Spain grants P14-M for Bacolod waste management
Bacolod City -- Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Ignacio Sagaz visited the city as bearer of the good news and witness of the city's Grand Santacruzan.
Only three countries were chosen by the Spanish government to give the grant and Philippines is one other than Vietnam and China. The country was one of the priority areas in the South East Asian Region and Bacolod City was chosen through the initiative of Mayor Evelio Leonardia.
The P14 million grant was given to fund the solid waste management program of the city.
According to Ambassador Sagaz, only Bacolod City of all the LGU's in the Philippines submitted a proposal for the Solid Waste Management Program.
The grant will be given directly to a Spanish contractor who will perform the job on Solid Waste Management project and the city will benefit from the project after its completion.
Sagaz, who is married to a Filipina, appreciated the Grand Santacruzan thanking the Bacoleños and the Filipinos in general for preserving an important tradition handed down by the Spanish.
Leonardia on the other hand expressed that, Bacolod is very lucky to have the Ambassador join the celebration despite the fact that many cities in the country are also celebrating the Santacruzan.
"You have to make your city cleaner, so you will not experience what industrialized county like Spain, having polluted environment. Growth should be sustainable," Sagaz stressed.
In time for the awarding of the grant, a delegation of Barangay Captains from the Municipality of Mariveles in the Province of Bataan also visited the city for a study-tour on the city's existing solid waste management programs.
"We have chosen Bacolod City as one of our destinations because we have heard of its exceptional progress and development especially on economic growth," according to Mr. Jose C. Villapando, Sr., President of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Mariveles.
(PIA/EAD)