Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte is batting for the gradual implementation of the ban on single-use plastics, citing reports the Philippines is the world’s third-biggest contributor of plastic wastes to the ocean. She cited the city of Seattle’s policy prohibiting restaurants to give customers plastic straws and utensils, saying they were given a deadline to use up all existing single-use plastic utensils before the date of implementation. “I think if that would be the case, they [establishments] could be able to adjust and find suppliers for paper straws and other alternative to plastic utensils,” she said.

Araja, R. N. (2018, July 15). Single-use plastic phaseout in Quezon City. Manila Standard, p. B3.