The 17th Congress Committee on Ecology under Rep. Bagatsing hears the Bills on Plastic Bags for the first time on the afternoon of 10/23/13. Stakeholders had to reorient the new Congress on past developments.  President Steve Cua was there to reiterate PAGASA’s position on the regulation of plastic bags by volunteering PAGASA Member Stores to act as agents of Collection for used plastic bags so that recyclers may retrieve these for the purpose of recycling; thereby, limiting improper disposal of used plastic bags. This also provides owners of plastic manufacturers enough time to shift to recycling, the manufacture of Reusable Bags or to some other industry and cushion the impact of job dislocation created by the decrease in demand for plastic bags. PAGASA believes that Reusable Bags (versus Disposable Bags) is the lasting solution to the ecological problem created by the improper disposal of disposable plastic bags.