5 Rs of earth-friendly campaigning

MANILA, Philippines - With just several weeks left before the May 2010 elections, we ask our politicos to actively commit to a ‘clean and green’ campaign in words and deeds.

Well-meaning public servants are not only interested in topping election surveys and the actual polls. They are also careful that their efforts to win over the electorate will not degrade or destroy the environment.

If they are really pro-Filipino, we expect them to exercise utmost care and responsibility towards the environment and not to defile Mother Earth on which our life and future as a nation depends. 

Specifically, we urge all candidates, including the party list groups, to abide by the “5 Rs” of ecological campaigning (restrain, reduce, respect, retrieve and remove).

RESTRAIN from spending for political advertisements and other forms of election propaganda beyond the legal limits. Don’t cheat your way to victory by overspending.

REDUCE campaign trash by keeping the volume of materials to what is only necessary. Say no to materials that are hardly reused or recycled such as confetti, buntings, balloons and, yes, sample ballots come election day.

RESPECT the trees by not nailing or tying campaign materials on them. Nails hurt and kill trees. Please stick to common poster areas.

RETRIEVE campaign materials, particularly the widely-used tarpaulin banners, and repurpose them as roofing materials, school bags or as carry bags for relief goods. Make sure that spent materials do not get dumped or burned.

REMOVE election campaign materials immediately after the election day on May 10, 2010. Win or lose, bring your tarps down and scrape your posters off the walls.

On May 11, we would like to see all the candidates, led by the new President, crossing party lines, cleaning up the streets of campaign propaganda, and reusing and recycling whatever can be salvaged.

For the sake of Mother Earth, we further appeal to our politicos to disclose their agenda and plan of action for solving the many burning environmental problems afflicting our nation and planet. — Roy Alvarez, president, EcoWaste Coalition, 26 Matalino St., Quezon City