EcoWaste Coalition Appeals to Local Candidates:  Harm Not the Environment

25 March 2025, Quezon City.  With the official campaign period for local elective posts set to start on March 28, the environmental watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition made an earnest appeal to all candidates: “Harm not the environment, care for the people.”

The group pitched for environmental responsibility and action during the campaign period as thousands of aspiring political leaders and their supporters brace for intense operations to get the attention and trust of the electorate.

According to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC), the campaign period for members of the House of Representative and for parliamentary, provincial, city and municipal officials will commence on March 28 and ends on May 10, noting that campaigning on April 17 (Maundy Thursday) and April 18 (Good Friday) is prohibited.

“Regardless of your political affiliations and beliefs, please stick to COMELEC-prescribed rules and avoid campaign practices that are inimical to the interest of the people and the environment,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “Please run your campaign in a manner that will not squander resources, create wastes and pollutants, and harm the climate and the environment.”

“Please be guided by COMELEC Resolution No. 11111 on the use of environmentally-sustainable election propaganda and show that you care for Mother Earth and the people as you woo the voters,” she added.  “We are one with the COMELEC in advocating for an eco-friendly electoral exercise that protects the people, climate and the environment from harm.”

Among the campaign practices that concerned candidates must avoid, according to the EcoWaste Coalition, are the following:

— Nailing, stapling and hanging of campaign materials on trees and other places not allowed by law such as light posts and utility poles;

— Producing too much campaign materials, particularly plastic posters and tarpaulins, that are hardly reused or recycled;

— Littering during campaign meetings;

— Dumping or burning discarded campaign materials;

— Throwing confetti, lighting firecrackers or releasing balloons in campaign events;

— Using smoke-belching vehicles in campaign motorcades; and

— Failing to conduct post-campaign cleanup after the polls.

“As much as possible, please go for reusable and recyclable campaign materials that will not pollute the environment and pose chemical harm,” Lucero said, noting that the ubiquitous plastic tarpaulins may contain toxic additives like cadmium that are harmful to human health.

To prevent waste and pollution during the campaign period, the group also reminded candidates and their supporters to avoid single-use plastics such as Styrofoam beverage and food containers, plastic bags and other plastic disposables, and to observe basic practices in ecological solid waste management, which can aid in reducing greenhouse gas emissions that are warming the planet.

“Keep your campaign sorties litter-free and ensure that campaign materials do not end up being littered, dumped or burned,” Lucero said.

“Most importantly, please integrate in your electoral platforms your views and responses to the environmental challenges facing your constituents in particular and the Filipino nation in general, so the people will know where you stand,” she emphasized.

As per COMELEC Resolution No. 11111, only election propaganda in the form of posters or standing displays (standees) made of cloth, paper, cardboard, or any recyclable materials shall be allowed.

As reiterated by COMELEC, pursuant to Resolution No. 11086, it shall be unlawful to use single-use plastics under applicable laws, rules, and relevant issuances; fireworks for election-related campaign meetings or celebratory gatherings; and styrofoam and other non-biodegradable materials and hazardous substances used in election campaign, services or events.  

In addition to these restrictions, COMELEC encourages the use of the following sustainable campaign materials:

— Reusable materials for food and beverage containers;

— Energy-efficient lighting and sound systems during rallies;

— Banners that are biodegradable or made with reusable materials;

— Electric vehicles or hybrid-electric vehicles for motorcades;

— LED billboards or other digital platforms for campaign advertisements; and

— Other materials with sustainable local alternatives such as natural fabrics, recycled paper, and compostable plastics. ###