The mess we make

Now that Bacolod City has awarded the contract for the collection of the city’s garbage, we can hope that the streets would be clean and consequently people will avoid throwing their mess into the creeks, rivers and open spaces, especially in undeveloped areas of subdivisions.

I had misgivings that no one would bid to collect our mess because of the low price, but I guess, since Dynamic Builders won the bid, the low price can be met. The company’s allied businesses which are hauling and public transport have facilities, management and huge capital fall back that will allow it the economy of scale that can reduce its operational cost.

There is a complaint against the winning bid, but that is part of the democratic process. Complaints by losing bidders are common, especially when the project is large. Protest is expected although it can also delay public works projects and thus deny the public of facilities and services that are needed, especially in this case that will save us from the mess we make.

Some losing bidders simply want a share of the pie before the project starts, like pay off to withdraw the complaint.

The news also reports the cleaning up program by city employees but they are like a splash in a hot pan. Nevertheless, if pursued with vigor and sustained can send a message to the public that cleanliness is an important part of being responsible citizens.

It does not look well, however that city and barangay officials have become street cleaners. Are they elected and paid to be cleaning streets and esteros?

The sight of our officials doing the work of street cleaners might appear cute or even a good vote-getting gimmick but it actual tells us about the failure of the city to enforce the law.

What long-term effect, for instance will this gimmick have except for publicity? The street they clean in a day is dirty hours after they have left and had their photo-ops, but nothing more.

The city officials cleaning the streets had been going on for several months now, but one might ask: what had it achieved? Go back to those streets reportedly cleaned by them and they are as dirty as they were before their brigade came in with their brooms.

These gestures are supposed to give an example to the residents that there is a need to clean up their mess, but the fact is that this message is not only ignored, the residents get a good laugh and it is forgotten the next day.

I can credit the good intentions of the officials, especially the volunteers in the clean and green program of the city, but intentions are not enough, sometimes they are even counter-effective.

Let us recall that this gimmick has been tried time and again for years, and yet our city officials and the committee repeat the same useless ritual and waste their time and effort.

To repeat, they are good for publicity and perhaps those who have taken part had a sense of self-pride that one is doing something worthwhile.

The problem is that while the action is worthwhile, it ends there and repeated the next month for the same purpose coupled with the publicity.

The project is good but it must be pursued with public emulation as its target. The officials and the committee are showing an example for others to follow and with this in mind the committee should devise long term programs for citizens’ action.

The collection of garbage by a contractor can change the situation. People will think that they can get rid of their mess by simply throwing away their trash anywhere. This mentality is common among Filipinos who want to emulate the idea that they have a maid to take care of their mess and thus could not care less where they throw their trash – somebody is being paid to do that.

Cleanliness, and the contrary, dirtiness, is a matter of mind. This reality should guide our city officials and the committee to address this main problem – to change mental attitudes so that people will learn how to handle their mess without damage to the community.

Two areas can be the stepping stone to change people’s long-held mentality that their mess is not their problem – media and the schools.

While schools teach cleanliness, why is it that people still throw their trash everywhere except their own front yard? Surely most have gone to school but even those from high-tuition schools are trapped with this dirtiness mentality if the dirt is not in their body or their house and yard.

Dynamic Builders will collect garbage, but at what point?

I believe the contractor will take out the garbage from the street or sidewalks. But who will collect and put them in cans and bags?*

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