Tourists warned: Don’t throw litter during Panagbenga fest

By James P. Patrick Aquino

BAGUIO CITY – City officials warned tourists and residents attending the Panagbenga Festival here in month-long festivities not to throw or leave garbage anywhere as this taints the summer capital’s image as a clean and green city. 

This, As Solid Waste Management Division chief engineer Dominador Urbanozo said Eurotel donated ‘no littering’ tarpaulin signages to the city’s General Services Office as it is to help remind tourists to be mindful visitors about the cleanliness of the city’s streets and highways especially during this month’s Flower Festival.

The signages will be placed along highways and crowd-inflicted areas for tourists to see and be aware of before they arrive in city grounds.

It has been observed from last year’s Panagbenga that most of the tourists who visit the city tend to leave their litter across the streets, parks and alongside plants and bushes.

The SWMD requested the Panagbenga Organizing Committee 20 additional personnel to help address cleanliness and the hauling out of garbage at the central business district as it is needed soon after Session Road closes.

Urbanozo said that all street sweepers who are in ‘day-off’ will also be required to undergo ‘overtime’ during the celebration of the Panagbenga as they are assigned at the central business district and the city market.

The contingency plan was agreed upon by the SWMD office together with the supervisor of the street sweepers and team leaders who are assigned in the said areas.

“With that augmentation, it will greatly help us as we are prepared on how to cope-up with the huge fluctuation of visitors,” Urbanozo added.

The SWMD will not be placing trash bins along session road and some parts of the city as it has been discouraged from last year’s observation that most people do not segregate and throw their garbage properly.

Instead, SWMD will be coordinating with some of the city’s local radio stations and media outlets to help disseminate proper waste disposal and segregation among tourists hoping for them to follow and obey Baguio’s environmental care and awareness policies and regulations.

According to Urbanozo, “We are very happy to see visitors and tourists around the city but we are appealing to them to properly dispose their litters and garbage as they practice it to other places they visit and travel.”

Among the major events of the Panagbenga festival held on March such as the Grand Street Parade, Grand Float Parade and Session Road in Bloom where streets are mostly overflowing with tourists and visitors, all are welcome to seek help among the cleaning services personnel present during the said events for proper disposal and segregation of garbage.