THE Cagayan de Oro City Government, through the City Local Environment and Natural Resources Office, officially launched the 3rd Oro Kalimpyo Awards Monday, September 9.

Oro Kalimpyo Awards is a city-wide search for the most outstanding villages that are implementing the ecological waste management (ESWM).

The search aims to raise awareness on the importance and benefits of ESWM, ensure compliance of the barangays with the mandate of the Republic Act 9003 or Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and give appropriate recognition to model villages with outstanding practices on ESWM.

The Oro Kalimpyo Awards has three categories: Urban, Sub-Urban and Hinterland categories. All 80 villages of Cagayan de Oro are required to join the search.

Edwina Denise Gonzalez, the NSTP chair for the entire region, said the cash prizes for this year's search has increased.

The first placer in the Urban and Hinterland categories will receive P200,000 cash prize; second placer, P150,000; third placer, P100,000; fourth placer, P30,000; and fifth placer, P20,000.

In the Sub-Urban category, the first placer will receive P250,000; second placer, P200,000; third placer, P150,000; fourth placer, P50,000; and fifth placer, P30,000.

Unlike the previous years, the Oro Kalimpyo Awards 2019 will also recognize schools, elementary and secondary levels that practice proper solid waste management.

According to Jimboy Eugenio, the search committee's co-chairman, there are 12 secondary schools and more than 20 elementary schools interested to join the search.

The submission of entries, Eugenio said, started last month with the deadline set on the last day of August. However, they extended the deadline as there are still some schools that o asked for an extension, particularly those affected by heavy rains.

The awarding ceremony in the school level is set on January 2020, while the barangay level is on June 2020.