Inspired by a six-year old girl, who Ellen with her mother Aliva Clark Marcelo and sister Teresita Marcelo Maslog watched while sitting in one of the benches in Rizal Boulevard, Dumaguete City, as to what would she do with an empy corn-cob, when she had finished eating her corn–on-the-cob. They made guesses: that the little girl would threw it out in the sea or better still threw it on the street but to their amazement the little girl walked a short distance toward the trash bin and threw the empty corn cob into the bin. Ellen thought that if this can be done in Dumaguete City, then, why not in Puerto Princesa City.

Silently, Ma. Elena Marcelo Hagedorn, her sisters Teresita and Editha with a team of equally motivated ladies, launched the Oplan Linis Program without fanfare. At first they tried with a group of adults with the mindset to undertake the ground work. She later found out that the adults were busy with other things for a living. So the group focused to train the youngsters. They invaded the classrooms in the elementary and high schools, with permission from the school authorities. To their satisfaction, the program was well-received. Talks on cleanliness preceded sumptuous merienda or snacks. By force of habit, a number of pupils and students aimlessly threw the food wrappers away. Others looked for the waste bin in the room. To further observe the pupils/students, the group would return to the same school going through the same process until such time the pupils and students learned and developed a mindset of cleanliness and threw the wrappers in the waste bin provided for the purpose.

Through this painstaking process of educational campaign, Oplan Linis, became a way of life as more and more young people enlisted to be members of the Oplan Linis Family. As such they become the promoters and enforcers of cleanliness in their community – their homes, in public places, including public utility vehicles plying the Puerto Princesa City and far flung areas in the Province of Palawan.

Enforcement. The enforcement of the Anti-Littering Ordinance was effected and after a few apprehensions, readily accepted by the community. Its strict enforcement proceeded without let-up and applied to all regardless of social standing, even high officials of government are not spared the payment of fines for violations. The Mayor Fined For Littering. Ellen related an incident where husband Mayor himself was a violator of sorts. She recalled with a grin how they were able to impose a fine on the Mayor. Accordingly, on the year Oplan Linis was launched, Mayor Hagedorn called for a meeting. A habitual smoker, nonchalantly threw his cigarette butt in theyard.

The City Chief of Police reported to Mrs. Hagedorn: “Ma’am si sir o nagtapon ng upos” (Ma’am, look, sir threw his cigarette butt in the yard). She told the Chief of Police “Multahan mo siya. Kung hindi mo siya multahan, ikaw ang multahan ko” (“Fine him, if you don’t fine him, I’ll fine you.”). Mayor Hagedorn overhearing her directive asked “Pati ba ako sama diyan?”(“Am I also included in the paying of fine?”). “Aba natural” (Of course), she answered. The Chief Executive paid the fine of Php 200.00. Broadcast media had Mayor Hagedorn on radio and television for sometime. The local newspapers also reported that the Mayor was caught throwing his cigarette butt in the yard and paid the fine for violating the Anti -Littering Ordinance. Visitors who come to Puerto Princesa City are continually cautioned by air and sea transport authorities to observe the City’s Anti-Littering Ordinance or be fined for y violation.

Eleazar M. Famoran, (Health & Home, November- December 2000: 27-29) wrote that what she found out about the residents of Puerto Princesa was that they mind getting their pockets punctured less than they mind getting their pride pricked. Pride is a clean community. Pride as a people who take cleanliness seriously, who make cleanliness a way of life.

The Oplan Linis workforce of about 70 employees, sweep the streets, landscape and clean public places, parks, public restrooms, hauled 30 tons of rubbish per month from the coastline of Puerto Princesa Bay, impounded stray dogs found in the city’s main thoroughfares and side streets, oriented all elementary school pupils in the urban barangays on the program and enlisted them to become members of the OPLAN LINIS FAMILY.

It was estimated that more or less 8.5 tons of garbage per day or an estimated 30,600 tons during the year in 15 barangays were hauled daily in 2003. The dumpsite is sprayed with micro-aid activator to mitigate odor and get rid of flies to ensure that the health of the people living in the vicinity of the dumping areas are not affected. The sanitary and healthful environment has co nsiderably lessened the incidence of an epidemic as compared to previous years whereby at least 100 families were infected by contagious diseases and viral infections due to its unsanitary surroundingsThe strict enforcement of the Anti-Littering Ordinance dramatically changed the negative attitude to more positive ways, such that, the public carriers had devised a system where garbage receptacles are strategically installed inside the vehicle. Even the balot and other ambulant vendors carried with them receptacles for clients to put food refuse and the like.
The Oplan Linis Program gained perceptible acceptance with increase in the number of Oplan Linis Families, an organization composed mostly of elementary school pupils and high school students, who have been truly motivated to make cleanliness and sanitation a way of life. Only one family is organized in every school with not more than 50 members.
Succinctly, the impact of Oplan Linis Program’s non-quantifiable indicators is expressed in the brochure as:
We really cannot place a tag for the acquired self-esteem, encouraged by the success of the program, the individuals who once were skeptical to overnment nitiated activities are now properly motivated with the right attitude and proper values.Disciplined as they are now, the people continuously play a major role to support the gains acquired thru the programs. We can only listen to their anecdotes of things they have done here and wherever they maybe that they are Puerto Princesans – proud of having imbibed the virtue of cleanliness. The Oplan Linis Project Manager, City First Lady Ma. Elena Marcelo Hagedorn says of the future of the program:
High expectations based on the program’s success are not remote. At our end we want the program to be sustainable, to go beyond the term of the present Administration. We will be proud to see the same things happening in most parts of the country as well.
Basically, the program envisions a zero waste community. Garbage receptacles will no longer be installed in major thoroughfares. Trash coming from the households must be properly disposed based on its classification as to wet which is mostly biodegradable, non-biodegradable and a separate container for the bottles. This in effect, will minimize those that need to be collected and dumped at the site. The present rate of garbage disposed of have been reduced from an average of 8,5 tons per day two years ago to the present average of three tons per day. The bulk of the garbage comes from the marketplace. Except in this area, we are targeting once a week garbage collection in Puerto Princesa’s households.
Technology transfer in recycling will also be conducted as an alternative livelihood activity. Garbage classified to be of value will be utilized for this purpose. The program is now improving on the quality of organic fertilizers produced. Once developed, it will answer the fertilizer requirement of the City Government’s agricultural program. As future production warrants the same will be made available to the private sector.
We aspire for a higher degree of discipline, based on the people’s developed sense of pride and commitment. Only through this, can we really look back and say “we made a significant mark in the establishment of a model community. (Brochure: Oplan Linis Story. The Puerto Princesa Experience.)