More personnel tapped to go after litterbugs

Mayor Benjamin Magalong has ordered the deputation of parking attendants as environmental officers to implement the Environment Code and other related laws including the Anti-Littering ordinance.

The mayor said the parking personnel will serve as augmentation force to the Baguio City Police Office and the Public Order and Safety Division in monitoring littering in addition to their regular duties in their areas of assignment.

As deputized personnel, the parking aides can apprehend and issue citation tickets to violators.

The mayor noted the persisting problem of littering especially around the central business district where people mostly converge despite the placement of garbage bins in strategic areas.

Earlier, he enlisted a number of police personnel also as environmental officers to help the city in enforcing laws relating to the environment particularly on cleanliness.  The city’s Environment Code also covers squatting, destruction of protected areas, sourcing of water and others.

The city government is adopting an aggressive approach to clean and beautify the city and tapping more personnel on field will give the program a boost as more areas can be covered and monitored. – Aileen P. Refuerzo