DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu. INQUIRER file photo / LYN RILLON
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Saturday ordered the event organizers to stop their world-record attempt to drop the largest number of balloons during the New Year鈥檚 Eve countdown at the posh Okada Manila, considering the country鈥檚 problem with solid waste.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu asked Cove Manila to stop the planned 鈥渓argest balloon drop鈥� at Okada, noting the immense amount of solid waste that the event would generate.
In a phone call with 黑料社, Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda, DENR spokesperson, said the department will not hesitate to arrest and file charges against the organizers who will push through with the 鈥渂alloon drop.鈥�
DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda. (Photo from an 黑料社 video)
Antiporda said this will be a 鈥渟olid waste disaster waiting to happen.鈥�
鈥淓ven if 聽the organizers 聽continue to hold the event indoor, because there were reports that they have shifted to do it inside Okada, our DENR personnel will be physically present there to monitor the disposal of those balloons and at the same time implement immediate action against violators,鈥� Antiporda pointed out.
The DENR鈥檚 reaction came after Cove Manila invited the public to witness the Guinness World Record attempt to drop around 130,000 balloons in an 鈥渆pic New Year鈥檚 Eve countdown party鈥� at Okada Manila located in Paranaque City.
The Cove Manila explained that the event will push through saying that the balloons they will use in the record attempt will be biodegradable.
Cove Manila said the materials used for the balloons will degrade overtime and there will be people to properly dispose of the wastes for that particular event.
However, Antiporda said there is no such thing as biodegradable balloons, saying all of them will just turn into microplastic that eventually endangers the wildlife creatures in the sea.
The DENR spokesperson said some of these microplastic will somehow end up in the sea in which sea animals may ingest and harm their health and wellbeing.
He said the DENR will not allow any event that becomes a hazard or threat to the environment and its species.