MANILA—Plastic bags are among the country’s environmental woes and many bills are pending in Congress seeking to ban their use.

But for Caloocan City Representative Oscar Malapitan, that shouldn’t be the case.

In a bill he filed entitled “Degradable Plastic Bag Act of 2011,” Malapitan seeks to promote the use of biodegradable plastic bags.

Through the oxo-biodegradable technology, an additive now allows plastic bags to decay in 30 to 45 days depending on exposure to sunlight.

The plastic reformulation degrades without harmful residues, according to the Philippine Plastic Industry Association whose member companies are advocating the new environment-friendly technology, he said.

He said oxo-biodegradable plastics have been certified by the Department of Science and Technology and supported by the Oxo-biodegradable Plastic Association of London, a group of distinguished polymer scientists.

At the same time, by adopting this technology instead of banning plastic products, some 180,000 workers employed in the country’s plastic factories will be able to keep their jobs, he said.