The Tagbilaran City government will launch a daylong cleanup drive on Saturday as part of preparations for the Saulog Festival and ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit meetings this month.

According to a City Hall memorandum, the coastal and non-coastal cleaning program will start at 6 a.m. and will be led by employees of government offices including those in the barangay level and national agencies.

Private establishments have also been requested to join the cleanup drive.

Based on the memo, the program targets to remove garbage in the premises of public and private offices and clear roads and coastal areas from eyesores such as improperly placed posters, weeds, branches and waste materials.

The initiative is also an advanced participation in the upcoming Earth Day on April 22, the City Hall statement indicated.

On Friday last week, the Provincial Board (PB) during its regular session declared April 7 as “Cleanup Day” in the entire province.

The PB’s resolution echoed Gov. Edgar Chatto’s call for Boholanos to pitch in and contribute in preparations for the ASEAN meetings in the province on April 19-22.

The conference in Bohol which will include the AHKFTA (Free Trade Agreement between ASEAN and Hong Kong) Trade Negotiating Committee and Related Meetings will be held at the Hennan Resort in Panglao.

Around 200 delegates from the 10-nation bloc will arrive at the Tagbilaran City Airport and are also expected to visit the Chocolate Hills in Carmen and Tarsier Sanctuary in Corella. (Mark Oppus and Joseph Nano, HNU MassComm interns)