In line with a directive of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. to inspire local government units (LGUs) maintaining cleanliness in their areas, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will create a recognition system covering the over 42,000 barangays in the country to monitor, evaluate, and confer award to the cleanest barangays.
DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. issued this statement on Saturday morning as he led the nationwide simultaneous launching of the “Kalinga at Inisyatiba para sa Malinis na Bayan” or KALINISAN Project at the Baseco Compound in Brgy. 649 in Manila.
Meanwhile, a total of 25.52 truckloads of trash were collected from selected areas across the 17 local government units in Metro Manila as part of its participation in the inter-agency cleanup drive KALINISAN (Kalinga at Inisyatiba para sa Malinis na Bayan) sa Bagong Pilipinas, said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority(MMDA).
“We will monitor the performance of each barangay on a monthly basis. And quarterly, we will have an awarding. We will really focus on it,” Abalos said.
The KALINISAN Project is the DILG’s new convergence initiative to maintain and provide a healthy and safe environment, as well as enable community participation anchored on the spirit of Bayanihan.
This as barangays across the country also conducted their respective clean-up drives from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. focusing on streets, canals, other waterways, public markets, schools, and public parks.
Highlighting the value of cleanliness, Abalos urged local governments to invest in programs, projects, and activities on solid waste management and ecological practices.
“I hope it’s not just today. I hope we do this every day in our barangays, in our households. Let’s make it a way of life. Everywhere we go should be clean,” Abalos stressed.
He also called on local officials to pass ordinances imposing community service punishment to those who will be caught littering or throwing garbage in public places.
The nationwide launching of the KALINISAN Project coincides with the celebration of the annual Community Development Day every Jan. 6 per Proclamation No. 341, series 1964, signed by former President Diosdado Macapagal.
Aside from the DILG, among the agencies involved in the nationwide clean-up activity include the Presidential Communications Office, the Department of Labor and Employment and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Also with them are the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health, the Department of Tourism, the Department of Agriculture, the Commission on Higher Education, the Metro Manila Development Authority, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The program was spearheaded by the DILG.
MMDA acting chairman Atty. Romando Artes said the program was a big boost to the MMDA’s solid waste management initiatives.
“The Kalinisan sa Bagong Pilipinas is in sync with our constant call to the public to do their part in lessening, if not eliminating, our wastes. We join the call of DILG to renew and strengthen community participation in our fight against indiscriminate solid waste disposal. Taking care of our environment is our shared responsibility,” he said.
Aside from the kick-off ceremony held at the Baseco Compound in Tondo, Manila, the MMDA conducted 16 other cleanup drives in different locations per city in the metropolis.
A total of 350 personnel was deployed for the activity.
Among the areas where simultaneous cleanup drives were held are as follows: Barangay Tanza (Tanza Marine Tree Park) in Navotas City; Barangay Tonsuya (Letre Creek) in Malabon City; Barangay Paso de Blas (De Castro Subdivision) in Valenzuela City; Brgy 28, 14 (C-3 Road) and 12 Lapu-lapu Creek in Caloocan City; Brgy. Commonwealth and Brgy. Talipapa in Quezon City; Brgy.Batis in San Juan City; Brgy. Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City; Brgy. Tumana and Brgy. Malanday (Creek) in Marikina City; Brgy. Pinagbuhatan (Avesa Creek) in Pasig City; Brgy. San Pedro in Pateros; Brgy. Ususan Kalayaan in Taguig City; Brgy. San Isidro (Tripa de Gallina site) in Makati City; Brgy. 145- 190/Sto. Niño, Don Carlos (Tripa de Gallina) in Pasay City; Brgy. Tramo (Redemptorist Channel) in Parañaque City; Brgy. Poblacion (Biazon Rd.) in Muntinlupa City; Brgy. Pulang Lupa Uno and Brgy. Manuyo Dos in Las Piñas City.
Coinciding with the Celebration of the Annual Community Development Day, the KALINISAN program is a convergence initiative to consolidate all efforts of the government to maintain and provide a healthy and safe environment for all by capacitating local government units and enabling community participation anchored on a new brand of “bayanihan”.
The initiative is in line with Bagong Pilipinas’ concept of building better and cleaner communities. It aims to raise awareness and encourage participation among the public on environmental responsibility through proper solid waste management; to encourage local government units to invest in programs, projects, and activities on solid waste management and ecological practices, and to set up a recognition system for the cleanest barangay and municipalities.