Iloilo City slates citywide cleanup on Aug. 18

• Source: http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1044319
• Friday, August 10, 2018

By Perla Lena (PNA)

ILOILO CITY -- For the first time, the city government here will mobilize all its 180 barangays for the citywide clean-up slated on August 18.

On Thursday, Engr. Noel Hechanova, head of the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), said that the cleanup drive is in connection with the 81st celebration of the Iloilo City Charter Day on August 25.

“We have agreed with the city mayor that we will have a citywide cleanup. Perhaps this would be the first time that all barangays would get involved in this clean-up,” he said.

Hechanova said he also invited schools, national government agencies and even the city hall to the activity.

He explained that barangay officials will have to identify the area that they are going to clean and the pickup point so it would be easier for garbage collectors to retrieve the wastes.

Hechanova said they expect tons of garbage although they have no idea as to the actual volume.

Earlier the General Services Office (GSO) revealed that the city generates around 300 tons of wastes daily.

The cleanup, however, will focus on garbage left behind on the streets.

“Barangays have their own regular cleanup drive. But this is just awareness raising,” Hechanova said, adding that there are waste issues in other parts of the city.

He identified for instance the need to clean the Jaro River, which is now covered by a special program that will soon be launched along with other local government units within the Tigum-Aganan Watershed.

Hechanova added that it is also part of sustaining the cleanup efforts of the city government.