After meeting with representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and taking public sentiment into account, Cove Manila announced late December 30th that their balloon drop event would not push through. This balloon drop refers to their plan to release 130,000 balloons during the countdown.
(RELATED: Cove Manila and DENR responds to #DropBalloonDrop)
Cove Manila released an official statement on the cancellation, claiming that the move to cancel the balloon drop was a voluntary one. They first defend the balloon drop, saying: “the event will not harm the environment, as the event will be held indoors and the balloons will not be released in the air. The balloons are made of biodegradable latex materials and will be recycled properly after the event […] Okada Manila coordinated with DENR representatives to show that everything is in place to ensure that there will be no negative environmental impact from the activity. Okada Manila firmly believes and continues to maintain that the Balloon Dropping event will not harm the environment.”
However, they conceded to the cancellation “as a sign of respect to the DENR’s recommendation and in support of the Government’s campaign to protect and save the environment.”
https://www.facebook.com/covemanila/posts/587862094985735
Environmental groups celebrated the news of the balloon drop being stopped. However, they reminded the public to remain vigilant when it comes to similar issues and also of the future of balloons that have already been bought. They asked people to hold Cove Manila to the promise of disposing the balloons properly.
What do you think should be done with those 130,000 balloons? Let us know in the comments!Â
