LC is Region Is cleanest, greenest, safest city

B1 adjudged as Best Lupong Tagapamayapa

CLEANEST, GREENEST AND SAFEST IN REGION I. Laoag Liga ng mga Barangay President Mikee Farias
receives the trophy from the Regional NEDA officials as the regional champion for the Cleanest, Greenest and Safest
City. The awarding was held at Ariana Hotel and Restaurant, Paringao, Bauang La Union on April 2, 2014. (Doms
dela Cruz)

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff Reporter
LAOAG CITY stamped its class again as it was named the cleanest, greenest and
safest city in the entire Ilocos Region.
Laoag was awarded the Gawad sa Kapaligaran cleanest and greenest component city
from 2000-2002, and was thereby elevated to the Hall of Fame of the said search. The
city was then under the administration of three-term Laoag Mayor Roger C. Farias.
From 2004-2013, the city, then under another former three-term Mayor Michael V.
Farias was given the sustainability award.

This year, the city was again given the sustainability award as the regional champion.
The award was given by the Regional Development Council through the National
Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) on April 2 at a hotel in Bauang, La Union
This time though, the award included a criteria for peace and order, thus the added
safest city in the award.
Laoag Mayor Chevylle V. Farias said she was happy with the good news especially
since it is her first year as the citys chief executive. She however clarified that during
the evaluation, it was still then the term of her husband, former Mayor Michael V.
Farias.
She thanked all the Laoagueos as well as visitors of the city for their help in
maintaining the cleanliness and peace in the city.
Ms. Farias expressed hopes that should there be a national level for this award, Laoag
would again shine through.
She also vowed that even without searches like these, she would still work towards
sustaining the criteria for the search as these are the factors why domestic and foreign
tourists continue to flock to the city.
The mayor also considers the annual search for the cleanest, greenest and safest
barangay a big factor for this competition as the criteria that was set is similar to the
ones used in the regional level search.
The competition evaluates environmental management which is 75 points on its
physical condition like the general cleanliness, urban space greening and the local
government unit support system.
Public safety, which is 25 points, include how the LGU strengthen the peace and order
council, crime statistics, crime prevention program, strengthen community awareness
and participation for peace and order, drug prevention program and the road hazard
prevention program.
Community affairs division chief Mylene Pascual, for her part, said the citys barangays
maintain cleanliness, protect the environment and keep the peace in their respective
areas as part of the citys annual search.
As a result, the barangays are very aware of the citys solid waste management and
Oplan Dalus programs.
Pascual also thanked all the business establishments for the implementation of these
programs considering that the city continuously experiences an increase in the number
of establishments setting up shop, people visiting the city with their vehicles and this
automatically follows an increase in waste and garbage.

She said non-government organizations also participated in the citys environment

programs by adopting vacant lots and turning them into mini-parks and vegetable
gardens.
The regional evaluators personally visited these barangays and they appreciated the
barangays and NGOs participation in these programs in both the rural and urban areas.
The award was received by Laoags Liga ng mga Barangay Pres. Mary Michelle Louise
Mikee V. Farias in place of the mayor as her mother had a hectic schedule at that
time.
Barangay 1 regions best
MEANWHILE, city local government officer-in-charge Lavin Basilio also announced that
Laoag, represented by Barangay 1 San Lorenzo, was again adjudged as the regional
winner in the search for the best Lupon Tagapamayapa followed by the Cities of Vigan
and Alaminos.
Basilio said only Barangay 1, which filed its entry for the said search, passed in all the
criteria set by the regional evaluators like in their efficiency of operations; effectiveness
in securing the objectives of the Katarungang Pambarangay; and the creativity and
resourcefulness.

This is the fourth time Barangay 1 has won the regional award. The Laoag barangay
also took second and third places in the previous national level searches.