SENATOR Lito Lapid has filed a bill that seeks to establish an electronics donation and recycling program that would benefit students and teachers.

Senate Bill 1846 or the proposed Electronics Donation and Recycling Act mandates manufacturers and retailers of electronic gadgets to set up donation and recycling booths in their sales outlets and service centers.

These centers will process gadgets like laptops and mobile phones intended for donation or recycling.

Gadgets that can still be used will be given to the DepEd for distribution to poor students while those for recycling will be turned over to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Lapid said that thousands of cellphones and laptops are disposed of every year because most Filipinos change their gadgets when there are new models available.

He cited a study conducted by engineers from the University of the Philippines that by 2021, the number of discarded phones will hit over 24.9 million.

“Hindi natin masisisi ang ating mga kababayan kung gugustuhin nilang palitan ng bago ang kanilang mga gadget kahit hindi pa ito sira, lalo kung may pambili naman sila. Pero kung tutuusin ang mga lumang gadget gaya ng mobile phones at laptop, hindi naman kailangang itapon. Puwede pa itong ipamigay dahil marami pa ang puwedeng makinabang dito lalo sa panahong ito,” Lapid said.

“Maraming mga estudyante at guro ang walang magamit na cellphone o computer habang nasa online classes tayo dahil sa pandemya,” he added.

A recent study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies revealed that only 69 percent of poor households have mobile phones, while only one percent and six percent of poor and low-income families have computers, respectively.

In the National Capital Region,around 648,405 public school students lack gadgets while 13 per-cent of teachers have no laptops or computers at home based on the survey of the Department of Education.

“Dalawang mahalagang layunin ang magagampanan ng panukalang ito– protektahan ang ating kalikasan sa pamamagitan ng pagbawas sa pagtapon ng mga lumang electronic devices habang malaking tulong ang inaasahang matatanggap ng mga kapus-palad nating mga estudyante mula sa donasyong gadgets ng ating mga kababayang hangad ding makatulong sa panahong ito ng matinding pagsubok,” Lapid said.