Hotels, resorts back Lapu-Lapu beautification, cleanliness drive

CEBU, Philippines - Hotel and resort owners in Lapu-Lapu City, in a recent meeting with city officials, have assured support to the cleanliness and beautification drive undertaken of the city government.

Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza said the city government will intensify its cleanliness in all barangays, including the coastal ones.

Sea waters of coastal barangays yielded quite a lot of garbage during last year's annual coastal cleanup.

Lapu-Lapu City officials said if the city is to attract tourists, the waters, for one, must be pristine, free of garbage and bacteria.

In this regard, the Lapu-Lapu City Historial and Tourism Commission is closely coordinating with the resorts and hotels in the city.

Former Lapu-Lapu City Councilor Damian Gomez Jr. said the partnership focuses on the cleanliness and beautification drive, attracting visitors, and promoting Lapu-Lapu.

Since the city government intensified its campaign against violators of the Solid Waste Management Law, 688 violators have been issued citation tickets by the Solid Waste Management Office.

Records made available to The Freeman shows that since 2005 up to this year, the City Solid Waste Management Office has listed 3, 836 violators, with 248 violators endorsed to the City Prosecutors Office for filling of cases.

Some violators have not showed up at the Solid Waste Management Office to try to resolve their problems.

Under the Solid Waste Law, the barangays are in charge of collection and disposal of garbage, while the city is in charge of the Material Recovery Facility.

The city government has a Material Recovery Facility in barangay Mactan and they adopted the no-segregation no-dumping policy.

In compliance with the mandate of Republic Act 9003, the (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000), the city government of Lapu-Lapu, under the previous administration of former mayor and now Congressman Arturo O. Radaza created the Solid Waste Management Board.

In 2005, the board launched the full implementation of the law and also Ordinance 484-97, which is the Comprehensive Environmental and Sanitation Code of Lapu-Lapu City.

Violators of Ordinance No. 484-97, and Republic Act 9003 who opt to render community service instead of paying voluntary fines are assigned to clean problematic areas in the city for one or two Saturdays under the Supervision of the Solid Waste Management Office. –(FREEMAN)