DILG chief: Let’s make cleanliness ‘a way of life’

MANILA, Philippines — Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. has asked Filipinos to keep cleanliness as a “way of life.”

He made this statement on Saturday after the launch of the Kalinga at Inisyatiba para sa Malinis na Bayan (KALINISAN) program, which aims to keep the environment clean. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. launched the program on January 5.

“Gawin natin itong way of life. Dapat kahit saan tayo magpunta malinis,” Abalos said.

(Let us make this a way of life. Wherever we go, it must be clean.)

READ: DILG establishes Kalinisan project in search of cleanest barangay 

According to the DILG, the program launch collected 6.307 million kilograms of trash nationwide.

Regions with the most trash collected were Region VII (Central Visayas) with 989,879 kilograms of trash, National Capital Region with 866,773 kilograms, and Region V (Bicol Region) with 665,635 kilograms.

Meanwhile, most participants came from Region 1 (Ilocos Region) with 204,607 participants, followed by Region VI (Western Visayas) with 181,611 participants, and Region IV-A (CALABARZON) with 166,000 participants.

“Huwag po sanang ningas-cogon lang.  Sana ay tuloy-tuloy ang ating commitment para sa KALINISAN,” Abalos added.

(Let this not be a temporary thing. Let our commitment to cleanliness be continuous.)

Abalos also said that the DILG is formulating guidelines to award the cleanest barangays.

READ: Environmental group calls for clean, green Traslacion 2024 at Rizal Park