Angeles traders asked to implement green programs
ANGELES CITY — The city government is urging business establishments to implement programs aimed at protecting the enviroment.
This as the city council approved Ordinance Number 456 or the Greening Ordinance of Angeles City requiring businesses to conduct “greening program.”
Business establishments here are now required to conduct a green program at least once a year as a requirement for their business permit.
The environmental protection ordinance is a brainchild of Councilor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. It was co-sponsored by city councilors Joseph Alfie Bonifacio, Amos Rivera, Danilo Lacson and Joseph Ponce.
Under the ordinance, business applicants, owners or operators are required to secure a Greening Program Certificate from the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) as a requisite for an Environment Management Permit (EMP).
The EMP is a new requirement for securing a business permit, according to Lazatin.
“This is one way of ensuring that people doing business in Angeles City will share the responsibility of protecting our environment.
We want to promote a culture of putting great value to our natural resources. By planting trees, we are also developing pockets of water reservoir in the city,” Lazatin said.
“This will help us prevent water shortage in the future,”Lazatin added.
The city council provided guidelines for different types of businesses, Lazatin said.
For small scale businesses, a donation of three trees plus the number of their employees is requi r ed.
Medium-scale businesses on the other hand are directed to donate 50 trees plus the number of their employees.
For large scale businesses, the obligations include donation of 50 trees plus their number of employees; a tree-planting activity on the site identified by the barangay with the supervision of city environment office or CENRO and city agriculturist.
The businessmen are also required to adopt-atree-planting site specified or approved by the concerned barangay; prepare, develop and maintain a tree planting site;-provide a permanent signage to identify the site; and submit documentation of treeplanting activity.
For non-compliant business, the city council approved the following penalties — first offense, a memorandum of undertaking which states that compliance will be doubled the following year; b) second offense, submission of a memorandum of undertaking which states that compliance will be tripled the following year; and c) - third offense, cancellation of business permit.