Sanitation and hygiene

There is an old song that says: Toreador, don’t spit on the floor / Use the cuspidor / That is what it’s for.

Now the Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Bayani Fernando has launched a cleanliness drive in the buildings and surroundings of his office and one of the things he has done is to prohibit the officials and employees from spitting on DPWH premises. Before the war, there was a very great emphasis on sanitation and hygiene. It was one of the major subjects taught in grade school.

As we all know, there are three ways to maintain one’s health. The most important is, first, disease prevention; second, treatment of disease and last is the rehabilitation of those who have already been cured.

The problem sometimes is that we impose restrictions but do not provide the means for the public to observe said restrictions. Classic case is the sign that says, "Don’t throw your garbage here." It would be more practical if the sign read, "Throw your garbage here." For as a general rule, people dump their garbage on creeks and streets because there is no other place for them to get rid of their garbage. In the slum areas, the poor people will all get sick if they kept their garbage inside their homes.

The same is true with the sign that say, "It is prohibited to urinate here." Unlike cities such as Paris, for instance, Manila has hardly any public urinals. Some people can easily go to any restaurant and use their toilet facilities. But the street vendors, for instance, would not be welcomed in such public establishments.

Secretary Fernando also reiterated his campaign to clear national roads of obstructions and illegal structures that are causing unnecessary traffic congestions. But first things first. The premises of the Department of Public Works and Highways must be the standard of cleanliness. In short, leadership by example. Secretary Fernando told his employees that it was safe for people to swallow their phlegm because it would not cause illness. If they found the need to spit, the proper place to do it would be the toilets.

There was a time when Manila was the model of cleanliness. That is why it earned a title, "Pearl of the Orient". Now we are one of the most polluted cities in the world.