Aside from instilling the habit of cleanliness as way of life among Filipinos, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos on Sunday reminded the public to practice safety precautions to prevent fire incidents in their areas.

Abalos made the reminder as he led the KALINISAN Clean-Up drive launch in Barangay Sta. Ana, Pateros.

He advised the people to be mindful of their electrical appliances especially old electric fans by unplugging them when not in use.

“Mataas ang rate ng sunog ngayon as compared to last year dahil sa El Niño. Ang number one cause ng sunog, yung electric fan na pinapabayaan natin dahil mainit (Fire incidents is higher this year because of El Niño, than the previous. One most prevalent cause is unattended electric fan)," he said.

He also mentioned irresponsible disposal of used lighted cigarettes, as well as faulty electrical wirings and connections as other reasons for fire incidents.

The Pateros event marked the 7th leg of the program in response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s call for cleaner and healthier communities through weekly concerted activities aimed at cleaning every locality in the country.

Going back to fire prevention, Abalos said the public could call the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to request for a voluntary electrical inspection in their homes to avoid fire incidents in communities.

“Mayroong programa ang ating BFP na libre kung gusto niyong mapatingnan ang inyong mga linya, tutulong po kami dito (The BFP has a free program that could check your (electricity) installation, we will help you),” he stressed.

Meanwhile, the DILG Chief discussed the dangers of improperly disposed plastic wastes that accumulate and clog barangay waterways.

“Sa 3 milyong tonelada ng na-poproduce nating basura, 2 milyon dito ay plastic at 20 percent nito ay napupunta at bumabara sa mga kanal na nagiging sanhi ng pagbaha (Of the three million tons of waste we produce, two million clogged our drainage and canals that cause the flooding)," he said.

He emphasized that the KALINISAN program is not a one-off event but rather a holistic attempt to instill discipline and a cleanliness-first mindset, while also practicing proper disposal and waste segregation practices.

“Ginawa itong KALINISAN para gawin nating attitude ang kalinisan, lalong-lalo na sa mga bata. Yung disiplinang ito, maski nasaang lugar tayo, ilagay natin sa isip nation (We do this KALINISAN to become our habit specially the youth. The discipline we got from here will take us anywhere)," he said.

Pateros Mayor Miguel “Ike” Ponce III, who joined the DILG chief in the clean-up drive, thanked Abalos for his hands-on approach in guiding local government units towards best practices with regard to cleanliness.

With the DILG Secretary during the event were Undersecretary for Barangay Affairs Felicito A. Valmocina, Undersecretary for Public Safety Serafin P. Barretto Jr., Undersecretary for Operations Lord A. Villanueva, and other regional and local officials.