BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Sangguniang Bayan passed an ordinance institutionalizing the financial assistance program for Green Police who had been rendering their services as a complement to the regular personnel assigned for the collection and segregation of the town’s waste.
Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey approved Municipal Ordinance No. 341, S. 2021 referred to as the “Financial Assistance to Green Police Ordinance” recognizing the commitment, effort, and hard work of the Green Police who wake up at the wee hours of the morning and proceed to the waste collection areas as early as 5:00 A.M. to make sure that bags of garbage brought there by the residents are properly segregated. Likewise, the mayor recognized the patience of the Green Police in informing the public on how to properly segregate their waste.
“The Green Police have been extending their services to the municipality’s waste management for seven long years. It is but proper for us to show our appreciation in the form of financial assistance to aid in their financial needs especially in this time of the pandemic,” the mayor remarked.
The Financial Assistance to Green Police Ordinance sponsored by Sangguniang Bayan member Alsannyster Patingan states that members of the Green Police shall be entitled to the financial assistance of ₱1,500.00 monthly.
Aside from this, should there be available funds, they may be provided with the necessary gear such as boots, gloves, raincoats, and others which are being provided to the regular personnel of the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO).
The Financial Assistance to Green Police Ordinance will take effect on January 1, 2022.
It can be recalled that the Green Police were neither chosen nor hired by the municipal government to solve the garbage problem in Bontoc. They are individuals who volunteered their time and effort without expecting monetary compensation or reward. When the municipal government sponsored training for Green Police in June 2013, these Green Police enthusiastically responded and signed in.
For health, sanitation, and safety, they were each provided by the municipal government a pair of boots, gloves, and a flashlight. Apart from this, they were also provided uniforms including a vest and a jacket to keep them warm especially when they go out in the early morning.
Recognizing their industry, patience, and dedication, Mayor Odsey together with the members of the Sangguniang Bayan in 2016 gratefully allocated from the municipality’s annual budget a P1, 000.00 honoraria per month for every member of the Green Police. This increased to P1, 200.00 per month in the fourth quarter of 2017.
As of this writing, there are 59 Green Police who are provided with an honorarium of P1, 200.00 monthly by the Bontoc LGU. They are deployed in waste collection areas in the four central barangays of the capital town and at the Bontoc Public Market.
The Green Police are being monitored by the respective Barangay Local Government Units (BLGUs) while the MENRO validates the accomplishments of the Green Police. By Christy Mae F. Che-es & Alpine L. Killa
