Bacolod City, August 1, 2024 – La Consolacion College Bacolod’s Institutional Environmental Advocacy Program (IEAP) participated in a consultative meeting held at the Bacolod City Government Center. This meeting is part of a series of consultations led by the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) regarding the implementation of the Plastic Bag Regulation Ordinance.
The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including representatives from various sectors who discussed the city’s plans to enforce the ordinance. Ma. Fe Trespuentes, Officer-in-Charge of
BENRO, highlighted the city government’s intention to relaunch the ordinance, which aims to regulate the use, sale, and provision of plastic bags as packaging material in Bacolod City. Similar consultations have already been conducted with market vendors to align their practices with the ordinance.
Trespuentes requested La Consolacion College Bacolod to present its implementation model, praising LCC’s IEAP as a potential best practice model for the city. Bernadette Tupas, IEAP Coordinator, explained that the program, established in 2012, has been pivotal in promoting environmental advocacies within the college and among its stakeholders. She emphasized the institution’s ongoing policies, such as the ban on single-use plastics on campus. Additionally, Tupas presented LCC Bacolod’s successful recycling campaign in partnership with Subay Marketing, which involves the collection and processing of soft plastics into plastic pellets for
furniture manufacturing.
Rodjhun Navarro, VP for Research, Innovations, and Linkages, also attended the meeting. He leads a significant research and organizational development project on solid waste management in Bacolod City, in collaboration with the University of Kassel and GIZ. This project aims to enhance the city’s waste management strategies through innovative solutions and best practices.
LCC alumni Joshua Villalobos and Adnan Balisi were active participants in the consultation. Villalobos provided an overview of the global plastic pollution crisis, while Balisi, now Bacolod City College’s Director for Student Affairs and Services, affirmed the critical role of educational institutions in fostering an environmentally conscious lifestyle.
Trespuentes proposed designating an official weekly plastic-bag-free day, an idea supported by most stakeholders. She challenged educational institutions to lead the implementation by ensuring their campuses are free of plastic bags and other single-use plastics.