LITTER LEFT BY ANTIPOLO PILGRIMS DRAW ECO GROUP'S IRE

MANILA, Philippines – The littering brought about by the Alay-Lakad penitential walk last Maundy Thursday and Good Friday drew the ire of an environmental advocacy group.

In a press statement, EcoWaste Coalition called the pilgrims who joined the walk “apathetic” for the littering that marred the penitential trail to Antipolo Cathedral.

“While we’re delighted to see families and friends walk together to fulfill their sacrificial vows, we could not help but moan about the uninspiring environmental indifference of some pilgrims as if Mother Earth does not matter,” Manny Calonzo of the EcoWaste Coalition said.

“Littering was so extensive even though it is banned by R.A. 9003 and related local environmental laws,” he added.

R.A. 9003, also known as 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.

The penitential walk traversed the long stretch of Ortigas Avenue Extension, which crosses Pasig City, Cainta, Taytay and Antipolo City.

In Antipolo, littering is prohibited under Ordinance 2008-287, also known as the “Basura Code.” Plastic bags and polystyrene containers are also banned in the city under Ordinance 2009-370.


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