Davao City—The City Government of Davao is banning the use of single-usage plastics during officials meetings and other activities to help the environment.
City Administrator Zuleika T. Lopez announced this during the department heads meeting on Monday, adding that the concern for the environment is not just the responsibility of the City Environment and Natural Resources but of everybody.
“It has been found out that much of the garbage generated are composed of plastics and all forms of it. In our own way in the City Government of Davao we’re coming up with a policy to ban the use of plastic in all our meetings, conferences, etc.,” she said.
Lopez said the city will now encourage the department heads to bring their own cups during meetings to avoid the usage of plastics, especially water bottles.
“This will go a long way toward preventing the increase of plastics in our garbage,” she added.
The executive department also endorsed a proposed resolution to the City Council to enact an ordinance banning the use of single-usage plastics and encouraging the reusable alternatives in official events of the city.
Solid waste management is one of the 10 priority agendas of Mayor Sara Duterte to appeal to the public to manage garbage properly.
Duterte has been very particular in preserving the environment, even creating the Bantay Dagat program that aims to clean the coastal areas of the city.
In 2017, the city launched the Bantay Dagat cleanup every second Saturday of the month.
Meanwhile, 31 houses were razed by a fire that hit the heavily populated Barangay 76- A in Bucana district around 9:15 a.m. on Monday.
Senior Fire Officer 2 Ramil Gillado, chief investigator of the Bureau of Fire and Protection Region 11, said the fire started at the second floor of the house owned by Merna Genovia, who may have left her cooking unattended.
He said 24 houses were razed to the ground and seven houses were partially damaged. The city government was still assessing the number of families affected by the incident.
Initial estimates show the fire damaged around P700,000 worth of properties, Gillado said. The fire spread to the nearby houses made mostly of light materials.
The fire was put under control at around 9:52 am and was put out an hour later.
Gillado said no one died or was hurt during the fire.
On Sunday around 11:45 am, a house at Zone 4, San Vicente, Barangay Buhangin was also razed. The Davao City Police Office said the fire started at the altar of the house of Andres Lafuentes, 82. BFP-11 did not record any casualty from the incident.