An Open Letter

KOOL EARTH URGES MAYOR LACHICA TO IMPLEMENT SWM!

October 19, 2010



HON. WILLIAM S. LACHICA
Municipal Mayor
MUNICIPALITY OF KALIBO
Kalibo, Aklan

Greetings from Kool Earth!

Kool Earth (Aklan Environmental Advocates Group) foresee a cleaner, greener and healthier environment thru its Mission to commit, support and promote programs for a healthier environment.

Therefore, we urge thru the office of the Mayor, Hon. William S. Lachica and his Sangguniang Bayan Member, the committee in-charge on the Solid Waste Management and other Environmental concern, to pursue the implementation of Municipal Ordinance 2009-004, otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Code of Kalibo.

With the concern on disaster risk management and in the season of typhoon, La Nina and other environmental risk that are now happening in our neighboring towns and provinces in the country, notwithstanding the world’s concerns on Global Warming, your office should put teeth on this ordinance to finally apprehend those who litter and do not follow the proper segregation of waste materials or the management of solid recyclable waste materials. It is high-time that your leadership should finally pursue this ordinance to become a reality.

We do not only urge you to implement the SWM, we also urge your office to implement other environmental laws such anti-littering, anti-smoking ordinance and door-to-door waste collection of which most of these we believe are stated in the different Municipal Ordinances the municipality has adopted many years ago, that may only be sleeping beneath the thousands of file behind your desk.

Moreover, the town’s government should be vigilant to strengthen the following:

• Implement Solid Waste Management penalties;
• Anti-littering, and other environmental laws/ordinances and to further discipline residents, visitors, workers and students alike;
• Conduct consistent-massive educational campaign on proper segregation of waste materials;
• Increase visibility of billboards and streamers;
• Appoint garbage pick-up area in some selected subdivisions, streets and Barangays; and
• Inform public of the system and schedule of collections in their area;

We, likewise, call to our fellow Aklanons to be vigilant and sensitive in this undertaking to make Kalibo and other neighboring towns cleaner and healthier. In support to the province’s disaster risk management campaign this typhoon season, may we also discipline ourselves as part of our contribution to Mother Nature. We call on to the other members of the community to do your share to maintain cleanliness around you, wherever you go.

Our government needs us. We can’t always just seat and complain. We also have the chance to do our share by starting small – from your home, to your neighbor, then your community, and the world.

Imagine this, the garbage that we acquire is more than double the number of our population here on earth. Thus, let us support 4-R’s (Reduce, Re-Use, Recycle, and Repair).

We look forward to a better Kalibo and a progressive Amazing Aklan!

Signed by the Executive Board of KE.

(The letter was personally delivered by Pres. Chita Heap to the Mayor's office, the same week this open letter was published at the Western Visayas The Explorer newsweekly.)