BY ERWIN ‘AMBO’ DELILAN
ON MARCH 20, I got a chance to talk to Sipalay City’s Mayor Gina Montilla-Lizares via Zoom.
Our topic was kinda about “Marites or mariteses with benefits”. Quite intriguing!
Of course, many will “hallucinate” and ask: Why?
First, “Marites” in this digital era and per www.linkedin.com is a Filipino slang that refers to a person, typically a woman, who is excessively talkative, chatty, or gossipy.
The adjectives associated with “Marites” are definitely negative in terms of human perception and interpretation, right?
But in the case of Sipalay City, it’s more on positivity almost 360 degrees. Don’t be shocked. Their “Mariteses” were the ones who led their city to be cited internationally for an exemplary deed in protecting and preserving their natural environment – an immense mission with a unique flavor of women empowerment.
GREAT TALE TO TELL
Curtains up: Sipalay City’s 20-year-old “Lakbayon” program has won second place in the prestigious Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards at the Internationale Tourismus -Borse (ITB) Berlin in in Germany just recently.
Negrenses, therefore, have reason to cheer and praise Sipalay City government and Mayor Lizares’ leadership.
Last year, winners of the same international citation anchored in best practices related to environmental protection and preservation were the cities of Bago and Sagay.
This year, Sipalay was the lone representative-turned-winner from the Philippines. What a feat, hence! A great tale to tell!
SHORELINE CLEAN-UP
But what is this “Lakbayon” all about and how did it qualify to the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards?
“Lakbayon” (Hiligaynon term for “steps”), said Mayor Gina, is a tagline for their city’s enormous yet sustainable environmental program titled “Women Steps Toward Sustainability”. Such is a daily shoreline clean-up along their Poblacion Beach front.
It started 20 years ago with only a minimal number of woman members. Every morning there were these groups of women strolling on the beach front and while exchanging stories or chismis of the day they would also pick garbage.
The city government found such practice quite beneficial as it contributed to waste pollution reduction in the Poblacion Beach. So, sans hesitation, Mayor Gina said the city gave these women a daily allowance of P40 each for their two-hour daily stroll and chikahan while at the same time doing their garbage picking task.
The result: Wow! The Poblacion Beach became truly a wonderful place to unwind – clean sea, clean coast, clean environment.
LIKE ‘WILDFIRE’
Then, the good news spread like “wildfire”. The “Mariteses” became unstoppable in creating chismis out of this best practice. So, the Sipalay City Council for Women (SCCW) stepped into the “limelight” by partnering with the city government.
Now, there are a total of 14,645 woman members from 11 villages in Sipalay doing volunteer clean-up of their coastal area in the poblacion everyday.
Mayor Gina, together with their tourism officer, Jeck Lacson, was immensely grateful for these woman volunteers that include senior citizens, students and single moms.
‘ROCKING HEADLINE’
Sipalay is now being billed as Negros’ “Crown Jewel” because of its pristine beaches that can even compete with Boracay Island.
The notable turnaround of Sipalay from a “mining capital” to “Jewel of the Sugar Island” is a “rocking headline”.
When Maricalum Mining Corporation (MMC) was still “alive” 20 years ago, Sipalay was tagged as an “envi destroyer” – literally and figuratively. For Negros envi warriors, there was no more hope for this “Gold Capital” of Negros.
With the present leaders of Sipalay demonstrating “political will” highlighted by an utmost care for the environment, good things really happen everyday.
Converting Sipalay City from being a “bulldog against the environment” into a prime tourist destination on Negros Island is a “gigantic accomplishments” that Mayor Gina and her predecessor, her brother Nonoy Montilla, could be proud of “without filter”.
Indeed, with the Green Destinations Top 100 Story Awards plum, both of them can now be crowned as “Envi Heroes”.
Moreover, the Montilla siblings must be thankful to their city’s “Mariteses” who are doing a great job for the sake of Sipalay’s dunang manggad. Truly hailable!/PN
