LA TRINIDAD, Benguet --- Drug dependents who recently surrendered and took oath to veer away from illegal drugs participated in the national cleanup drive last week here.
La Trinidad Environment and Natural Resources Office Environmental Specialist Arthur Pedro said these drug surenderees joined volunteers from the various sectors in cleaning the Balili River.
The clean up is just one of the many activities the municipality will be undertaking in partnership with the drug surrenderees since part of the planned rehabilitation program are community works such as tree planting and other physical fitness activities.
Tagged as "Bayan ko Linis Ko," the target of the national clean up drive recently is to clean at least 500 cities and municipalities throughout the country to get rid of at least 80 percent of illegally dumped wastes and litters geo-tagged by basura patrollers along public places, major thoroughfares, roads, sidewalks, parks, canals, esteros and coastal areas.
The activity formed part of the environmental agenda of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the first 100 days of President Rodrigo Duterte's administration in collaboration with local government units, non-government organizations, academe and the private sector.
In the Cordillera region, LGUs who participated in the nationwide clean-up drive are La Trinidad and Tuba in Benguet; Bangued, San Juan, Dolores, Lagangilang, Danglas, La Paz, Bucay, Tayum, Tineg, Luba, Sallpadan, Daguioman, and Bucloc in Abra; Luna, Sta Marcela, Flora, and Pudtol in Apayao; Kalinga in Tabuk City; Baguio City; Kiangan, Lamut, Lagawe, Hungduan, Tinoc, and Banaue in Ifugao, and Bontoc and Paracelis in Mountain Province.
Pedro said the event was made more significant since the municipality together with the local government units of Tublay, Sablan and Baguio City and the Balili River System Revitalization Coalition were also celebrating Balili River Day. (Redjie Melvic Cawis/PIA-CAR)