GENERAL SANTOS CITY, May 1 — The Region 12 or Soccsksargen Regional
Athletic Association (SRAA) delegation has adopted the Department of
Education’s (DepEd) “clean, green and eco-friendly policy” for the
upcoming 2014 Palarong Pambansa.
Dr. Allan Farnazo, DepEd Region 12 director, said Thursday such
move was in compliance with DepEd Memorandum Order No. 44, which mainly
aims to promote environmental and sound measures as well as the proper
conservation of resources.
He said their delegation is fully implementing the DepEd policy
during their two-week stay in Sta. Cruz, Laguna for the national games,
which is slated on May 4 to 10.
The official said he directed the strict compliance of such policies,
which were mainly implemented in the delegation’s billeting quarters.
He said it includes keeping the rooms and school premises clean at
all times; proper waste segregation; conservation of energy by switching
off the lights and electric fans before leaving the rooms; avoiding
vandalism; taking good care of all school facilities, including keeping
the toilets and latrines functional at all times; and, observance of
silence and curfew time from 9 p.m. onwards
“All athletes were obliged to use their own utensils, plates and lunch boxes, instead of using plastics and styrofoam,” he said.
Farnazo said a sanitation area was also established at the
delegation’s mess hall for the proper sterilization of all utensils
before and after eating.
He said such move was in response to the food poisoning case in last
year’s Palaro in Dumaguete City that downed around 200 athletes.
“Our delegation has set up an orderly and presentable mess hall. All
tables and chairs, including the stage, were designed in purple and
white, which is the official Palaro color of Region 12,” he said.
Aside from getting more gold medals this year, Farnazo said they are
targeting to also win some minor awards like the most disciplined
delegation, most organized delegation and the most clean, green and
eco-friendly delegation.
Region 12, which is also known as the Soccsksargen Region, comprises
the province of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, North
Cotabato and the cities of General Santos, Koronadal, Tacurong,
Kidapawan and Cotabato.(PNA)