CLEAN AND GREEN MARKETS. Iloilo Ctiy launches the 2019 Clean and Green Market Competition, which enjoins all market vendors associations, barangay officials and market officials, on Sunday (August 25, 2019). Jose Ariel Castañeda, this city’s Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) head, said the competition will push for behavioral change among stakeholders in maintaining and sustaining clean and green markets. (Photo courtesy: Iloilo City Government)
ILOILO CITY – Markets in this city have supported the local government unit’s clean and green campaign through the 2019 Clean and Green Market Competition launched on Sunday.
The market vendors associations, barangay officials and market officials have committed to collaborate with the campaign, Jose Ariel Castañeda, this city’s Local Economic Enterprise Office (LEEO) head, said in a phone interview Monday.
“The markets will compete on cleanliness of their areas, and it involves elements like cleanliness of comfort rooms, drainage, presence of green plants, functioning of material recovery facilities, and the likes,” Castañeda said.
Castañeda said the competition will run from September until April 2020 and is open to all public markets provided that the vendors associations and barangay officials join the initiative.
With the launch, the markets are expected to already start their preparations and conceptualize steps to take on the duration of the competition.
The LEEO will monitor and evaluate the markets during the contest period.
“On our end, we will support them by pushing for the rehabilitation of the drainages to help the markets,” he said.
Except for the prizes, the local government will grant the markets that will stand out in the competition, Castañeda said the effort will also drive behavioral change among the stakeholders.
The competition will also be part of the preparation for the “huge rehabilitation” pushed by Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.
“We believe that through this, we will maintain and sustain the cleanliness of our markets. This contest is really aimed to drive behavioral change for our stakeholders to become environmentally aware,” he said.
Castañeda said the “very obvious” problem encountered in markets is the “irresponsible implementation of cleanliness” and “disowning of trash.”
“We need to change that mindset,” he said, adding that the political will of the mayor will need the help of the stakeholders accepting their responsibility of keeping markets clean and “green.” (PNA)
