As timeout from the COVID-19 pandemic uproar, here’s good news to all environment-lovers.
Laoag City and Nueva Era town were adjudged as this year’s “cleanest and greenest” local government units (LGUs) in Ilocos Norte.
Under the “Narimat nga Aglawlaw” (A Brighter Environment) campaign of Governor Matthew Marcos Manotoc, the Provincial Government of Ilocos Norte (PGIN), through the Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), conducted the province-wide “Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Competition” last year to challenge component local government units to improve their waste management program.
The awarding ceremony was held at the Sirib Mile, Laoag City on December 9.
Laoag, for the second time, bagged the award for the city level category while Nueva Era garnered its first win for the municipal level.
Both received a trophy and Php 250,000 and Php 200,000 cash prize, respectively.
Other winners were Pagudpud, second place for two consecutive years and got Php 150,000 cash prize, while Badoc, third place, brought home Php 100,000 cash prize.
Winners in the barangay level were Brgy. Caparispisan, Pagudpud, champion; Brgy. Alsem, Vintar, first runner-up; and Brgy. Poblacion, Burgos, second runner-up.
Winners on the national government agency category were Department of Public Works and Highways-Ilocos Norte 1st District Engineering Office (DPWH 1st DEO), champion; DPWH-Ilocos Norte 2nd DEO, first runner-up; and Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines–Laoag City, second runner-up.
The minor awards under the “Well-Managed Public Places Category” were Best Public Market (Pagudpud), Best Slaughter House (Bangui), Best Cemetery (Nueva Era), Best Public Park (Batac City), and Best Rural Health Unit (Badoc).
Meanwhile, San Nicolas (municipal level) and Brgy. Caparispisan, Pagudpud (barangay level) both retained, twice in a row, the title as the Outstanding Solid Waste Management Plan Implementers while Brgy. Marcos, Banna obtained the Environment Management and Sustainability Award.
In his message, Governor Manotoc told the winners “Let this be an effort of us that is genuine not merely one that we carry out for the prize. The one that we take to heart, we truly value, and we can also impart on our future generations.”
During the same awarding event, PGIN also held the blessing rites for the newly acquired units of garbage compactors and distributed them to the province’s two cities and 15 municipalities.
The remaining six towns received P 2.5 million cash aid each for the implementation of their Solid Waste Management (SWM) Program.
“More than a year ago, when I took my term as your governor. My two promises were to ameliorate the health and the environment sector. What better way to celebrate my 32nd birthday is to have two momentous occasions in both of these sectors. Ilocanos have always a deep respect for the environment and learned to maximize it. I applaud all of you for taking care of our environment, and may we continue to take care of it,” the Governor remarked.— (Blessing Angel V. Agliam, PGIN-CMO)
