The provincial government of Negros Occidental yesterday honored and recognized La Carlota City for being the first local government unit (LGU) in the province that has achieved the Zero Open Defecation (ZOD) status.
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson gave P100,000 in incentives to the city government, which was received by Mayor Rex Jalando-on, in the presence of Dr. Girlie Pinongan, provincial health officer.
A ZOD status is achieved when all households in a particular barangay have access to sanitary toilet facilities and stopped the practice of open defecation, which results in zero human feces exposure in the environment, according to the Department of Health, which is promoting ZOD in all barangays of the country.
Jalando-on said it took nine years for them to convince residents to change their behavior, to have access to toilets, and end the practice of open defecation.
While there are few creeks and rivers in La Carlota, most of its barangays are surrounded with sugarcane fields, which are being used as “comfort rooms” by residents before, the mayor said.
Having achieved the ZOD status, Jalando-on said he expects the further reduction of diseases brought about by open defecation.
He also reported that almost 90 percent of areas in the city are now supplied with potable water from the water district.
Last year, 20 barangays in Negros Occidental province received cash incentives of P20,000 each for achieving ZOD status in 2022.
Lacson said having ZOD status also means safe water for Negrenses as human waste are also being thrown in rivers and creeks.
“We would like to avoid that, because it can affect our underground water, river water, which is the source of our bulk water project,” the governor said.
Education and provision of facility to build toilets can improve the health situation of all Negrenses, he added.
Lacson challenged other LGUs to use La Carlota City as a model.
The municipality of San Enrique is also targeting to achieve the ZOD status next year, the governor said.
Earlier this year, the provincial government provided selected barangays in E.B. Magalona with 300 toilets as part of its strategy to push for ZOD. | GB