VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) -- Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) leaders in this province joined the call of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to become environmentally responsible by joining the Barangay at Kalinisan Day (BarKaDa) Clean-up Activity.

The cleanup campaign, which was conducted Saturday, Feb. 24, in Barangay V of Bantay town collected  57 bags or 547 kilograms of trash. 

This is the collective effort of the 202 participants including the SK officials, government employees from the DILG, Department of Labor and Employment, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Philippine Information Agency, Bureau of Fire Protection, and the Philippine National Police, and members of the Liga ng mga Barangay and the Barangay Health Workers.

DILG Ilocos Sur Provincial Director Randy Dela Rosa said this activity is part of the Bagong Pilipinas program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. that aims to transform all sectors and change behaviors for the better.

“Also, part of the environmental advocacy of our secretary, Benjamin Abalos Jr., is the clean-up drive in all barangays, cities, and municipalities by bringing back the Bayanihan spirit,” he said.

SK Chairperson Franz Paulo Paz said, “We are delighted to join this initiative of the DILG. It feels great to care for the environment with the civil servants from government agencies.  We are very thankful that our barangay was one of the two chosen barangays this month for the Regional Showcase.”

“One of our projects we are working on right now is regarding the environment: solid waste management. We hope to instill the practice of segregating biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste in our community, so we are also seeking the help of the DILG in its implementation while we are researching efficient and sustainable methods,” Paz shared.

The SK official also expressed his hopes that the youth of Ilocos Sur give greater support in such activities.

Moreover, Dela Rosa said, “We continue to assist the SK in Ilocos Sur with continuous training- basic orientation and specialized training. We are glad to see that the SK leaders are interested in initiating environment preservation programs."

“More importantly, one of the focuses of the plan that they must present after the training is on health, environment, and cleanliness, so this effort of theirs is a good start. I hope the SK officials also initiate the inclusion of this program in their plans,” said Dela Rosa.

He added, “Their active participation in this endeavor shows that this KALINISAN program is of great importance to all the sectors of society because we know that this is for the current and the coming generations.” (JCR/MJTAB/ATV, PIA Ilocos Sur)