ni Almon Kalibpatra Merep
Barangay Calo, Bay, conducted its Operation Linis last March 18. Operation Linis is a regular activity of the barangay, which is being conducted every Sunday. and it includes cleaning of the roadsides and canals. The activity started at 7 o’clock in the morning and end up at 10 am. Around 20 people joined this activity composed of barangay tanods, barangay officials, and residents of Brgy. Calo. This Sunday’s Operation Linis was conducted along the boundaries of Barangay Calo, San Nicolas, and San Augustine.
Barangay officials and tanods cutting off grass and cleared roadside in the Operation Linis site.
The barangay officials and tanod started to gather themselves in the Barangay hall around 6 am and prepared the tools. They held a meeting before they proceeded to the boundary area between Barangay Calo and San Nicolas.
After done with the boundary area of Barangay Calo and San Nicolas, the officials move to the other end of Barangay Calo, that is the boundary area between Barangay Calo and San Augustine.
Tanods deal with weeds and plant overgrowth as they clean the roadside in Calo-Augustine boundary.
In both areas that the officials went to clean, the residents nearby also helped them in cleaning. Some were even bringing their own cleaning equipments and calling their neighbors to come and help the officials and tanod.
Barangay Captain Renato R. Macahiya said that the Operation Linis started in 2002, the time since he became the chairperson of Barangay Calo.
Residents of Barangay Calo join the tanods and barangay officials in the Operation Linis.
He said that the officials never asked the residents to help them in the operation linis but the residents are informed about this activity. “We do not want to bother the residents, but we do inform them about this activity. We want them to realize themselves about the important of a clean environment,” Brgy. Captain Macahiya explained.
Though the activity is scheduled every Sunday, it is being done only when needed. “I usually call for a meeting within the week if I want the Barangay to conduct the operation linis. The schedule is made regular, just to make sure that all the Barangay officials will always be ready to give their time on Sunday morning to do the cleaning duty,” Macahiya said.
According to Mr. Efren Villena, the Barangay Secretary, the barangay also accepts requests from the residents to clean their surroundings, as long as it is not a private subdivision. “The services that we give to the residents that make requests are also free,” he added.
Aside of Operation Linis, there are also River Clean-up and Clean-up drive as parts of the regular cleaning activities of Barangay Calo. The latter two clean-up activities are conducted once a month, and could be twice in special cases.