Marikina’s ‘culture of cleanliness’

This refers to the article “Elections leave mountains of trash” (5/16/19). It said: “Street sweepers, meanwhile, have removed sample ballots, flyers and leaflets that littered the vicinity of public schools, most of which were used as polling precincts on election day.”

In Marikina City, a day after the midterm elections, at the behest of reelected Mayor Marcelino Teodoro through city administrator Adrian Salvador, employees of the city government volunteered to help in taking down campaign materials around the city, making the surroundings impeccably clean as if no elections had been held recently. However, in order to keep government service and offices operating on that day, some employees formed a skeleton force to address the needs of the people.

During the voting period, many netizens took notice that there were no sample ballots, flyers and other election paraphernalia scattered in front of schools. No election-related trash littered the streets, either.

What’s the secret of Marikina City’s cleanliness? It’s a city where people, from the government down to the residents, have already developed the culture of cleanliness. Being clean has become an integral part of our lives as Marikeños.

REGINALD B. TAMAYO,
Marikina City