THE Manila Department of Public Service (DPS) will strictly enforce the solid waste segregation under R.A. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management of 2000 for cleaner surroundings.

This was announced by Kyle Nicole Amurao, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the DPS in her speech as host during the regular flag raising ceremony on Monday morning held at the Kartilya ng Katipunan.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna also instructed all vendors in Divisoria to clean their surroundings and put leftover vegetables in sacks that will be collected by street sweepers before dawn.

“Hindi po birong gawin yan, gaya nga po ng sinabi ko sa Konseho ng Maynila, ang DPS po hindi natutulog, araw-araw po naglilinis sila, alas-3 pa lang ng madaling araw, nagpapadala na po sila ng larawan sa akin kung paano nila nililinis ang Divisoria, yung mga Power Street Sweepers natin,” Mayor Honey said.

Amurao said the DPS was in the company of Divisoria Power Sweepers who usually started to perform their duties before dawn at 3 a.m. The Estero Rangers were tasked to clean trash traps in esteros and other waterways, the Manila Bay Mandaragat and Baseco Beach Warriors assigned to gather various types of garbage along the coastline.

“Ang pinakamahalagang misyon po ng ating Kagawaran ay tiyakin na ang nasasakupan nito ay gagawin ang tamang pagsasagawa ng pagbubukod ng basura mula sa pinagkukunan nito, upang mapakinabangan ang maaari pang magamit sa iba pang paraan, at ang pagkakaroon ng mahusay na pagkolekta ng basura upang iwasan ang hindi wasto at wala sa oras ng pagtatapon na nagiging sanhi ng pagtatambak nito,” the DPS OIC said.

“Ang atin pong kagawaran ang siya rin pong nagbibigay-tulong tuwing may hindi inaasahang pangyayari gaya ng kalamidad at sakuna. Kaagapay din po natin mga janitorials, sweepers at utilities sa paglilinis at ang Quick Response Team na miyembro ng Task Force Against Road Obstruction, na nagsasagawa ng clearing at obstruction operation, mapping at marami pang ibam,” Amurao added.

Manila Mayor Honey Lacuna-Pangan praised and thanked the officials and employees of the DPS which she said were working 24/7 but not enough to finish their duties.

Mayor Lacuna-Pangan said the city government was lucky enough to have a non-government organization (NGO) as partner, like the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines led by its Executive Director Ms. Katherine Custodio, who vowed to donate solid waste management equipment which will serve as a great help for the DPS to fulfill its mission.

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Edd Reyes