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MHAM to strictly enforce plastic-free campus in an environment-driven Student Council Project

#PlasticFreeMHAM is on its way…

Mindful of the harmful effects of daily heap of collected garbage in the community where MHAM belongs, the Student Council laid out their major and wide-ranging project for this academic year before the school administration in a Project Proposal meeting held at the Board Room last September 26, 2018 in the morning.

SC Project Presentation: Gearing towards a plastic-free MHAM

The proposal, which was considered by the administration as beyond measure towards its goal, is to advocate and strictly implement the “no plastic policy” inside the school campus to support and implement the plastic ban in the City of Cebu.

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With the pressing need to inculcate the MHAM students and employees’ mindset and discipline on how to properly dispose the trashes and plastic garbages may it be at home, inside the campus and at the working place, there will be a wide dissemination for the whole month of October and November inside the school premises.

Words from a future doctor…

In a completely random interview with an aspiring doctor of batch Insignis during a pilot campaign, Lance Martin Sanchez expressed his support for the ‘no plastic policy’ in a learning environment where he belongs. Born and raised in California, USA, 23-year old Lance is a graduate of BS in Biology who feels more motivated in the pursuit of what sets his soul on fire with his medical journey in MHAM.

With Lance Martin B. Sanchez in an interview…

“I would say it’s a good idea because there would be a lesser garbage around the school and the way it looks I think it shows a good impression on what the student body and the community are advocating. With the implementation of a plastic-free campus, I believe that it will improve the environment with lesser trashes around”, Sanchez said.

“I think it shows a good impression on what the student body and the community are advocating”…- Lance Martin B. Sanchez on plastic-free MHAM Project

To officially commence the policy with the entire body, a launching of the project shall be held this month with the participation of distinguish men and women advocates for environmental protection in Cebu.

As agreed, the full implementation of the aforementioned project will strictly start on December 1st this year, thus, MHAM will become a ‘plastic-free’ campus with its sound commitment and active involvement in taking care and protecting the environment at all times.

Pilot campaign for a plastic-free MHAM…

In a project presentation from the Student Council with the SC President, Bryan Jay Carlo A. Paña; Executive Vice-President, Athena Marie A. Anog; and Public Relations Officer, Christine Kaye L. Bete, the proposed project is subject to all MHAM students, administration, teaching, non-teaching, security, utility and food stall owners who are renting inside the campus.

Yes, it’s a big YES for NO TO SINGLE-USE PLASTIC…

As proposed, the plastic-free MHAM was conceived in response to the call for local ban on plastics wherein Cebu City has already started under Ordinance No. 2343 which regulates the use and sale of plastic shopping bags every Wednesdays and Saturdays within the territorial jurisdiction of the City of Cebu.

However, MHAM, as an institution, is not actively enforcing the city ordinance despite of several complaints coming from the faculty-doctors and students alike on waste disposal and reckless littering particularly inside the audio-visual rooms. Because of this, the MHAM Student Council moved to spearhead the “plastic-free MHAM” project to address the issue and to promote an environmentally-sustainable behavior among students and employees.

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Current SC Executive VP, Athena Marie Anog, who also serves as the co-head of the project pointed out during her presentation that one of the guidelines for the endeavor includes everyone to bring their own lunch box, tumbler and utensils everyday for the rest of the school year.

As agreed, the food vendors are no longer allowed to sell and use disposable materials in their designated business areas such as plastic bottles, plates, straws, cups, spoons, forks, polystyrene or styrofoam containers and other items which are made of plastic.

The Student Council however, will be selling collapsible lunch boxes and cups, metal straws and reusable spoons and forks at a very affordable and student-friendly price in coordination with the Student Advocates for Public Health and Environment (SAPHE).

Bracing for a plastic-free campus…

During the presentation, HR Director, Mr. Pedro Pañares, commended the said project as timely and relevant as the country and countries worldwide dedicate every third Sunday of September of the year as the International Coastal Clean-up Day in observance of the Global Coastal Clean-up celebrations. Known as the largest volunteer effort to protect the health of the oceans and from the tons of garbage especially the abundance of plastics that have been washed up on shores left by careless beach-goers, the coastal clean-up drive also empowers people to take an active role in the preservation and conservation of the ocean by cleaning and reducing the amount of garbage and mess at the beach. Such endeavor was participated by SAPHE members last September 23, 2018 with Cebu Labuyo Leo Club who went to Talisay City’s public beach for the Coastal Clean-up drive.

Yes, ‘NO PLASTIC POLICY’ starts with us…

In addition, AVP for Administration, Mr. Francisco Bacalla cited that the proposed project will surely create a great impact not only for MHAM but for the neighboring communities much more when the school transfers to the new building in Banawa, Guadalupe, Cebu City. He also divulged that MHAM is eyeing to pioneer to take up environmental actions particularly for the improvement of the nearby creek which is located near the school building. As the future is always promising, MHAM will take action to make it an eco-mini-park, with its plan to adopt the community in the near future.

Awareness campaign for a plastic-free MHAM…

Campus Safety and Security and CESO Director, Mr. Jarvis Prochina also suggested that violators of the said policy are bound to do a clean-up drive to the partner community in Barangay Calidngan, Carcar City as a corresponding penalty and a wake-up call for the MHAM community to take the implementation by heart.

With the plastic-free MHAM Project Head, Christine Kaye Bete of Resiliere…

According to the SC-led plastic-free MHAM project head, Christine Kaye Bete, she strongly believed that the project will be followed easily and put into heart by MHAM students since Cebu City has implemented the ordinance on plastics in private and public establishments.

Interview with student-leader, Christine Kaye L. Bete…

“It struck me when I heard a lot of news about sea animals dying due to an enormous amount of plastic thrown in the ocean. Also, the trash in our school became a problem due to piling up of garbages and littering everywhere. With this campaign, we will be able to begin a journey of having MHAM free of plastic, not just to address the littering issue in our school but also to act upon the global problem in our own little ways. With the ban of single-used plastic in our school such as styrofoam, plastic utensils and plastic bottles, we will be able to lessen our problem with land pollution, water pollution and air pollution due to burning and production of plastic. As what they say, change starts with you”, 24-year old Bete said.

This third year student-leader from Suarez, Iligan City, Lanao del Norte also emphasized that the SC-spearheaded project will allow the future doctors to become environmentally-conscious and nature-friendly individuals.

For a greater MHAM: Words from the SC Councilor & Project Head

“We, in the Student Council, are only reinforcing this ordinance. We aim to be the catalyst that will make the student body take the challenge to live a life aware of our footprints on earth. Also, who wouldn’t want to make the world a better place. It is a project that is sustainable and has a lot of benefits. It would make our environment to be more livable, at the same time, it would help the students to be more conscious about their actions and know the impact they have in our world”, she added.

In due time, all students and employees will bring and provide their own reusable lunch boxes, tumblers, cups, spoons and forks or plant-based wrappers for dine in and take-out foods.  To complete, the Student Council will provide additional water dispensers for ample drinking water supply for the aspiring doctors since all food vendors can no longer sell plastic-packaged bottled water inside the school premises.

“With this campaign, we will be able to begin a journey of having MHAM free of plastic, not just to address the littering issue in our school but also to act upon the global problem in our own little ways”…- Christine Kaye Bete on “plastic-free MHAM” SC-led Project

In their proposal, part of the guidelines stated that there will be an additional Php20 in the total bill for every person who will opt to use single-use food container from food stalls inside the school and an additional Php15 for every 1L and 500ml bottle of mineral water but the administration suggested and made it as part of the agreement to totally disallow all food vendors to sell single-use plastics inside the school premises including plastic-packaged bottled water.

The MHAM way to support and implement the plastic ban inside the school premises…

Today, some cities and provincial areas in the country have fully banned the use of plastics in the public market where market goers can bring and use their recyclable plastic bags, net bags and sack bags for their goods.

Soon to become a plastic-free campus in Cebu City, MHAM will be the first medical institution to strictly implement the ‘no plastic policy’ not just to respond to the call for the city-wide campaign but to become an environmentally-responsible community to lessen non-biodegradable wastes.

A MHAM move to preserve the environment and be part of the solution from the severe effects of pollution, the plastic-free MHAM project can soon ignite other private and public institutions to enforce the policy in the future. By the same token, the uncontrollable use of plastics can truly be lessened if the community will work hand in hand with law-abiding citizens where self-discipline bridges between goals and accomplishments. (Ana Liza Abao)