“Straw-Less Fridays” Being Mulled In La Union

Fridays will soon be straw-less days all over La Union if the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approves a proposed ordinance seeking to regulate the use of plastic drinking straws in all snack houses, eateries, soda parlors and similar establishments.

Authored by SP member Nancy Corazon M. Bacurnay, the ordinance seeks to lessen the volume of consumption of plastic drinking straws, which, when thrown indiscriminately, end up in sewers or canals that clog waterways or in the nearby sea and ocean.

As explained by the proponent, plastic drinking straws could endanger lives of marine animals that mistake these as food and ingest them.

The proposed ordinance was subjected to a public hearing last March 16, where managers and owners of affected business establishments were invited to give relevant comments and suggestion.

The hearing was headed by the SP Committee on Environment, chaired by Board Member Francisco “Kit” C. Ortega, and by Board Member Reynaldo M. Mosuela, chair of the Committee on Laws, Rules and Privileges.

Participants in that hearing lauded the proposed legislation, but sought some exemptions as there are also products where straw is indispensable such as frozen drinks and special drinks with cream or pearls.

Intensive information dissemination was also requested to assist the business establishments in explaining to their costumers especially tourists on the non-use of straw.

It was learned that since 2011 Jollibee Foods Corp. has already been implementing in its stores straw-less Fridays on their soft drinks and juices.

Earlier, members of the SP conducted a survey at the CSI mall on the possibility of foregoing the use of straw on some beverages. The results are not yet available.

A second reading on the measure has been scheduled, where comments and suggestions will be incorporated in the proposed ordinance. (PNA)/JSV/LVM/VBAJR/RMA