are altering the world’s climate systems and the solutions we have at hand to address it.
Erwin Husmalaga, Information Officer of the Climate Change Commission, presented the various policy frameworks and strategies of the Philippine government to mitigate and address the adverse impacts of climate change while Joseph Pilapil, Project Evaluation Officer of the City Government of Ormoc, discussed the city’s Local Climate Change Action Plan (LCCAP).
“The City of Ormoc as usual ground zero of climate risks is always seeking better solutions to always keep its people safe from disasters. Adapting now is saving lives, saving properties, and saving resources,” Pilapil said during his presentation.
Noting that the goals and objectives of the Ormoc LCCAP are anchored on the goals of the National Climate Change Action Plan, Sophia Manzano, Development Management Officer of the Climate Change Commission, provided recommendations to further strengthen the plan.
Dr. Eduardo Mangaoang, Member of the Climate Change Commission’s National Panel of Technical Experts, underscored the need for Ormoc City to prepare for the danger of flash floods and even landslides from the upland.
“Ormoc City is basically a basin. It is the recipient of anything that comes from the uplands. This is why the Ormoc [City] Government is looking at rehabilitating your watersheds and forests. This is critical. Any development in the city, [without] the development [protection] of the uplands, will only be temporary because you’ll be in danger of severe impacts of climate change during extreme weather events.”
Climate Reality Leader and Youth Cluster Coordinator Keith Sigfred Ancheta presented the climate lens of plastic pollution and the need to simultaneously address the climate crisis and plastic pollution.
“Considerable amounts of greenhouse gasses are emitted at any point in the life of plastics–from production to disposal. We cannot have a very linear approach where we extract raw materials, use them, and dispose of them. That’s the current model we have. We need to shift to a more circular approach. In order to achieve this, we need to redesign the current system,” Ancheta explained.
The second day of the Klima Eskwela session was allotted for a creative workshop, where students and faculty members created literary pieces, songs, and artworks to be showcased as part of Climate Reality Philippines’ Poets for Climate initiative in support of the global When Is Now campaign.
Reflecting on what they learned from the experts, participants pledged towards the end of the event to minimize the consumption of single-use plastics, adopt energy-efficient practices, support and engage in the restoration of natural ecosystems in the city, and serve as ambassadors for sustainability within our school and community.
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