SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union (PIA) – In pursuit of a sustainable environment, the provincial government of La Union (PGLU), through its Environment and Natural Resources Office, recognized winners in the search for the cleanest, safest, and greenest (CSG) local government units (LGUs), bodies of water, and outstanding barangay implementer of the “Magsidalus ti Arubayan” (Clean the Surroundings) in the province.
The awarding was held at the La Union Convention Center (LUCC) here on June 21, 2024.
The CSG, an incentivized program of the provincial government, is institutionalized through Provincial Ordinance No. 267-2020, contributing to the province’s vision to make La Union the ‘Heart of Agri-Tourism in Northern Luzon by 2025.”
For the first- to third-class municipalities, Bacnotan was crowned champion with a prize of P1.5 million, Naguilian came in second with P1 million, and Balaoan placed third with P750,000.
Under the fourth- to fifth-class municipalities, Sudipen was acclaimed for first place with P1 million, Santol received P750,000 for bagging second place, and Caba received P500,000 for finishing third.
Meanwhile, the top three barangays as outstanding implementers of the “Magsidalus ti Arubayan” garnered P750,000, P500,000, and P350,000, both in the rural and urban categories.
In the rural category, Casilagan in San Juan, Ubagan in Santo Tomas, and Tagudtud in Bagulin claimed the top three places, respectively.
The barangays of Dr. Camilo Osias in Balaoan, Quirino in Bacnotan, and Ipet in Sudipen were meanwhile declared the top three winners under the urban category.
Further, the top three LGUs with the cleanest bodies of water garnered P1 million, P750,000, and P500,000 for both the freshwater and coastal categories.
In the freshwater category, Bulalakaw Falls in Bagulin was declared first place, followed by Tangadan Falls in San Gabriel and Tapuakan River in Pugo as second and third places, respectively.
The coastal category’s top three winners were Immuki Island in Balaoan, the San Carlos Coastal Area in Caba, and the Quirino Surfing Area in Bacnotan, respectively.
Dr. Divina Gracia Apigo, municipal agriculturist and representative of LGU-Bacnotan, identifies the unity in their LGU and its barangays as a key factor in winning the search.
“Na-overwhelm ang LGU Bacnotan kasi parang back to back ang panalo. Noong 2022, champion din kami. With the strong leadership of our mayor and vice mayor, unified po talaga ang LGU namin at ang aming mga barangay,” she stressed.
[LGU Bacnotan was overwhelmed because the win seemed to be twofold. In 2022, we were also champions. With the strong leadership of our mayor and vice mayor, our LGU and our barangays are really unified.]
The cash awarded to the winners will go towards funding environmental initiatives and the purchase of equipment to help preserve and restore the environment.
ENRO head Annalyn Rosario-Valdez stressed that the search aims to ensure efforts, specifically its environmental programs, are strengthened and continued.
“We want our province to be worth living in, emphasizing the importance of our constituents’ efforts in preserving their environment and natural resources,” Rosario-Valdez stated.
The PGLU anticipates that the municipalities will actively participate in projects that will continue to restore the environment and benefit the province and the community, including coastal cleanups and tree planting, among others. (AMB/SGR/PIA La Union)
