by Edgar Bagasol Jr.
All barangays of Los Baños participated in the Linis Ilat, a multi-sectoral clean-up drive held on March 18, starting at 6am.
Community members in Brgy. Bambang, along with their garbage sacks, participated in the clean-up drive by collecting garbages from the river on March 18.
Linis Ilat aims to spread awareness on the importance of the lake and to promote sustainable management of water resources in the Los Baños community, especially those who are living along the Laguna lake tributaries.
According to Kagawad Allan Alvarez, Chairman of Environment and Barangay Disaster Council of Brgy. Bambang, they have been conducting clean-up drives during the fourth Sunday of every month. He said that they engage the community members to clean their rivers, canals, and even the main roads of their barangay.
Anito Soriano, Chief Investigator of Brgy. Lalakay said “Para po to sa mga taong bario. Yung mga basura diyan ay kagagawan din nila… Yung mga lamok na namamahay sa mga basura ang nagko-cause ng dengue. Kaya kailangan talaga natin ng kalinisan lalo na sa mga ilog”. (This is for the people who live in barrios. The garbage therein are the very ones that they’ve caused. The mosquitoes that dwell in these garbages cause dengue. That is why, it is necessary for us to maintain cleanliness especially in our rivers.)
Aside from the barangays officials and volunteers, the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Army, Philippine National Police (PNP), University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), and members of the (Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council) FARMC-Los Baños participated in the said activity.
As part of the celebration of the World Water Day on March 22, the Laguna Water District (LWD) and LWD Aquatech Water Resources Corporation (LARC) spearheaded Linis Ilat.
“One of the ways for us to improve the wastewater going to Laguna Lake is to clean the water tributaries going towards the lake,” said Anna Karenina Puerto, LARC Community Relations and External Affairs Head.
“We will be going back to check the different barangays. We’ll check how the barangays are able to implement the clean-up drive. The true measure would be conscientious enough to clean the tributaries after,” she added.
Linis Ilat is part of LWD and LARC’s program titled “Dalayday”. Aside from the cleanup drive, a poem writing and a photo-slogan contest will also be held in line with the theme of World Water Day celebration, “Water and wastewater”.
Community members from Brgy. Lalakay collected all possible aggregates that may cause drainage in their canals and placed them in sacks.
To allow the flow of water of canals in Brgy. Lalakay, community members removed all aggregates that cause the drainage.
The slopes did not stop of Brgy. Timugan residents from collecting all the garbage along their river during the clean-up drive.
According to Operations and Family Chairwoman Lila Catelio, women are united in Brgy. Timugan. Whenever there are programs, they would always be present.
The cleanup drive was conducted in partnership with the Los Baños Municipal Office, Los Baños Group, and Junior Chamber International Los Baños.