Eco group laments mess at Antipolo penitential walk

source: http://www.gmanews.tv

Littering may have "ruined" this year's Holy Week penitential walk ("Alay Lakad") to Antipolo City, an ecological group lamented Saturday.

The EcoWaste Coalition said assorted trash such as plastic bags, straws and food wrappers were strewn along Ortigas Avenue Extension.

Even the Antipolo Cathedral itself, home to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, was littered with scattered newspapers, it said.

“We are saddened by the seemingly apathetic pilgrims who spoiled the penitential trail to Antipolo Cathedral with plastic rubbish and other garbage," said the group's Manny Calonzo.


The group said 15 staff members assigned to clean up the church compound were likely to use up 150 big garbage bags set aside for the massive occasion.

Garbage collected from the church and the streets of Antipolo would be dumped at the city’s waste disposal facility located in Tanza I, Barangay San Jose.

Recyclable junk, on the other hand, would be sold to junk shops.

“While disappointed with what we saw, we remain optimistic that future pilgrimages to Antipolo will treat Mother Earth more kindly. Next time, please abide by the law and don’t litter," EcoWaste said.

It noted R.A. 9003, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, lists littering, throwing and dumping of waste matters in public places as prohibited acts under the law’s penal provision.

Antipolo City, which produces 139 tons of trash daily, has enacted Ordinance 2008-287, also known as the “Basura Code," which prohibits littering, while Ordinance 2009-370, bans plastic bags and polystyrene containers.

For next year’s “Alay-Lakad," the EcoWaste Coalition has proposed that local government units (LGUs) deploy personnel throughout Ortigas Avenue Extension and other major roads leading to Antipolo Cathedral to apprehend environmental offenders.

“Only then will litterbugs start to break the dirty habit," it said.

source: http://www.gmanews.tv