Complete Clean Up Drive in 62% of Barangays

October 7, 2009

Following the instruction of President Arroyo for local government units affected by Typhoon “Ondoy” to clean up within 72 hours, a total of 211 or 62 percent of the 342 typhoon-struck barangays in Metro Manila have already completed their clean-up activities of major thoroughfares and streets in their respective localities.

Acting Secretary Melchor P. Rosales of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), citing a report submitted by the DILG-NCR, today said that all the 32 barangays in Valenzuela City, 9 in Pasay City, 11 in Makati City, 15 in Parañaque City, 41 in Manila, 43 in Caloocan and 8 in Las Piñas City have reported a 100% completion in their clean up drive as of October 5, 2009.

“I laud all the LGUs that have promptly heeded the President’s instructions and I encourage all the other local units to start cleaning up immediately,” Rosales said.

On the other hand, a total of 59 barangays or 24 barangays in Quezon City, 4 in Navotas City, 10 in Pasig City, 11 in Mandaluyong City , 8 in Muntinlupa City and 2 in Taguig City reported a partial completion of their cleaning activivities.

Undersecretary Eduardo Soliman, concurrent DILG-NCR director said 72 Metro Manila barangays or 17 barangays in Pasig City, 13 in Marikina City, 11 in San Juan City, 26 in Taguig City and 5 in Pateros City have yet to start their clean-up activities, presumably because these LGUs are still submerged in flooded water.

“I urge all the concerned sectors of the society to help in the clean-up efforts of their respective barangays so that we can all rise above this recent calamity and move forward,” Soliman said.

Earlier, the DILG Acting Secretary issued a directive to provincial governors, city and municipal mayors of Region IV-A and the National Capital Region (NCR) to collect garbage and to clean up their respective localities within 72 hours.

In his directive, Rosales pointed out that in the event of the inability of the current garbage collectors to effect the expeditious and effective collection of garbage, the concerned LGU is allowed under the law to contract other providers under Republic Act 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act.