By Minka Klaudia Tiangco The Navotas City government hired more than a thousand indigent workers through their Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program. (Photos courtesy of Navotas PIO) A total of 1,237 TUPAD workers were assigned to sweep the city's streets and de-clog its drainage canals. During their orientation and contract signing on Thursday, they were given lectures on occupational safety and health, proper work values, basic first aid, and psychosocial support. They will work for 15 days and will receive a daily minimum wage of P537. “We have 57 bombastic pumping stations that help keep our city flood-free. However, they will not be able to siphon floodwater if our canals are clogged with garbage. This is why we need you to help us keep our streets litter-free and our canals unobstructed by any matter,” said Navotas City Mayor Toby Tiangco. “If you see someone littering, stop them. Tell them that improper waste disposal is prohibited and could cause flooding,” he added. Tiangco also told Navotas City residents to be more responsible and adopt better waste disposal practices. "Hindi po porke may tagalinis tayo ay pwede na tayong magkalat (Just because we have people to clean up after us does not mean that it is okay to litter)," he said in a Facebook post. "Maging responsable po tayo at makiisa sa ating programa sa kalinisan (Let us be responsible and cooperate with our programs to maintain the cleanliness of the city)," he added. Earlier, the city mayor ordered the cleaning and de-clogging of canals around Kanduli Street after receiving reports of flooding in the area. The Navotas City government also intensified its clean-up drives at the Bangkulasi River and surrounding areas after Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu gave them until the end of the year to lower the fecal coliform levels in the filthy waterway as part of the Manila Bay rehabilitation program.