Local authorities could develop some legal framework to support the purok system and unlock some resources for its functioning. Rapid and uncontrolled uibanisation resulted in a range of environmental issues in the city by the mid-2000s, including solid waste pollution due to unsorted garbage and open waste disposal. The city also suffered from lack of clean water supply and wastewater treatment system, and periodic floods, creating critical health hazards such as dengue fever and diarrhoea. The creation of a waste bank and 24 composting houses in the city were two important measures taken by the municipality, but raising public awareness was the keystone of the programme.