‘Clean-up drive, one of the priorities to safeguard public health and its residents’ - Barangay Appas, Tabuk City

Tabuk City, Kalinga – While passing through the provincial road in Barangay Appas, Tabuk City, you can notice the cleanliness of the road and streets as it has become one of its top priorities in order to safeguard public health and keep a healthy environment.

“Cleanliness is next to godliness… isu ti maysa nga kangrunaan nga ar-aramiden tayo ket daytoy panangipapati ti clean-up drive uray nu ulit-ulitan ti panglinis,” says Barangay Captain Bernard Glenn Dao-as, adding that although it is not easy to discipline people, by repetition and reminders things can change.

The changes in said barangay is the result of the weekly clean-up drive being conducted by the Barangay Local Government Unit of Appas, under the leadership of Barangay Captain Bernard Glen Dao-as.

This implementation of said activity, as mentioned by Barangay Appas Secretary Brenda G. Depalog, came after the Department of the Interior and Local Government mandated earlier this year that there should be clean-up activities in all barangays in the country.

The mandate, through DILG Memorandum Circular No. 2024-001, is in line with the “Kalinisan sa Bagong Pilipinas” program of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

With the mandate, barangay officials of Appas, along with the barangay employees, resident volunteers, and the barangay tanods, started conducting cleaning activity in their area every Friday of the week. It was made possible through the barangay resolution no. 12, authored by the barangay council.

In an interview with Guru Press Cordillera, Depalog said that the activity aims to maintain the cleanliness of their barangay to provide the residents, visitors, and passers-by a healthier environment.

Apart from the said objectives, the BLGU want to support the Provincial Government in its combat against dengue, especially as the cases of the mosquito-borne illnesses are increasing in Tabuk City and in the entire province.

“Ti purpose na daytoy nga clean-up drive ket tapno mamaintain diay cleanliness ditoy barangay ken maprevent daytoy dengue karo ta umad-ado en ti cases tayo ditoy,” the barangay secretary added.