SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique—Provincial Board member Karmila Rose Dimamay is repurposing her campaign tarpaulin posters into tote bags, which she distributes at markets to lessen the use of plastic bags.
Dimamay, who secured her third and final term, said her team began taking down her campaign materials a day before the May 12 elections.
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said all campaign materials must be removed until May 17 or five days after the nationwide voting.
The materials were then sewn into reusable tote bags.
“It has been my practice since I was first elected in 2019 to recycle my campaign tarpaulins into tote bags after the elections,” she said in an interviewlast week.
She hopes other candidates would follow suit.
Antique Vice Governor Edgar Denosta, who lost in his bid to become governor to Paolo Javier, called on his supporters to help remove his campaign tarpaulins.
a“I’m requesting my supporters to help take down my tarpaulins so we can comply with the Comelec directive,” Denosta said.
Comelec Acting Assistant Regional Director Wil Arceño, in an earlier interview, also reminded all candidates to remove their campaign posters from both public and private areas and not wait for official notices or penalties under the Fair Elections Act and other Comelec resolutions.
“Don’t wait for Comelec personnel to take down your posters,” Arceño said. Annabel Consuelo Petinglay. PNA