KORONADAL CITY, South Cotabato –The 8th Provincial Ecology Day, held earlier at the South Cotabato Gymnasium, showcased how clean-up drives, waste segregation, and greener spaces are already translating into safer neighborhoods, healthier hospitals, and more climate-resilient communities across the province.
Spearheaded by the Office of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (OPENRO) in partnership with DILG South Cotabato, DENR-EMB Region 12, and the PLLENRO South Cotabato Chapter, this year’s Provincial Ecology Day showed that environmental programs in the province are no longer confined to plans and proposals. They are now visible in streets, markets, schools, hospitals, and even remote sitios.
Provincial officials stressed that the Search for the Cleanest and Greenest LGU, the Best Healthcare Waste Management Practices Contest, and the Inter-Household Clean and Green Contest were crafted not to produce one-day winners, but to reshape habits, improve systems, and strengthen long-term environmental behavior.
These contests push LGUs to enforce solid waste laws, hospitals to manage hazardous waste safely, and households to maintain clean and green surroundings year-round.
The Municipality of Surallah emerged as the top performer in the Search for the Cleanest and Greenest Municipality/City, followed by Tupi, Polomolok, the City of Koronadal, and Norala.
Surallah stood out with multiple special awards.
The are Best Nursery, Best Community Garden (Brgy. Centrala), Best Public Market, and Best Roadside—showcasing a holistic approach where environmental efforts support food production, mobility, commerce, and public aesthetics.
These interventions help reduce flooding, lower unmanaged waste, and create safer, more inviting public spaces.
Norala earned Best CMRF for stronger residual waste systems, while Polomolok won Best Plaza and Parks, highlighting cleaner, more family-friendly recreation sites.
At the village level, Brgy. Centrala (Surallah), Brgy. Miasong (Tupi), and Brgy. San Jose (Norala) were named Best Barangays, proving that strong grassroots leadership translates to backyard gardens, clean pathways, and stricter “no littering” enforcement that directly benefits residents.
The Best Healthcare Waste Management Practices Contest showed how hospitals ensure safety not only within their walls but also in surrounding communities. Proper segregation, storage, and disposal of infectious and hazardous waste help prevent disease spread, water contamination, and exposure of waste collectors to dangerous materials.
Dr. Arturo P. Pingoy Medical Center claimed first place, followed by Polomolok General Hospital and Allah Valley Medical Specialists, Inc.
Special recognitions are the following:
These awards affirm that hospitals are expected not only to treat patients but also to prevent environmental and health risks—a responsibility that becomes more crucial during outbreaks and emergencies.
The Inter-Household Clean and Green Contest demonstrated how environmental awareness is taking root at home.
In Sitio Tantong, Brgy. Tinago, Norala, winners Denex Pagaturin, Usman Tantong, and Mohamad Bakat were recognized for maintaining clean yards, practicing waste segregation, and growing trees and ornamentals that cool surroundings and prevent erosion. In Sitio Lamaha, Brgy. Talahik, Surallah, Rex Casipli, Donna Mae Robino, and Elmo Lozada were also commended.
Schools also played a crucial role.
Escobillo Elementary School (Tampakan), San Jose Elementary School (Norala), and CentralaElementary School (Surallah) were named Best SWM School Models, showing how waste management and environmental awareness are already embedded in students’ daily routines. These efforts help nurture a generation for whom cleanliness and environmental responsibility are normal and expected.
The message of the 8th Provincial Ecology Day was clear. Environmental protection is inseparable from health, safety, livelihood, and resilience. These initiatives result to cleaner roads and markets improve safety and trade, proper healthcare waste management protects patients and communities, and clean, green households and barangays reduce flooding and disease and improve quality of life.
By recognizing “green champions”—from LGUs and hospitals to barangays, schools, and individual households—South Cotabato is turning awards into motivation for sustained environmental action. The province aims to build on these gains so communities can become cleaner, greener, safer, and more climate-ready, year after year.
