MMDA names 4 cleanest barangays for 2014

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) yesterday named the metropolis’ four cleanest barangays for last year.

MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said each of the four winning barangays received P1 million worth of livelihood showcases after emerging as the cleanest among the Metro Manila’s 1,706 barangays. 

The winners are Barangay Holy Spirit (for Category A) and Barangay Blue Ridge B (Category D) both in Quezon City as well as Barangay Fort Bonifacio (Category B) in Taguig City and Barangay New Zuniga (Category C) in Mandaluyong City.

For the search, the MMDA divided the barangays into four categories: Category A for barangays with big income and area, Category B for middle income and middle-size area, Category C for small income and small area, and Category D for village-barangays. 

MMDA general manager Corazon Jimenez said the four barangays beat 48 other finalists as the cleanest and healthiest and having the best solid waste management system. 

In sharing their best practices, Barangay Holy Spirit chairman Felicito Valmocina said they are the only barangay that has garbage collection independent from the Quezon City government.

To date, Valmocina said Barangay Holy Spirit has 11 garbage trucks and has its own environmental police monitoring the garbage collection and segregation.

 For his part, Edwin Cruz, chairman of Barangay New Zuniga, he personally puts violators behind bars so they would learn to dispose waste properly.