Personnel of the Baguio City Police Office deputized as Environmental Police are sustaining the conduct of cleanup drives and forest patrolling to ensure protection of remaining forest covers from intrusion as well as keep the city clean from strewn trash particularly on public parks and thoroughfares.
BCPO Director Col. Francis Bulwayan, Jr. said the clean-up drives are being conducted regularly in keeping with the “makakalikasan” core value of the Philippine National Police.
“This activity aims to sustain cleanliness within the city, improve solid waste management, and raise awareness of the citizens of Baguio in protecting the environment. We also encourage the park goers to observe the ‘Basura Ko, Bitbit Ko’practice when going around the city,” the police director said.
Mayor Benjamin Magalong lauded the BCPO for consistently upholding their advocacy as environmental guardians, an added duty to their institutional mandate.
Despite the city government’s sustained campaign on cleanliness and orderliness, a lot of undisciplined individuals continue to wantonly throw their trash as they please.
The mobilization of the BCPO as deputized environment officers aims to institute behavioral change among the residents and visitors alike in keeping the city clean.
Deployment in the barangays of enforcers of the Environment Code was also mandated to ensure that the barangays are complying with the cleanliness and sanitation rules of the city government.
“We need to inculcate behavioral change among residents for us to achieve our goal of a clean, green and orderly Baguio,” the mayor said, adding that discipline starts at home. – Jessa Mardy P. Samidan
