Yaranon reminds public not to throw trash ‘carelessly’

Yaranon reminds public not to throw trash ‘carelessly’

“Even if we do not live beside waterways, the trash that you throw away carelessly, one way or the other, ends up in our creeks, rivers and oceans.”      

Thus, stressed councilor Mylen Victoria Yaranon, chair of the august body’s committee on public works, during flag-raising rites, Sept. 19, at City Hall in her message regarding International Coastal Clean-up Day on Sept. 17.

She added that the city also celebrated World Clean-Up Day, Sept. 16, with a Balili River clean-up drive led by the city environment and parks management office and participated by other government offices and agencies, barangays, and those from other sectors.   

She reminded the public that the city government has a plastic-free and styro-free ordinance that is currently being implemented in the Summer Capital.    

Earlier, Mayor Benjamin Magalong ordered a ban on the use of plastic containers at City Hall starting Oct. 1, 2022 to set an example for residents to start embracing reusable and eco-friendly materials in their daily activities.    

In her message, Yaranon critiqued the city’s present drainage system where she said smooth surfaced retaining walls and smooth concrete flooring line its waterways especially at Balili river and big black corrugated pipes are being installed around the central business district for storm drainage.  

She wondered  whether these will regenerate and  enhance Baguio’s aquifers or worsen flooding incidents.   

In a recent webinar she attended with Climate Change Commissioner Albert Dela Cruz as resource speaker, Yaranon said Dela Cruz advised the adoption of nature-based solutions as the best way to mitigate the effects of climate change in the country.  

“Waterways used to naturally have buffer zones with plants such as bamboo and their base lined with boulders and stones that absorb the impact of the water’s velocity and at the same time regenerate the aquifers,” she disclosed.

An architect by profession, Yaranon is hoping that local civil engineers will cooperate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Climate Change Commission “to revise and correct their designs for waterways.”

“I appeal to each and everyone, let us work together now to free our oceans from pollution, especially plastics , not only for this month, but to make it our way of life everyday and make the Philippines a resilient country by 2030,” she said. – Gaby B. Keith

PIO_Baguio