Pangasinan rice for plastic program lauded

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Plastic Industry Association has commended the “Plastic Mo, Bigas Ko, Palit Tayo” project in this town for instilling the habit of keeping the environment clean.

Under the program, a kilo of plastic garbage is exchanged for a kilo of rice. It was first implemented in Sitio Longos, Barangay Bonuan Boquig.

The nearby towns of San Fabian and Sta. Barbara have also adopted the program.

“People are happy because the garbage problem in their area is being solved and at the same time we are giving them something to bring home for the family,” Councilor Jigs Seen, brainchild of the project, said.

Seen said he plans to form an advocacy movement so that more local government units and non-government organizations would adopt the project.

“In other countries, you see children keeping their candy wrappers and dispose them properly. That’s what we want to imbibe here also,” he said.