Mayor says many residents, visitors are still ‘irresponsible’ in disposing garbage

Many local residents and visitors of the Summer Capital are still ‘irresponsible’ when it comes to the disposal of their own garbage, Mayor Benjamin Magalong lamented.

He noted that a clean-up drive conducted by the One Baguio Movement, a private sector-led coalition including representatives from the government, produced a truck-full of garbage strewn all over the city.

The Mayor said the group aims to encourage people from all sectors of society to unite in tackling various issues affecting the city including the creeping blight of urban decay, a big issue that he claims started as early as the year 2000.

Urban decay is a process in which a previously functioning city, or city area, falls into disrepair and disuse.

Common indicators include abandoned buildings and empty plots, an urban landscape that is generally decrepit and desolate, and more.

The Mayor cited a National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) study claiming that urban decay is happening in the city.

Destruction of the environment or environmental degradation like the improper disposal of garbage contributes to urban decay, he stressed.

The Mayor said he is issuing a directive that calls for the aggressive enforcement of the city’s anti-littering and ‘momma’ spitting ordinances and other similar regulations. – Gaby B. Keith