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Ban on plastic bags may waste jobs, business leaders warn


Tens of thousands may lose their jobs should Congress pass a bill prohibiting the use of plastic bags, businessmen warned lawmakers over the weekend. Francis Chua, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) president, said in a statement that about 300 domestic plastic bag manufacturers and processors — which employ 175,000 people — would be affected by the passage of such a measure. In a position paper, the PCCI told Rep. Danilo Ramon Fernandez, chair of House committee on ecology, that any ban on any packaging material “should be backed by and based on… life-cycle analysis and cost-benefit analysis." The PCCI likewise urged Congress to strictly implement existing laws on anti-littering, waste segregation, and establishment of sanitary landfill, Chua said. The National Solid Waste Management Commission should hasten its evaluation of packaging products as mandated under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000. Felipe L. Gozon, PPCI vice president for environment and chairman and chief executive officer of GMA Network Inc., pointed out in the paper that the problem of clogged waterways is caused by indiscriminate disposal, handling, and improper segregation of solid waste. “A concerted effort between the government and the business sector to establish a mechanism for the collection and recycling of plastic bags may be a better alternative and the more sustainable solution to pollution and clogging of drainage systems," he said. — JE/VS, GMA News