Clean, and then again

There is a kneejerk reaction that when we speak of clean we immediately add green, and that is what happened last weekend in Bácolod. The city officials (some were missing), broom in hand, swept a few streets for photo-ops but nothing green.

It was all over again, that was what this is all about, history repeating itself, the present not learning from its lessons. The city, in fact we all, repeat the same and the problem, as if swept under the rug, rears its ugly head again and again. That is why we have the the clean and green now and then and once in a while again.

The problem of cleanliness in the city and elsewhere is a matter of culture. Unless and until this culture is changed to make people constantly conscious of the need for cleanliness the problem of waste and garbage in the community will have no end.

We were taught since childhood that cleanliness is next to godliness but while we are clean personally or as persons, this thinking and habit do not extend beyond our selves. Personal cleanliness is our forte to a fault, some taking a bath three times a day, but not our community where we don’t care about helping clean it up because we believe that is not our problem.

In fact many throw their garbage outside into the streets or into a pile of trash outside their homes as long they get rid of them. They think they pay taxes or that garbage is the government’s responsibility. Some people even pay trisikad drivers to throw their garbage into vacant lots. They think that as long as they get rid of their trash, that’s the end of it.

When we were in grade school we had always this “Clean-Up Week” when all of us would clean our school surroundings and nearby areas, although we had a school janitor. Like our city officials, we carried our brooms and rakes (which we make from nails) and cleaned our assigned areas. We also insured that our own yards are cleaned because our teacher would remind us of it in case she passed by.

I guess this habit was a carry-over from pre World War II days and into the first decades of the conflict. Then this disappeared. There is a program of DepEd for teachers and students to clean their schools just at the opening of the school year of the dust and debris of summer, a good learning experience though this is not true with private schools.

One thing memorable with the late Mayor Romeo Guanzon was his early (by 7:00 a.m.) inspection of the city’s markets to see to it that the market cleaners have done their work. Now and then we find our city officials make this ritual (though rarely) but the lack of follow-through and the clearly negligent market superintendents (lazy occupants as well), make people avoid our public markets. Try to visit one and see what dirtiness is all about.

The present Clean and Green Committee was established last year and if one bothers to check, every administration has this committee. It automatically self-destructs once a new government comes in or unless prodded by the mayor, it does not function. Good for the media for getting into the news and photo-ops but nothing much more than desired.

In fact, unless the committee shows that it can work it merely creates cynicism and “ho-hums” and “here we go again” reactions.

I am not saying this committee will fail, but we must remind them of the past – learning from it – with high hopes that it will succeed. When I read the membership list last year, I had already some feelings that it is too big and therefore unwieldy – a built-in structure for failure. Good public relations but…

On the other hand the participation of practically all the agencies of the city government promises that it can work but I fear this can be another case of too many cooks.   

The work of the committee is enviable but if other communities can succeed why can’t we? We were once declared among the cleanest cities in the country. Whatever happened?

Cleanliness, personal or communal is a habit and thus more than the street cleaners (too few are seen) the city’s cleanliness must be everybody’s responsibility. City officials can sweep the streets once in a while but nothing beats a sustaining and innovative program that will strike deep in to our culture of social responsibility.

Even if the long-awaited privatization of garbage collection materializes tomorrow, this is only part of the solution. A private contractor will find it necessary to raise fees if the citizens continue with their present habit and practice in garbage disposal.   

Granting there is no privatization, the committee must think out of the box to make a dent.*

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