The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Saturday spearheaded a nationwide launch of a community-based cleanup drive dubbed Barangay at Kalinisan Day (BarKaDa).
The kickoff rite was held at the Estero de Sunog Apog, Barangay 135, Tondo, Manila with the participation of Metro Manila’s local government units (LGUs).
The event was in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call for a cleaner and safer environment.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. thanked the participants in Metro Manila and other parts of the country which have expressed support to the Department’s call for a cleaner and safer barangay through its BarKaDa initiative.
“It is reassuring that many responded to our call and have allotted their precious time on a weekend to join the DILG. I hope we will continue to do this in the coming weeks and become true friends for a cleaner and safer community,” Abalos said.
During the BarKada launch, 10 esteros in the city of Manila, five creeks each in Quezon City, Las Piñas, and Caloocan City; two creeks each in Pasay City and Mandaluyong City, a river in San Juan City, a creek in Taguig City, and Estero de Tripa de Gallina were simultaneously cleaned by volunteers and government personnel.
The DILG’s activity is a nationwide community-based clean-up drive program geared to maintain and provide a healthy and safe environment and prevent the spread of diseases through proper solid waste management.
Simultaneous BarKaDa activities were also conducted in various parts of the country such as in Ilocos Norte, Dinagat Islands, Iloilo City, Pangasinan, Muntinlupa City, and Antique.
The DILG said that the launch is a timely response to the current predicament of the world on the environment and solid waste and called on the 42,000 barangays in the Philippines to consistently conduct weekly clean-up drives in order to counter recurring problems in flooding and disposal of waste in the communities.
Joining the DILG during the launch were officials and representatives from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and local and barangay officials.
Earlier, the DILG issued Memorandum Circular 2023-133 urging barangays to conduct a weekly clean-up drive and pass an ordinance or resolution declaring one day of the week as BarKaDa.