BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong says they will be proposing to the council to raise the penalty on the hard headed people in the city who irresponsibly throwing their garbage at any place.

“Sometimes, you need an iron fist to discipline people, especially those who litter everywhere,” the mayor stressed during the Kapihan sa Public Information Office (PIO) on 9 July 2025. He said such as there are reported clogged waterways in the city especially during heavy rains where some barangays were flooded. 

He said its ironic that the City of Baguio is considered one of the cleanest city in the country but there are people who just throw their wastes anywhere without considering the negative effects. Magalong jokingly said that such irresponsible people should be meted with death penalty because of what they are doing to the environment,” he added.

Magalong said the City Government of Baguio is strengthening its long-term plan in a bid to achieve a long-term solution to the garbage problem of Baguio. He admitted that the hauling and bringing of the wastes of Baguio to Pampanga, Tarlac and Pangasinan is not a solution.

According to Magalong, they are looking at what the City Government is promoting which is the circular economy which aims to promote sustainable practices, encourage collaboration among stakeholders, and drive Baguio’s transition from a traditional linear economy to a circular economy model, which emphasizes resource efficiency and waste reduction for a greener, more sustainable Baguio City.

He said the people should learn how to recycle, segregate and be responsible enough to take part in the collective effort to save the environment of Baguio.