DILG to ask 1k village execs to explain negligence in Manila Bay cleanup

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will ask around 1,000 village captains to explain their negligence in the Manila Bay cleanup being pushed by the agency.

“Right now we have prepared for the issuance of show cause order to barangay captains in Regions 3, 4A, and NCR (National Capital Region) who failed to comply with the mentioned circular,” DILG Undersecretary Martin Diño said in a press conference at the agency’s office in Quezon City.

Diño was referring to the DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2019-09 issued in January which ordered 178 city and municipal mayors and 5,714 village captains to organize a cleanup drive in coastal areas and inland water systems in their localities to help in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

READ: DILG orders LGUs, barangays to help in Manila Bay clean-up drive

“Despite this pronouncement, meron pa ring sasabihin natin na matitigas ang ulo (some are still hard-headed). Our rough estimate is around 1,000 punong barangay out of 5,714 remain to be indifferent to our cause, making a complete mockery of our overall campaign,” he said.

According to DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya, the show cause orders will give the village captains a chance to explain themselves.

If proven that they did not heed the order of the DILG, Malaya said the village captains may face administrative charges of misconduct and negligence for a public official.

Diño added it’s about time that these village officials receive action from the DILG for non-compliance of the memorandum, as he said cleanup in waterways connected to Manila Bay is also needed to help the bay’s rehabilitation.

“Kahit anong linis ang gawin natin sa Manila Bay, kung patuloy naman ang pagtapon at pagdaloy ng basura sa estero, kanal, ilog patungo sa Manila Bay ay wala din magandang mangyayari,” he explained.

(No matter how much we try to clean Manila Bay, if trash still continue to flow in estero, canals, and rivers connected to Manila Bay, no good thing will happen.) /je