Drive vs provincial river litterbugs on, Cash reward

A reward is up for any concerned residents who can arrest persons polluting the rivers in the province.

As part of his advocacies to protect the rivers and other tributaries, Governor Amado T. Gov. Espino, Jr. is offering P10,000 for each Pangasinense who will arrest or seize persons throwing garbage on the rivers.

This developed as Espino launched a campaign urging Pangasinenses to involve themselves in the protection of the environment during the recent kick-off ceremony of Environment Month at the Capitol Plaza here.

Espino said he will also give P2,000 for those who can identify a violator and P5,000 if they present a photo where the violator is caught in the act. "Naisip natin ang reward system para malaman ko kung sino ang gumagawa niyan.
Parang namiminsala na sila, talagang nag-iisip na lang para sirain ang programa natin," Espino stressed, saying the reward money will come from his personal fund.

"I am taking this personally since nobody is attending to it. Pinababayaan lang ng iba," Espino said.

He deplored those people responsible for polluting the rivers, especially those who are throwing garbage into it. "This is to emphasize my concern over the situation."

Ang ganda-ganda na ng mga ilog dahil nililinis natin. Napakahirap ng ginawa natin pero may mga nagtatapon ng basura sa ilog," Espino said.

Espino earlier created the Task Force Kalikasan that conducted a massive river clean-up. He said the province is now regaining the beauty of Pangasinan rivers which have been ravaged by indiscriminate throwing of garbage and other pollutants.

"Dapat trabaho ng gobyerno at pulis ang panghuhuli ng mga nagpo-pollute sa mga ilog. Kahit sila puwedeng tumanggap ng reward," Espino said, adding that violators can be reported to any local police stations, Provincial Environmental and Natural Resources Office, City Environmental and Natural Resources Office and to the barangays.

By MAR T. SUPNAD