Manila: An environmental group on Monday urged parish and barangay officials, as well as the faithful, to reconsider the use of plastic banderitas to prevent additional waste during festivities.
According to Philippine News Agency, communities in Pandacan and Tondo are preparing for the celebration of the Feast of the Santo Ni±o over the weekend. Tondo is home to the Santo Ni±o de Tondo, while Pandacan hosts the Santo Ni±o de Pandacan, both drawing large numbers of devotees during the annual feast.
The group observed that neighborhoods are already being decorated with garlands and buntings made from disposable plastics, including new plastic 'labo,' freshly cut plastic strips, and plastic scraps during their weekend monitoring. EcoWaste Coalition Zero Waste Campaigner Ochie Tolentino noted that these plastic banderitas have begun to appear in the streets and alleys of Tondo and Pandacan, drawing a parallel to a 'contest' in decoration.
Tolentino warned that the increasing use of plastic banderitas could exacerbate the garbage problem in Manila, comparing it to the widespread use of plastic tarpaulins during past elections. He highlighted the potential for a similar 'battle' of plastic banderitas in these communities, despite the city's existing waste challenges.
The group described fiesta banderitas made of single-use plastics as 'litter in the sky,' emphasizing that these decorations will eventually be removed and disposed of, contributing to the waste at the New San Mateo Sanitary Landfill in Rizal province. EcoWaste Coalition appealed to parish and barangay officials to use their influence to discourage this non-essential and wasteful practice, which contradicts efforts to reduce plastic pollution.
Tolentino emphasized that single-use plastic banderitas have no aesthetic, practical, or spiritual value and contribute to avoidable garbage during fiestas. He pointed out that cleanup crews have recently collected significant amounts of trash following the Traslacion in Luneta and Quiapo and are now preparing for another surge in waste during the Santo Ni±o celebrations.
The EcoWaste Coalition stated that avoiding single-use plastic banderitas would support efforts to combat plastic pollution, aligning with the ecological actions adopted by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines in 2024. The bishops had issued a 2019 pastoral letter on ecology, reaffirming the Church's commitment to environmental care principles.
The group expressed hope that the church-led convergence 'Hayuma: Mending the Broken,' scheduled for January 14 to 16, 2026, at the University of Santo Tomas, will strengthen calls for ecological conversion and further efforts toward a zero-waste and toxics-free environment. The statement concluded by urging both the church and society to embrace zero waste.
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