THIS WRITER greets his PN readers a fruitful and happier New Year 2020.
The start of the year brought this writer to a coffee talk with some cheerful junior and senior citizens sipping Café Americano and smoothies. The “menu” was the cleanliness of Bacolod, the “City that Smiles.”
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“I could not fathom why the city has never exerted much effort to make its communities clean and tidy. While it has this contracted garbage collection company, it seems no one cares to monitor whether Bacolod is clean or otherwise,” said a doctor.
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“Well, probably the leaders of the city never care much to drive around the city and remind barangay leaders of their duties to make the city clean. Are they afraid of the barangay people? Or they do not care to clean the city, asked the engineer.
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“For so many terms that incumbent politicians are in office, we have not heard that cleanliness is one of their prime concerns. They do not give a damn about it. They are well-dressed and neat, so we could not understand why the apathy,” expressed the doctor.
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“Believe me, Iloilo City is much cleaner than Bacolod and we praise Mayor Jerry Treñas for his effort. Why can the mayor of Bacolod do a similar thing? When will the city be truly clean?” added a retired government employee.
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“It was my first time to visit Bacolod City a few months ago and indeed you are all correct. I could not take my eyes from the piles of garbage on the road side. And squatters are the first attraction your eyes could see. Now I am getting used to it,” said the retiree.
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“Are the leaders of Bacolod not going around and do their duty? Where are they? Why are other cities clean like Bago City and Silay City? Is there anyone tasked to ensure a healthy environment for Bacolod?” asked a traveler who was with the group.
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The city government needs to act swiftly. This is not a criticism but a wake-up call for those sleeping officials.
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This column greets Natalie Lim, Boy So, Ariston Minez Jr., Dial Jardeleza, Ponso Tan, Kim Martin Jimenez, Ruben Ramirez, Ray Tabafunda, Ping Jimenea, Boyet Ortaliz, Doc Glen Catedral, and Jane Javellana. (tootsjimenez@yahoo.com/PN)
