CAMPAIGN MATERIALSThe Department of Environment and Natural Resources stated that voters should not vote to elect candidates who damage the environment by attaching or nailing materials to trees. Posters such the ones of a presidential hopeful during his motorcade in Pateros, Feb. 22, 2022, weren’t on trees, but could cause litter if not properly disposed. (PNA photo taken by Avito Dalan
MANILA – The new chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said voters should not elect officials who do not care about the environment.
The DENR Officer-in Charge, Undersecretary Jim Sampulna mentioned candidates who stuck campaign materials on trees like posters and Tarpaulin.
Sampulna released a news release Saturday saying that she wished all Filipino brothers and sisters who are running for elective positions in 2022 to “avoid nailing your campaign materials into any living tree.”
He said, “So, I am asking our voters, especially our voters to not vote for candidates that are destroying the environment.”
Experts say that nailing, screwing and stapling in trees can cause bark damage and puncture the interiors. This could lead to a decrease in growth and vulnerability to disease.
Sampulna stated that the DENR is also against single-use plastics, despite the absence a law.
“We need some legislation (ban on single-useplastic). He said that although there isn’t legislation yet on the subject, we are already advocating it.”
Roy Cimatu, who had recently retired due to health reasons, was replaced by Sampulna.
“The initiatives of Secretary Cimatu made huge impacts on the Filipino people and I intend to continue what he started,” Sampulna said. “What I can promise is that our initiatives in the next 4 months will be for the benefit Filipino people.
Cimatu is currently involved in the restoration of Manila Bay, as well as the ongoing rehabilitation of Boracay Island.
“We now can see the beauty of Manila Bay. Perhaps only 500 to 600 meters of Manila Bay’s dolomite-sand remains to be laid. Sampulna stated, “I intend to continue this project because that’s our commitment to the dear President.”
He stated that there are guidelines and policies that must be followed when it comes to open-pit mining.
“There are some myths that open-pit mining is destructive. Even before the project began, there was already a plan for rehabilitation. The extent of damage to the environment had been assessed. It will be restored once they have completed their operations,” he said. (PR)