ALBAY’S GREEN CHRISTMAS GAINING SUPPORT

ALBAY’S GREEN CHRISTMAS GAINING SUPPORT

By Cet Dematera

LEGAZPI CITY---After it was officially launched last Nov.24, Albay’s Green Christmas, or “Christmas without risk” has started to gain grounds even outside the province as various government and non-government agencies in Bicol have expressed all out support of this unique Yuletide season celebration.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said that the main objectives of this environment-friendly Christmas observance are zero casualty from firecrackers (paputok), reduced use of plastic during shopping, and low-carbon discharge during the period.

In the office memorandum titled “Guidance on Christmas Celebration 2010,” Salceda ordered the Albay office heads and employees to celebrate Christmas through tree planting, beach or river clean-up, resettlement socials, and disaster risk reduction (DRR) by means of games and magic in children’s homes or among children of informal settlers.

“All departments (of Albay) are banned from procuring Christmas trees and other plastic ornaments and decors and are, therefore, encouraged to decorate existing trees at the (Albay freedom) Park and spruce up ornamental plants inside your offices with recyclable or biodegradable decorative materials,” Salceda said in the memo emailed to The STAR.

Salceda, who was recently named by the United Nations (UN) as world champion DRR campaigner, ordered the employees that “in serving food, plastic or paper plates and cups should be banned and their procurement is prohibited.”

“Instead, banana leaves, banana bark, coconut shell and/or “bilaos” shall be used. They are more earth-friendly and, given current trends, more fashionable and “going native”, more patriotic,” the Albay governor said, adding that “as far possible, it is advised that this practice should extend to your household and village celebrations.”

Ako Bicol Party-list President Rodel Batocabe said that their group would help create awareness in other areas of the country of the pioneering and novel “Green Christmas” activities being led by the Albay government.

Batocabe, who also sits as Ako Bicol’s representative in Congress, said that the massive awareness campaign through mass media of this celebration would gain support even from lawmakers of their proposed bill that would totally ban use of plastic bags in the country.

“We cannot help but fully support this Green Christmas celebration because this will create public awareness that could further boost the chance for the passage of our bill which will totally ban use of plastic bags in the country,” Batocabe told The STAR.

Batocabe said that the total ban of plastic bags would spur economic development in the rural areas because there will massive demand for indigenous materials, particularly rattan, “Buri,” and abaca.

Even government troops in Bicol pledged to support the Green Yuletide celebration by refraining from firearms discharge or shooting during Christmas’ and New Year’s Eves.

Bicol Army spokesman Major Harold Cabunoc said that they had already started decorating tress in their camps instead of buying plastic decors as support to this environment-friendly celebration.

“We already spruced up trees inside our camps with Christmas decors and lights, instead of buying plastic paraphernalias,” Cabunoc told The STAR.

Personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection in Bicol had in fact earlier announced their observation of the Green Christmas.

Also, salceda ordered all the provincial departments to launch Christmas tree making contest using materials out of trashes.(cet dematera)
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