The House of Representatives has passed in its third and final reading the proposed measure seeking to impose excise tax for single-use plastic bags despite getting negative votes from lawmakers in the Makabayan bloc. | BPinlacINQ
But securing the lower chamber’s approval in the bill’s final reading was not as smooth sailing with opposing votes from Makabayan lawmakers – Rep. Arlene Brosas of the Gabriela partylist, Rep. France Castro of the ACT Teachers partylist, and Rep. Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan partylist.The Makabayan lawmakers argued that the imposed tax will only hurt small-scale sellers and consumers, pushing them further into the wall.
Brosas asserted that “these taxes should be paid by big companies rather than small retailers, who already make a small profit.” She further noted that this would adversely affect consumers even if they were treading a more environmentally conscious lifestyle. She reiterated that the responsibility of solid waste management and pollution prevention should be carried not by consumers, but by those who use, produce and distribute a greater volume of harmful solid wastes.
This, Manuel noted, should be simultaneously done while facilitating the gradual reduction in the use of plastic across factories and major establishments to smaller businesses and stores, and even in Filipino households. “Pare-pareho nating nakikita ang pangangailangan na magkaroon ng mga hakbang para mabawasan ang paggamit ng plastic. Ngunit kasabay ng pangangalaga sa ating kapaligiran ay pangangalaga rin sa ating taumbayan ,” he said.
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