Littering is a cultural problem

We do have a serious littering problem, that is, sadly a cultural problem. Cultural in that it is not just the so-called lower classes that exhibit this disgusting behavior. Even upper-class or monied Filipinos do this.

You’ll notice this when watching movies in upper-class malls like Robinsons Magnolia, Greenhills, or Power Plant. You’ll see moviegoers leaving their snack wrappers and drink containers on their seats even when there are trash bins on the way out.

I think the time and budget used to show the short feature that explains the movie rating categories are better used to show reminders on how one can help maintain a clean environment by taking one’s trash and disposing of it properly. Knowledge of the different movie categories is not that important at this time, when there is little point in screening what young people see in movie houses, when with their usually free access to the internet, there is little censorship in what they view.

One way the Inquirer editorial staff can address this “basura” culture is perhaps to lobby for anti-littering film features in the cinemas, rather than the practically useless ones explaining the film rating categories.

Another might be to feature those influencer vloggers who clean up for content, hoping others will do the same; if not, they can at least refrain from adding to the problem.

Butch Fajardo, butch_fajardo@hotmail.com

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