Moving around town, there are people in expensive name brand attire, while others may have “ukay ukay” clothes but with a classy touch. Regardless, all that matters is wearing garments with a recognizable brand. However, visit their homes and see if their toilet is as clean as the individuals appear when dining at a fine restaurant or lounging at a coffee shop – this matters, too. As the saying goes, “cleanliness is next to godliness.”
Visit local shopping malls, office buildings, boutiques, and restaurants and see if the cleanliness of their toilets live up to expectations. They don’t need to be adorned with expensive tiles or equipped with a shower, it just needs to be clean; it is a reflection of the person who owns the toilet.
Why is cleanliness taken for granted? Local residents often throw wrappers anywhere and, in the barangays, local officials don’t care about keeping their communities clean. Why? It’s the culture and their upbringing.
The hygiene of a locality is reflective of local leadership. Some don’t care because they are afraid of reprimanding barangay officials. This column has discussed the cleanliness of markets in Marikina City and Dumaguete City on several occasions, first mentioning it in a column published in November of 2017 and in subsequent articles. Is it the leadership? Of course.
Leadership capability can be seen just by looking around and with an election this May, there is more reason to be observant. Walk around public markets and, as was posed in a column I wrote last month, ask yourself when was the last time a fire truck sprayed down the area? Ask the market administrator. 10 years ago? Five? Never? That shows how dirty public markets, the place where local buy food, are – and government does not care at all.
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This column greets Mae Tamayo-Panes, Art Colmedora, Tibong Jardeleza, Danny Dangcalan, Tony Cacho, Karen Valdez, Ann Ong, Doc Vir Duyongco, Philip Lacson, Junjun Lizares, Myka Pahilanga, Lorenz Pascua, Michelle Dabao, Roland Jubilag, Mark Yanson, Joseph Sian, Ronnel Napial, Pepito Gellada, and Jun Pasaylo./WDJ