BALANGA CITY — The Department of Interior and Local Government recently named this city and two municipalities in Bataan among its top awardees in Region 3 for implementing programs and projects in relation to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, the Philippine Information Agency announced Friday.
DILG through the Manila BAYani Awards and Incentives for 2019 named Balanga City as top performer for the city category in Central Luzon, Dinalupihan as first runner-up, and Hermosa as second runner-up, both for the municipal category.
Mayors Francis Garcia of Balanga City, Maria Angela Garcia of Dinalupihan and Jophet Inton of Hermosa thanked DILG and said the award further inspired them to do what is best for the environment.
Balanga will receive P300,000 cash prize while Dinalupihan will get P200,000 and Hermosa, P100,000.
“The cash prize will be given to winning LGUs provided that they have submitted their respective project proposal on the implementation of the Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation and Preservation Program where the said prize shall be utilized,” Bataan PIA chief Mar Jay delas Alas said.
He said that the Manila BAYani Awards aims to recognize LGUs that have shown exemplary performance in the implementation of their mandates and responsibilities under environmental laws and policies that support the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.
Quoting DILG provincial director Myra Soriano-Moral, he said that the program was launched in 2014 and the award covers LGUs in the Manila Bay area from Regions 3, 4A, and the National Capital Region.
“This was part of efforts to intensify the implementation of the Supreme Court mandamus order for the rehabilitation and preservation of Manila Bay,” delas Alas said.
He noted that Balanga has been a consistent winner for four consecutive years and even chosen as top performer at the national level last year.
Again this year, Balanga will represent Region 3 in the national level for the city category. It was learned that Baliwag in Bulacan will be representing Central Luzon in the municipal category.
Winners were determined based on the following criteria: existence of approved 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan; practice of segregation of wastes at source; practice of segregated collection of wastes; and presence of materials recovery facility in the city/municipality and all its constituent barangays.
Also, residual wastes must be disposed in approved disposal sites, and existence and formulation of no-littering and similar ordinances implemented from city/municipal to barangay levels.
