Nine (9) evaluators of the annual Search for Cleanest and Greenest LGU in South Cotabato will undergo capability-building cum study mission that will be hosted by Palawan and Puerto Princesa City LGUs from September 19 -23 this year.
Cited by prestigious government and private sector award-giving bodies for its clean and green initiatives many times in the past, the “best practices” of said LGUs is the target of the Clean and Green evaluators to learn and experience during their 5-day stay.
Elbe Balucanag, Senior Environment Management Specialist of the Provincial Environment Management Office (PEMO) and head of delegation said, that the focus of the capability-building will be on the LGUs clean and green programs, projects and contest mechanics, guidelines and criteria.
Visits will made also to their different physical facilities such as public market, slaughterhouse, municipal nursery, central material recovery facility, sanitary landfill, plaza and parks, public transport terminal, barangay, among others,” SEMS Balucanag explained in a meeting before the departure of the evaluators.
“Watershed areas and other areas that have similarities with our province’s environment programs will be visited also so we could bench-mark their best practices and apply it if feasible with our existing environment programs,” Balucanag added.
Inputs acquired from LGUs will be processed by the evaluators as part of the terminal report of the study mission that will be submitted upon arrival.
A visit to the world famous subterranean river will cap the study mission, of which evaluators hope will further enhance their knowledge on how Palawenos conduct conservation and sustainability initiatives or measures on this world heritage site.
T’boli, one of the culture-rich towns of the province, also boasts of its Bakngeb underground river-cave attraction which is similar to that of Palawan.
