QC resumes cleanup of waterways

The Quezon City government is bracing for the rainy season with the resumption of its "Sagip Batis" program, which involves the massive cleanup of the city’s river channels and other water tributaries.

Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has mobilized about 1,000 barangay volunteer-workers to clear the city’s rivers, creeks and esteros of garbage and other debris in a bid to prevent the unnecessary loss of lives and properties brought about by flashfloods during heavy downpours, especially in the city’s low-lying areas.

"We are all responsible in the effort of maintaining the cleanliness of our surroundings. We should continue to work together to make Quezon City a better city for all of us," Belmonte said.

During the orientation of the Sagip Batis volunteers at the Amoranto Sports Complex, the mayor reiterated that the city government shall continue to pursue the implementation of Sagip Batis, which he said, has not only contributed in minimizing the occurrence of floods in the city, but has also proven to be instrumental in cleansing the city’s waterways and in reviving the spirit of volunteerism among city residents.

"We have been very successful with our program and there is no reason for us not to pursue and support its implementation," Belmonte said.

Earlier, a team of international disaster management experts from the US-based Earthquake and Mega-Cities Initiative (EMI) cited the city government’s Sagip Batis as among the soundest practices in reducing the risk of casualties in times of disaster and other calamities that may hit Metro Manila during he rainy season.

With this development, Sagip-Batis program is now being introduced to other mega-cities in the world for possible replication.

Inspired by the success of the program, a similar scheme has been adopted by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for their respective flood control programs.