The Bacolod City government collected 8,097.29 kilograms of plastic bottle waste for recycling during the 17-day collection period of the 45th MassKara Festival.

Data showed 445,455 pieces of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles gathered from October 11 until 3:00 p.m. on October 27.

The PET bottle collection campaign is a joint effort of the Bacolod Environmental and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) with Coca-Cola Philippines, Bacolod Yuhum Foundation Inc., and Basic Environmental Systems and Technologies Inc. (BEST).

In a statement, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez said the city government wanted to ensure that all Bacolodnons and festival-goers understand the importance of proper waste disposal and environmental stewardship.

BENRO chief Maria Fe Trespuentes said the initiative was implemented by the city government for the first time at the MassKara Festival.

“This is also the first time in the country that [a local government unit] managed to collect all the PET plastic bottles used for the duration of a festival,” she added.

During the campaign, 169 bins were scattered across the city where the PET bottles were deposited, with the support of 108 concessionaires.

Informal settlers and street sweepers in 21 villages contributed to the PET bottle collection.

Trespuentes said they also engaged the cooperation of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program beneficiaries in collecting PET bottles. (PNA)