Malacañang on Thursday reminded the public to properly dispose of used face masks to not only prevent the further spread of Covid-19 but also reduce its negative impact on the environment.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque made this remark as the Palace joined the worldwide celebration of Earth Day to honor achievements of the environmental movement and raise awareness of the importance of ecological sustainability.
“Binabati ko po ang lahat ng happy Earth Day ngayong April 22. Ito’y isang espesyal na araw para ipaalala ang kahalagahan na alagaan at protektahan ang Inang Kalikasan para sa susunod na henerasyon (I greet everyone happy Earth Day this April 22. This is a special day to remind everyone about the importance of caring and protecting Mother Earth for the next generations),” he said in a Palace press briefing.
Due to geographical reasons, he noted that the Philippines is extremely vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
“Ang Pilipinas ang isa sa most vulnerable na bansa sa epekto ng climate change. Dahil dito, ang issue ng climate change ay relevant sa Pilipinas (The Philippines is one of the countries that are most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Because of this, the issue of climate change is relevant to the Philippines),” he said.
Roque said the public could help reduce the negative impact on the environment by ensuring that single-use face masks are disposed correctly.
“Sa panahon ng pandemya, makakatulong ang lahat kahit sa munting paraan tulad ng pagtatapon ng wasto ng pinagggamitan na face masks at face shields. Gawin natin ito at ituro sa mga bata (At the time of a pandemic, we can help in little ways by properly disposing used face masks and face shields. Let us do this and teach this to our children),” he added.
Health and environmental experts from around the world have vouched for the safety of reusable face masks for non-medical use.
Concerned agencies are also boosting information dissemination on the safety of reusables and safe handling of medical wastes.
During his speech at the High-Level Debate of the 75th United Nations General Assembly in September last year, President Rodrigo Duterte emphasized the importance of addressing climate change as urgently as the Covid-19 pandemic.
“The same urgency needed to fight Covid-19 is needed to address the climate crisis. This is a global challenge that has worsened existing inequalities and vulnerabilities from within and between nations,” Duterte said.
He also urged parties of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to “make good and honor their commitment to fight climate change, and strengthen communities and peoples for preparedness and resilience,” Roque said.
In 2017, Duterte signed the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which aims to reduce the emission of gases that contribute to global warming.
The Philippines pledged a 70-percent cut in emissions by 2030.
The Duterte government also formulated a Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction Roadmap for 2018 to 2022 to mainstream climate change and disaster risk reduction to identified climate vulnerable provinces and major urban centers like Metro Manila, Cebu, Iloilo and Davao.
Earth Day is an annual event on April 22 to demonstrate support for environmental protection.
More than 1 billion people now participate in Earth Day activities each year, making it the largest civic observance in the world. (PNA)
