Business ‘license to operate’ may be revoked for violating plastic regulation ordinance

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Tabuk City, Kalinga―Business owners may be penalized to pay P3,000 as fines and may face the cancellation or revocation of their license to operate, once found guilty for the third time, violating the ordinance that regulates the use of plastic as secondary packaging materials and utilizing Styrofoam as food containers in this city.

The penalty for first-time violators is PhP500 fine and confiscation of prohibited materials while a second-time violator will pay PhP1,000as fine aside from the confiscation of the abovementioned prohibited materials in his or her establishment.

In an interview, Councilor Samuel Suma-al, who authored the ordinance, said that this is one attempt to reduce the volume of plastics in the city’s waste stream.

He expressed hope and appealed to the public to support the said ordinance for its efficient implementation, following its approval for the third and final reading today March 8, 2021, by the members of the city council.

He said that all business establishments, sari-sari stores, market vendors, ambulant vendors, food kiosks, and the like will be given six months to dispose their remaining inventory and f

or consumers to adjust and conform to the rules and regulations of the ordinance.

“Mai-dispose lang within six months tapno mailako da diay nabatbati a plastic bags. Once a matiliwan mabalin maikkat diay business permit da sunga tungpalen tayo ti ordinance tapno mabawasan ti problema tayo ti plastics,” he said.

Moreover, the “Ordinance regulating the use of single plastic cellophane and sando bags as secondary packaging materials and utilization of polystyrene, commonly known as Styrofoam for food and beverages containers in the City of Tabuk” advocates the use of recyclable, reusable and/or biodegradable alternative packaging materials.

Instead of plastic, reusable woven bags (bayong), cloth bags, rattan baskets, shopping bags made from recycled materials and other bags made of biodegradable materials (e.g.: banana leaves, taro leaves, water lily, corn stalk, etc.) are encouraged.

The ordinance also stated that all business establishments should adopt the "Bring Your Own Bag campaign" advocacy.

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