The Office of the City Environment and Natural Resources (OCENR) has finalized the barangay cleanliness competition set to take off sometime this month.

Dubbed the Cleanest and Greenest Barangay competition, the competition is expected to be launched following the turnover of garbage truck to barangays in line with the city government’s efforts on cleanliness and sanitation.

Public Service Officer IV Rodrigo Pagotaisidro said the barangay leaders and heads of the barangay solid waste management committees met to finalize the criteria for the competition in accordance with the city’s solid waste ordinance.

Barangays will be rated according to five criteria – environmental organization, information, education, and communication (IEC), engineering, enforcement, and equity and entrepreneurship.

Environmental organization will refer to the presence of a solid waste management committee, enforces, and solid waste management cooperative. The IEC aspect will involve activities which promote information for public awareness of the solid waste management implementation.

Pagotaisidro emphasized the Engineering criteria as the highest factor for consideration as it requires the provision and presence of segregation bins, material recovery facility, composting facility, and scheduled and segregated collection for waste materials in the barangays.

Enforcement involves the issuance of notice of violation, presence of deputized barangay enforcers, the collection of garbage fees with duly signed MOA, employment of barangay street sweepers, and minimal to no traces of open burning and dumping. (Jasmine Mohammadsali)