Mayor says community vital to implement local programs
By Fayette C. Ri�en
CEBU CITY, Aug 10 (PIA) -- Oslob Mayor Ronald Guaren said the ‘purok’ system strategy for good governance need the active involvement of the community to implement local programs.
The southern town of Oslob, 125 kms. away from Cebu City, is among the 19 municipalities in the province that is using the ‘purok’ approach to gain the cooperation and involvement of the people to support local programs and projects.
Guaren cited his environmental cleanliness and sanitation program and beautification project of his town where the municipal government had to hire personnel to do regular cleaning of major public roads and areas.
“Everywhere there is plastic garbage. We had to hire people to clean public roads and other public areas of wastes. But the problem of garbage persisted because the people continue to practice indiscriminate throwing of wastes just anywhere convenient for them,” lamented Guaren.
It was then that he sold the purok concept to the barangay officials where the latter would play a major role in organizing puroks in their respective barangays, Guaren said.
“Every 100 households in the barangay composed one purok,” Guaren added.
With the purok system, each purok would now be responsible in greening and cleaning its environment, the mayor said.
Guaren also cited the big problem on waste segregation in the household level which was addressed through the purok approach.
“At first it was very hard to let residents comply in waste segregation in their own households but with the establishment of the puroks, they themselves volunteer to do it, which was followed by other community residents,” revealed Guaren.
“We have to remember that the people are part of the political system of the government,” as Guaren said it is very important to involve the people.
Guaren said part of his campaign on environmental cleanliness and sanitation is the construction of one sanitary toilet per purok.
“But our goal is to have each household possess their own toilet and we are happy to see that members of each purok are helping each other attain this,” Guaren further said.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gwen Garcia is pushing for the purok strategy for all of Cebu towns and component cities.
“If we want to attain real development, then grassroots governance is the best practice,” the governor said.
Garcia has included the ‘purok’ strategy for implementation by all local government units in the annual eGWEN contest under the governance structures and system which include other criteria on environment, cleanliness, health, heritage and culture promotion. (FCR-PIA7 Cebu)