New Lucena , Brgy . Cabugao top 2004 Project Cleaning and Greening contest

The municipality of New Lucena and Brgy . Cabugao , Lambunao topped the 2004 Project Cleaning and Greening in the municipal and barangay contests, respectively.   Each winner will receive    P50 ,000 each and trophies during the awarding ceremonies which also coincide with the celebration of Kaadlawan sang Iloilo slated in April.

New Lucena town garnered an average score of 98.99% while Brgy . Cabugao earned 99.10%.   Other winners in the municipal level are: San Joaquin with 98.82%, Dingle with 98.56%, Maasin with 98.32% and San Dionisio with 97.99%.

In the barangay level, Crossing Dapuyan , San Joaquin   placed second with 98.77%; Pandan , Dingle copped third place with 98.56%, Buga , Leon placed fourth with 98.49% and Cudionan , San Dionisio came in fifth with 98.02%.

The top three placers will bring home P50 ,000 , P35,000 and P20,000, respectively, in each category.

The evaluators, composed of representatives from the Department of Education, Provincial Health Office, Provincial Planning and Development Office, Provincial Agricultures, Information and Environment and Natural Resources Offices, conducted two separate evaluations to determine the winners for this year's search for the cleanest and greenest municipality and barangay in the Province of   Iloilo .

Criteria for the 2004 search include Physical Conditions – 75% which covers absence of eyesores; well-maintained facilities; presence of healthful and environment-friendly practices; Urban Space Greening – 25% and Support System with 25% which include equipment and manpower, functional structure, budgetary requirements, and community mobilization and civil society's participation in environmental protection and management.

Marylou B. Sumbing , Information Officer III and Project Coordinator of the 2004 Project Cleaning and Greening lauded all 42 municipalities and the participating barangays for their overwhelming show of support to the project. In the three years of its implementation, this project has shown positive results through the involvement of the different sectors in the community.

The aim of the project which is the sustainability of cleanliness and greening of our countrysides by our people has   been positively achieved. The adoption of   environmental -friendly practices such as the proper disposal of   solid wastes have been implemented in accordance to Republic Act 9003 otherwise known as the Solid Waste Management Act.

It can be recalled that this project has propelled the province to achieve national recognition   in the Gawad Pangulo Sa Kapaligiran wherein it has achieved the top rank in the Region for three consecutive years and 2 nd runner-up in the national level.   And expecting to land again in the top three in the national level.

Iloilo Governor Niel D. Tupas also thanked the local chief executives of the 42 municipalities and the barangay officials for their untiring support extended in the said project.

“The Province of Iloilo is one of the four contenders for the Gawad Pangulo sa Kapaligiran for the Cleanest and Greenest and this feat was achieved only through the cooperation of every Ilonggo and we are showing the whole country that a disciplined people embracing the concept of clean and green can accomplish much in anything that we set out to do,” Tupas reiterated. (Gina H. Celebria /PIO)