Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Litterbugs Beware!

Bishop supports MMDA’s revival of anti-littering law


This was the heading of the newsletter I received today from the EcoWaste Coalition. Yey! I think it's about time. If people start having to take responsibility for their litter, they'll probably take more time in thinking about the amount of trash they produce.



Some years ago, I was on a jeepney (i.e. means of transportation in the Philippines originally made from US military jeeps left over from WW II), when I saw a mom and her young daughter eating peanuts. The kid  was about 6 years old and was trying to hold the peanut shells in one hand while eating with the other hand. The mom, on the other hand, would crack open a peanut, eat the kernel and throw the shell onto the jeepney floor. I guess the mom finally noticed the kid holding on to the shells, they were getting a bit too much for her small hand and she was looking helplessly toward the trash can a few feet away----the mother, took her kid's arm and shook it till the shells dropped to the floor. She snapped at her kid and basically told her daughter that she was stupid for not doing that in the first place. I wanted to scream and rail at the mother right then and there. However, at that time, I was a kid myself, and I didn't feel like I could get in the way of her revolting parenting skills.

That's just one of the littering incidents that happen everyday back home... It probably happens in a lot of other places, but it doesn't make it right. It'll take a while before Filipinos become as disciplined as most people are in Singapore, but baby steps towards a litter-free environment is way better than no steps at all.

5 comments:

  1. If I may share, I also witnessed something like that while in a jeepney. She was a school teacher, eating her mango with delight. She ate it as if it was a banana, stripped the skin, ate the meat, with the mango juice dripping in her hands..eew! Then she threw the mango seed out of the window, got another mango and the same scenario happened. A teacher at that!

    Good thing MMDA has a project like this. Hope it's not one of this "sa simula lang".

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  2. it's about time! hoping it would be implemented strictly if possible.

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  3. heheh! kids these days are more conscientious of the environment than the parents. My own mother was a litterbug years ago. She would throw tissue paper outside the car window. And I always try to get it from her before she could do so.

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  4. haha, I used to go home with my pockets full of trash. luckily, my mom and dad are the same way.

    yep... I sure hope they're serious this time.

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  5. I often witness a lot of those scenarios inside public tranports. Parents, who are supposed to know better, telling their kids to just throw their "kalats" outside the window.

    I used to scold my husband whenever he throws away candy wrapper on the street. He would reasoned out: "It's just a small piece of wrapper." But I would argue: "Every little thing counts and every piece of trash, no matter how small will contribute to the heaps and mountains of garbage in the Philippines".

    Now, he either puts his trash inside my bag or looks for a trash can.

    I believe, it should really start from us. Correct families and friends. Be an example.

    Now, if only I'm brazen enough to correct those parents. But I'm afraid of getting into confrontations, especially in public places.

    Pero minsan, nagpaparinig ako. ;)

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