LGUs with good environmental practices cited

The Laguna Lake Development Authority has granted awards or citations to local government units (LGUs) with the best environmental approaches or practices under a program called "Gawad Dangal ng Lawa."

LLDA general manager Casimiro Ynares III said the winners were picked on the basis of their insights, approaches and projects in line with the LLDA’s environmental program.

Ynares said this forms part of the LLDA’s Public Disclosure Program (PDP) for the LGUs in the Laguna de Bay region.

The Gawad Dangal ng Lawa and special citations under the PDP for LGUs aim to recognize cities and municipalities’ commendable performance in compliance with the environmental laws and regulations. 

"Through this, we hope to encourage and motivate other local government units to extend to initiate and implement programs and projects for the protection and conservation not only of the Laguna de Bay but of the entire region as well," Ynares said in a statement.

The top award went to Marikina City for its Marikina River Project, the Eco-Savers Program and its Materials Recovery Facility. 

Other LGUs that were given special citations were Pasig (for the Pasig City Rainforest and Water Park), Tagaytay (for the Tagaytay City MRF) and Quezon Cities (for the Package Clean Up System on Solid Waste Collection and the Payatas Garbage to Power Generation Project), the municipalities of Sta. Cruz (for the Sitio Neighborhood Association; the MSWM, the MRF Public Market; the Community SWM and its controlled dumpsite) and Los Banos (for the Los Banos Ecological Solid Waste Management Program and its eco-waste processing center) in the province of Laguna and Carmona, Cavite (for its ecological center organic fertilizer production). – Benny Enriquez