Four companies join river cleanup program

CEBU, Philippines - Regional Executive Director Dr. Isabelo R. Montejo of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 proudly announced that four more private companies have just added to bring up the list to 17 partners in its river cleanup program.

Added to the DENR’s roster of partners in its “Adopt-an-Estero” program were Mabuhay Fil Cement, Alta Cebu Resort, Cebu Equal Trading, and JLR Construction Aggregates Inc, who all signed their respective memoranda of agreement (MOAs) with the DENR yesterday.

Montejo recognized the initiatives of the partners which would help sustain government efforts to undertake a cleanup and other rehabilitation activities in Butuanon and Guadalupe rivers and their tributaries.

“Necessary interventions and relevant programs towards reviving these major waterways are indeed a welcome move from our partners in the Adopt-an-Estero as they help us in committing to conduct cleanup of our creeks and rivers and restore their health,” he said.

With flooding happening elsewhere in urban areas, Montejo added that these organizations together with the communities could conduct declogging of trash and other litters of our waterways.

He also said that the program promotes good sanitation and solid wastes management practices to reduce incidence of water-related diseases and those associated with poor sanitation such as cholera, diarrhea, and dengue.

For its part, the DENR, through its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), is tasked to provide technical assistance to the involved communities especially in solid waste management. It shall also monitor the water quality and the establishments along the waterways.

Early this year, Maritrans Recycler Inc. and Taiheiyo Cement Philippines Inc. signed a MOA with DENR 7.

Butuanon river is a 23-kilometer water body which originates in the mountain area around Metro Cebu and eventually discharges into Mactan channel with approximately 10-kilometer length of the river crossing Metro Cebu area.

Montejo emphasized the need to sustain the efforts of cleaning up the waterways as he urged the communities to get involved actively with their local officials and other stakeholders. (FREEMAN)