The city government of Marikina, through the City Environmental Management Office, joins the rest of the country in celebrating Earth Month 2008.

“The preservation and sustenance of the environment is one the advocacies of Marikina, which has been a long-time proponent of a clean and healthy community. We hope that the present and future generations will benefit from our continuing environmental management endeavors,” Mayor Ma. Lourdes Fernando said.

The Earth Month celebration will be kicked off on April 17, 7 a.m., by a fishing contest dubbed “Janitor Fish Expedition” (JFE) along the River Park Chinese Pagoda up to the Youth Camp. JPE, which will be participated in by city government employees, dovetails with the city government’s relentless campaign to rid the Marikina River of the destructive janitor fish. Cash prizes await those who’ll make the biggest catch (in kilos): first prize, PhP5,000; second prize, PhP3,000; and third prize, PhP2,000.

An Earth Day Recycling Event will be conducted on April 18, 8 a.m., at the Freedom Park. Participants are enjoined to collect disposable recyclables in their offices and redeem the cash equivalent of those recyclable materials. Proceeds from the activity will be forwarded to the City Treasurer’s Office.

The Earth Month celebration will culminate on April 28, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., at the Freedom Park with the holding of Wash Day (Part 2).

For inquiries, call the City Environmental Management Office at tel. no. 948-1204 or 948-1205.