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 Winners of the “Zero Basura Olympics,” a nationwide search for model towns and cities with the most innovative and effective approaches to waste management, were recognized by Malacañang Friday.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Horacio Ramos said the winning three towns and two cities “collectively sends a strong message that geography and fiscal standing are not obstacles for local governments to find viable means in solving their solid waste management problems.”
The winners in the city category were Makati City and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental.
The other winners were San Mateo, Isabela, a 1st class municipality and the coastal town of Hinatuan in Surigao del Sur, a 3rd class municipality.
Magarao, Camarines Sur, a 4th class municipality, was the sole winner in the 4th and 6th Class Municipalities Category.
“Kung ayaw, may dahilan. Kung gusto, may paraan,” said Ramos in stressing the pivotal role of local government units in preventing a national garbage crisis in the country by fully complying with Republic Act No. 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
Last year, Makati posted a P9.7 billion revenue, mostly coming from city’s business and realty taxes, while the average annual income of San Carlos City is around P300 million.
Towns with annual revenues amounting to at least P50 million or more are classed as 1st class municipalities while 3rd and 4th class municipalities have an income bracket of P30 million to P40 million, and P20 million to P30 million, respectively.
Taken from the word “hatuan,” meaning a haven for fish, Hinatuan has a 67-kilometer shoreline and is referred to in Mindanao as “the hidden paradise of the Pacific” for its world-class beaches and diving destinations.
Hinatuan Bay is known to harbor five endangered species of sea turtles, including the Green Turtle, Loggerhead, Hawksbill, Leatherback and Olive Ridley.
The holding of the nationwide contests for best eco-waste management practices got underway in 2003 to generate greater multisectoral interest and partnership in addressing the solid waste management problem in the country and spur compliance by to RA 9003 by local governments units (LGUs).
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