Legarda Hails New Recycling Campaign in Metro Manila

MANILA, November 24, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today hailed the recently launched National Ecosavers Program (NEP) for public schools, which will give incentives to students who bring recyclable materials.

“I am very pleased that the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 is being implemented with such renewed vigor. Solid waste management is central to reducing the susceptibility of all sectors to the floods that threaten people’s health, homes, and livelihoods. In addition, this campaign will raise awareness in the new generation about the importance of keeping a clean environment,” she said.

The NEP is a program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), and the Galing Pook Foundation. Students who donate recyclable materials will earn “points” which, when accumulated, can be exchanged for more useful materials, such as school supplies. 

In line with the alarming amount of solid waste coming from the capital, the NEP will first be implemented in 763 public elementary and high schools in Metro Manila.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change and author of R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, added that with the present condition of communities in Metro Manila, the NEP should be complemented by NCR-wide clean-ups of drainage, waterways, and riverbanks, more tree-growing activities, and other programs to address the problem of ground subsidence.

“The NEP combines a sound solid waste management mechanism with youth participation, which allows it to address two very pertinent issues at once. Evidently, the program deserves our support, and its expansion beyond Metro Manila should soon be underway,” Legarda concluded. 

Legarda Supports Car-Free Day Campaign for Clean Air

MANILA, November 24, 2012-Senator Loren Legarda today expressed support for the “Clean Air? Pwede!!!” Campaign initiated by the Partnership for Clean Air which seeks to promote at least one car-free day in Metro Manila’s roads every November.

“In light of November being the National Clean Air Month, it is high time to raise awareness about the effects of burning fossil fuels and the simple solutions we can undertake,” she said.

Legarda, author of the landmark legislation Clean Air Act (R.A. 8749) and Chair of the Senate Committee on Climate Change, stressed that beyond the careful implementation of our environmental laws, altering our everyday activities, such as choosing modes of transportation that are energy-efficient instead of driving a car, will gradually change the city’s landscape for the better.

“I urge everyone to contribute to this campaign, which will hopefully continue for many years to come. Whenever possible, we must consider energy-efficient transport modes like walking, biking, taking public transport, and carpooling. Now is the time for us to reconsider how we, especially in the cities, are living, and how this is affecting the environment,” she remarked.

The Partnership for Clean Air is a multisectoral body that includes government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Metro Manila Development Authority, as well as several private entities and civil society organizations.

“Everyone should be made aware that they are responsible for ensuring the quality of the air we breathe. We must ensure that the generations to come will still have access to clean air,” Legarda concluded.