BAGUIO CITY - Aside from giving citations to barangays (villages) that cooperate in the city's clean and green efforts, the city government here will also give shame awards to villages who continuously refuse to keep their areas of jurisdiction clean as well as educate local residents to observe cleanliness to help ensure healthy living conditions and preserve and protect the state of the environment.
City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan revived the "Alay sa Kalinisan," a government-led and private-sector-supported special committee tasked to oversee the city's clean and green efforts, in order to instil awareness among the people on the observance of cleanliness in the 128 villages here.
To help bring back the cleanliness and beauty of the city, the local government launched the search for cleanest and greenest villages in order to empower village officials and their constituents to do their respective activities in sustaining long-term clean and green programs to prevent them from being in clouded in the list of dirtiest villages, a shame of the award.
Among the mandatory activities to be conducted by the villages include consistent cleanup campaign, massive tree-planting and maintenance activities, proper solid waste management and beautification through the provision of various ornamental plants along roads coupled with landscaping activities.
From 1995 to 1997, this city was adjudged as the cleanest and greenest highly urbanized city for three consecutive times that eventually led to the city being conferred the Hall of Fame award in the said search garnering a total cash award of at least P5 million.
Despite the rapid increase in population and the volume of vehicles plying the city's streets, Domogan asserted the cleanliness of the city could be achieved through proper discipline among local residents and tourists so that they will be able to observe proper waste disposal as well as be involved in sustaining the city's cool and romantic weather, pine-scented air and scenic spots which is its major asset in attracting the influx of foreign and domestic tourists.
According to Domogan, the solutions to the current garbage problem of the city is slowly being addressed while awaiting the arrival of the two multi-million-peso Japanese-made treatment facilities which is capable of composting at least 46 tons of biodegradable waste into useful fertilizer in a short span of time, thus, the expensive hauling of waste to Capas in Tarlac that has eaten a huge part of the city's budget will be minimized or totally scrapped.
