MANILA, Philippines?The cooperation showed by the public during the clearing operations conducted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) last week showed that consulting the community before implementing a program was the ideal way to go about it.

?We were overwhelmed by the cooperation and the appreciation the barangay chairmen showed us during our cleanup operations. This only showed that they were sincere in enforcing community rules against [the] indiscriminate dumping of garbage and littering and sanitation,? MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said in a statement. ?We realized that this is participatory planning at its best.?

Tolentino said the agency would take its ?Lingap sa Barangay? campaign, aimed at instilling the importance of cleanliness at the grassroots level, to Pasay City this week. He added that he had tasked MMDA General Manager Robert Nacianceno to meet with city officials to identify potential areas where they could conduct a cleanup.

?This is a continuous endeavor so as to encourage barangays to conduct their own cleanliness programs,? the MMDA chair said.

On Friday, the agency kicked off its cleanup campaign in Barangay Tatalon, Quezon City, and in Tondo, Manila?two of the most densely populated areas in the capital. The drive was also timely, considering the surge in dengue cases recorded by the Department of Health.

MMDA personnel cleared roads and sidewalks, dredged drainage systems, creeks and waterways, and fumigated several barangays, according to Tolentino.

They also fixed the houses of residents and removed stacks of tires that had been used to weigh down galvanized iron sheets. Carpenters worked on roofs by fixing those that needed repairs.

When filled with stagnant rainwater, rubber tires are breeding ground for dengue-carrying mosquitoes.

The MMDA also plans to bring the cleanup caravan to Valenzuela City after Pasay this week.