by Vency D. Bulayungan

LAGAWE, Ifugao (6 October) -- Cognizant of the importance of the environment, the municipal mayor here is prioritizing the environment in his development programs.

Mayor Ceasario D. Cabbigat said in his speech during the First Comprehensive Development Planning Workshop for the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Lagawe held recently at Banaue that his administration is giving special focus to the environment.

"We included environment as the fourth sector aside from what the NEDA (National Economic Development Administration) has required us to focus on," Cabbigat said. The other three sectors are social, economic and general services.

Cabbigat said that his administration will reforest watershed areas and will promote cleanliness and beautification especially at the center of the town.

"This is my battle cry during the campaign period, to make the capital town a Clean and Developed Community (CDC)," Cabbigat said. CDC is also the for the mayor's initials.

Cabbigat, who was once the vice mayor, vowed to go against all odds just to maintain cleanliness here not only because it is the capaital town but because he values the impact of sanitation and a well maintained environment.

He has been moving around town especially during market days to announce to the public to keep the surroundings clean, personally provided cans for the folks to spit on their beetle nut "moma".

The mayor had been receiving criticisms about his move to curtail this cultural habit but he is vent on implementing the ordinance of not spitting "moma" anywhere.