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.
1996 Outstanding
Environmental Protection and Management
Oplan Linis : Puerto Princesa City
Puerto Princesa was like many other cities in the country before Oplan Linis. Its streets and public markets were dirty; its port was in no better condition and its coastal lines littered with trash. Barely four moths after the program was launched in August 1, 1992, Puerto Princesa was radically transformed into a clean city. Oplan Linis has brought honor and prestige to a place previously known as a haven of prisoners and breeding place of malaria-causing mosquitoes. As a result, the health personnel and private medical practitioners noted reduced incidence of stomach illness, flu, and gastro-enteritis. There was no reported outbreaks of contagious diseases where there used to be one per year affecting 100 families in the squatter areas. The city had become a favorite place for official functions, tourism, recreation and Lakbay Aral (study tour) site thereby generating employment for the residents.
Central to the concept of Oplan Linis is value formation through intensive information and education campaigns. With school children as the primary targets, the program was pursued relentlessly by the government in partnership with the schools, churches, businesses, NGOs and the tri-media. The Anti-littering Ordinance is strictly enforced. Nobody is spared including the mayor and a visiting senator. Aside from cleanliness and sanitation, the other components of Oplan Linis included beautification, saving the bay and coastal areas and close monitoring of compliance. Behind the success of the program are the people themselves who are involved in cleaning up their immediate surroundings and not throwing trash anywhere. There is ownership of the program and collective pride in the discipline demonstrated by a large majority of the city residents.