The Municipality of Trinidad bagged the best Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) award in the search for towns with best ESWM practices covering the period from October 2020 to January 2021, according to reports from Capitol’s Provincial Information and Media Relations (Primer).
Apart from Trinidad, the other 9 towns given awards for best ESWM practices are San Miguel, Ubay, Talibon, Duero, Loboc, Catigbian, Alburquerque, Balilihan, and Candijay, the Primer added.
The announcement of winners in the said search was made during the Plastic Free Bohol Movement anniversary as part of the Earth Day celebration on April 22, 2021 held at the Provincial Capitol’s Ceremonial Hall.
The Municipality of Trinidad took home P300,000 in cash prize, while one of its barangays, Hinlayagan Ilaud, was awarded as Outstanding Barangay Solid Waste Management Committee.
Each town in the top 10 received cash awards. The cash incentives are to be exclusively used for the implementation of ESWM programs, projects, and activities that will be monitored by the Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO), the Primer bared in its release.
In the barangay level, Bitaugan, Antequera was declared as Outstanding Barangay in Waste Diversion: Caimbang, San Isidro as Outstanding Barangay in Local Solid Waste Management Legislation; Loreto, Cortes as Outstanding Barangay in the Implementation of Garbage and Garbage Fee Collection; Tocdog Ilaya, Loay as Outstanding Barangay in the Implementation of Composting Facilities in Households; Mandawa, Bien Unido as Outstanding Barangay in Solid Waste Management Advocacy; East Poblacion, Alburquerque as Outstanding Barangay in Housekeeping and Record-Keeping; Tangohay, Dimiao as Outstanding Barangay in Environmental Governance; Linawan, Anda as Best Managed Barangay Material Recovery Facility; and Barangay Tapon, Ubay received the Cleanliness and Orderliness Award.
Moreover, in compliance with Republic Act 9003 through the directive of the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC), the search for Best ESWM Implementation in the Province of Bohol was conducted by the Provincial Monitoring Team and Evaluation (M&E) through a series of documentary assessment and field verifications starting 2018 until 2020.
The contest, organized by the Provincial Government of Bohol thru the implementing office BEMO, has produced a positive impact in waste management and proper sanitation throughout the Bohol province.
The evaluators consist of representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-PENRO), Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Education (DepEd), Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), Provincial Health Office (PHO), Bol-anon United Sectors Working for the Advancement of Community Concerns, Inc. (BUSWACC) and BEMO.
Meanwhile, Balilihan mayor Pureza Chatto received the award for her town as ninth placer. She was accompanied by the town’s ESWM focal person Gilbert Mejorada.(Jigs Señagan/PRIMER)