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The House of Representatives has approved a bill banning single-use plastics on second reading, Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Benitez (Negros Occidental, 3rd District) said Friday, June 4.
House Bill 9147 regulates production, importation, sale and the use of single-use plastics and shifts the responsibility on producers to recover plastic waste to prevent leakage to bodies of water and harm to the environment, Benitez said.
Benitez chaired the technical working group that consolidated 42 bills and resolutions into House Bill 9147.
“It’s been challenging work as TWG chair to balance the interests of the industry, consumers and the environment. In the end, the health of the planet has to prevail,” he said.
Benitez thanked House Speaker Lord Alan Velasco, Environment Committee Chairperson Glona Labadlabad and the 106 co-authors of House Bill 9147 for their support throughout the painstaking process of drafting and approving this bill.
“It’s been two decades since the first bills were filed to expressly ban specific single-use plastics – the 18th Congress is committed to finish the job,” he said.*