The Provincial Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) Ordinance launched last week by the provincial government imposes penalties on violators of the provisions to ensure compliance with the sanitary requirements for ZOD.
Under Section 5 (General Provisions), every household in the province is required to have a sanitary toilet in their respective homes while the same is also demanded of all establishments in the province, whether private or government agencies, schools, offices, institutions and all other public places.
Local government units are also mandated to create and mobilize their own Local Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) Task Force and its technical working group who will take charge in the formulation of strategies and mechanism, and enforcement of penalties.
Non-compliant households may be penalized with reprimand, community service of one to five days and a fine of P1,000 to P1,500.
LGUs which fail to create and mobilize their WaSH task forces are also liable to pay fines of P5,000 to P15,000 depending on the violation.
On the other hand, establishments still without sanitary toilets will also be penalized with fine ranging from P10,000 to P15,000 and disciplinary action from the municipality.
The initial 30 barangays which are now certified G1 ZOD were given the seal on the following policy indicators: no human excreta in open spaces, drains and water bodies; 100% use of sanitary toilet, either individual or shared by 2-3 households; 100% availability of water and soap at or near the toilet; proper disposal of excreta and diapers of children, elderly and PWDs; local ordinance to monitor and sustain ZOD status; local sanitation action plan approved by the LGU; and monitoring tool and team established to maintain and monitor sanitation and hygiene practices.
Assuming that the officials of the other 285 barangays have political will and have supportive municipal chief executives, they can surely become G1 ZOD-certified.
The next level, G2, will be a little bit harder to accomplish: 100% use of individual household sanitation facility (toilet and septic tank); all schools have at least one separate toilets each for girls and boys; all child development centers have at least one sanitary toilet that is safe and functional for children; all public establishments have at least one functional sanitary toilet; 100% availability of water and soap at or near the toilets in homes and in institutions; and Local Sanitation Action Plan approved by the LGU.
This means that for G2, all homes must have their own toilets and septic tanks, which could prove costly for poor families.
This is why the Cua administration is allotting more funds in next year’s budget to provide free construction materials and water closets for distribution to families without sanitary facilities.
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Until now, the Tribune has yet to get the raw data from the COMELEC regarding the vote tallies for the barangay captain and SK chairperson positions in the 2023 BSKE.
Apparently, its staff have yet to complete whatever it is that occupied their time right after the proclamation of winners.
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THE PARROT. A lady went to a pet shop and immediately spotted a large, beautiful parrot. There was a sign on the cage that said $50.
“Why so little?” she asked the pet store owner.
The owner replied, “Look, I should tell you first that this bird used to live in a house of ill repute, and sometimes it says some pretty vulgar stuff.”
The woman thought about this, but decided she had to have the bird. She took it home and hung the bird’s cage up in her living room and waited for it to say something.
The bird looked around the room, then at her, and said, “New house, new madam.”
The woman was a bit shocked at the implication, but then thought, “That’s not so bad.”
When her two teenage daughters returned from school, the bird saw them and said, “New house, new madam, new girls.”
The girls and the woman were a bit offended but then began to laugh about the situation.
Moments later, the woman’s husband came home from work. The bird looked at him and said, “Hi, Keith!”