Biazon: Return wristbands, ‘keep intact our integrity’

“Live with integrity, even when it comes to small things.”

Thus said Muntinlupa City Mayor Ruffy Biazon as he appealed for the return of all of the LED wristbands distributed to those who attended the two-day Coldplay concert at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan over the weekend.

Biazon lamented the low return rate among Filipinos for the wristband at 87 percent, compared to the return rates in concerts held in Tokyo, Japan (97 percent), Copenhagen, Denmark (96 percent), and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (90 percent).

Coldplay had their “Music of the Spheres” world tour stop in the Philippines last 19 and 20 January. As part of its sustainability program, the band distributes reusable LED wristbands to concertgoers.

The wristbands light up in unison with the tempo of the music being played.

Biazon appealed to his constituents who watched the concert and who kept the wristbands as souvenirs to return them.

“The sad situation is that we as a nation, we seem to be lacking in that area (integrity). I hope that here in Muntinlupa, not just in the city government, but the entire city, we can learn how to live with integrity even when it comes to little things,” he said.

“We are not perfect but we need to have a conscious effort to fix this. That’s what we are calling for,” Biazon said.

Based on the Coldplay tour website, the reusable LED wristbands are made from 100 percent compostable, plant-based materials. The band said they have reduced wristband production by 80 percent by collecting, sterilizing and recharging them after every show.

Biazon and his wife were among those who watched the Coldplay concert, as did President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Lisa Araneta-Marcos, and their son, William Vincent.