Mark my words, Parañaque, the magnificent Cinderella City of the Philippines, is not only the tenth richest city in the country, but it will be the cleanest, most sanitary and the most beautiful in the Pearl of the Orient Sea.

Mark Allen Besa, the indefatigable head of Parañaque’s City Environment and Natural Resources Office or CENRO, is clearing the way for his chief, Mayor Eric Olivarez, to blaze the trail in the cleanliness program of the Philippines initiated by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

On 15 March, Doc Eric, joined by his wife, Madam Aileen Olivarez, spearheaded a collaborative effort in a clean-up drive at Dahlig Creek, Scotland Barangay San Isidro, along with Rep. Edwin Olivarez, Kap Noel Japlos, Engr. Tore Quiogue and Mark Allen Besa and his CENRO cleanliness, beautification, and sanitation team.

The city observed World Water Day with a splash of action and an invitation to join the campaign for the Adopt An Estero Clean-Up Drive and Throwing of Bokashi Balls on 16 March at the Redemptorist Water Channel and Aseana City and for “Water for Peace” to turn the tide towards a cleaner and more peaceful world.

Flushing operations were conducted to cleanse the streets, walls and byways at Doña Soledad Avenue, Roro Barangay, Don Bosco; Mary Immaculate Parish Barangay Don Bosco; Russian Avenue Palengke Barangay Don Bosco; Ospital ng Parañaque City; District 2, Barangay Don Bosco; Ninoy Aquino Avenue, Post Office Roro Barangay La Huerta; Dasa Front Olivarez Hospital Barangay San Dionisio.

The mopping-up operation was launched at Quirino Avenue Barangay San Dionisio and other places in the city; Operation Vactor Declogging in various places; hauling of yard waste in some barangays;and shredding of plastic sachet in others.

On 14 March, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority or MMDA organized the “Bayanihan sa Barangay” clean-up initiative at Silverio Elementary School, Silverio Compound, Parañaque City.

Doc Eric Olivarez indeed has an eye for putting the right person in the right position. Mark Allen Besa is the right choice. He is a master in public administration or MPA, and his thesis when he graduated was cleanliness, beautification and sanitation. And Mark aims to gain a doctorate in the field he is working in.

His vision is preserving, protecting, and managing God’s natural creation anchored on environmental advocacy, public health and safety.

He knows that Parañaque is committed to continually working in making the city clean and green, and ensuring a healthy environment for current and future generations through the conduct of environmental education and research; conservation, protection and management of natural resources; reduction of waste generation and emission of greenhouse gases; and increase of waste diversion,

The CENRO was established to promote the management and utilization of its natural resources, implement mitigating measures to prevent and control land, air, and water pollution in coordination with government and non-government agencies and organizations, and maintain, protect and preserve communal forests and watersheds.

Let us protect our environment. Protecting the environment is the foundation for sustaining our planet, community and economy. Our environment supports and houses our ecosystem, allowing it to grow and thrive. If we fail to protect our environment, we will be putting the lives of humans, animals and plants, and more at risk.

Infrastructure projects of Rep. Edwin Olivarez still under consideration for construction involving nine local roads for nationalization along the shorelines and within the San Dionisio and Baclaran areas have the potential of transforming the surrounding airport areas into a new progressive and modernized portion of the fast-developing Cinderella City of the Philippines.