Oplan Linis

Oplan Linis Program (Clean and Green Campaign)

Launched on August 1, 1992, the program aims to sustain cleanliness, beautification, and sanitation in the city through active and continuing partnership among government agencies, non-government organizations, the private sectors, and citizens. The program has earned for Puerto Princesa the coveted label of being the cleanest and greenest city in the Philippines

Oplan Linis has six major components: Cleanliness, Beautification, Sanitation, Sagip-Dagat (Save Sea), Sagip-Hangin (Save Air), and Information and Education.

Behind the astounding success of the program are the people themselves. Once aroused from their lethargy and challenged to be better than themselves as a result of the massive information and education drives among schools, offices, business establishments, and the barangays, they acted as one in initially sweeping and gathering tons of accumulated garbage, and then in seeing to it that no one throws litter anywhere in the city.

It was not easy, of course, especially in the beginning. Pretty soon the people believed that the program was for real. Parents started being amazed at seeing their children from school emptying pocketfuls of trash. Adults seen by children littering were feeling awkward and embarrassed after being scolded by the latter. Until the whole population took the program with a happy and leisurely acceptance that it became finally internalized in their systems.

In 1994, Puerto Princesa was formally declared the Cleanest and Greenest Component City in the country. Its 98% rating over the 95% garnered by Baguio City as the Cleanest and Greenest Highly Urbanized City technically makes Puerto Princesa the cleanest city of them all.

Oplan Linis’ success is not only in terms of actually and immediately cleaning and greening the city, but also in sustaining the cleanliness effort. In 1995, Puerto Princesa again bagged the Cleanest and Greenest Component City Award scoring a near- perfect 99.8% rating. In 1996, it received the Hall of Fame Award for having been declared as the cleanest and greenest component city for three years in a row.

The beautiful relationship that evolved between the city leadership and the citizenry in the course of the Oplan Linis campaigns encouraged the former to venture into other programs and projects that likewise became phenomenal successes.

This Program was chosen by the Asian Institute of Management as one of the ten most outstanding local government programs, and was awarded the Galing Pook Award.