JALAJALA, Rizal, Philippines — This lakeshore town of the province which was recently awarded a “Seal of Good Housekeeping” by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for its good governance intends to spend the cash award it got as a result of the citation, for its pro-environment and ecological programs this year.

Mayor Elionor “Ely” Pillas revealed that the municipal government is embarking on various pro-environment activities that include the construction of some 7,000 hectare ecological-friendly dumpsite exclusively for the use of the town residents as well as the continuation of the massive tree planting and greening program at its mountains and riverbanks.

The twin pro-environment projects of the local government unit here materialized as the town received P600,000 cash award from the DILG for being one of the two towns in the province that was bestowed the Seal of Good Housekeeping recently.

Mayor Pillas said the construction of the garbage facility which is intended as dumpsite for the less than two tons of garbage that the residents dispose off everyday, will be put up at Barangay Paalaman, in this town. The construction of the dumpsite will tentatively start in March.

The greening program, meanwhile involves the planting of bamboos, mahogany, molave or mulawin, and fruit-bearing trees like jackfruit in the mountains and riverbanks of the town.

Pillas said the tree-planting projects in the riverbanks is also part of the town’s contribution for the rehabilitation efforts to save Laguna Lake, which is the principal source of livelihood of most of the residents here.

The local government official has attributed the awarding of the DILG’s Seal to this town to the local government’s transparency of its budget spending and its fiscal management policies.

It was learned that it has been the policy under the administration of Mayor Pillas to require the department heads particularly the local treasurer and the budget officer to report to the public during the Monday flag-raising ceremony, every single centavo earned and spent by the local government.