‘Cleaner Cebu City in 3 to 6 months’

CEBU, Philippines —  A cleaner Cebu City in three to six months.

This was the challenge to the Cebu City government during the first day of the city’s first ever river summit.

Dr. Maria Rosario Cherry Piquero-Ballescas, president of the Regional Center of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development, made the challenge, stating that a greener Cebu City is possible if small steps will be started now.

“Today, naa lang ko'y one singular message, very simple, even children can follow. Ang ako, can you give us three to six months? Kita'ng tanan, can we make Cebu City cleaner? Three to six months lang,” said Ballescas.

“We want to sustain life for people. Dili lang limpyo, dili lang one day cleaning the river. We want to restore, sustain life, for people, community, the city and when we do that we help avoid global warming. We help the whole planet,” she added.

Ballescas suggested that each home in the city’s 80 barangays must contribute in helping not just the rivers clean but also the environment as a whole. This is through gardening and daily eco-offering.

She said the barangays that will do well deserve a reward from the city government.

“Ang ato lang hinumduman nga buling, hugaw, dirty, patay na ang atong mga rivers, ambot og makakaon pa mo. Pero, if we imagine the other side, na from now on, clean, green, you can make it even at home, walay baho, walay dengue, walay flies. Sugod ta sa inyong balay, sugod ta sa tanang barangay, unya reward the barangay who do this very well,” she said.

Engr. Myka Llanos of the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) has disclosed that the state of the seven rivers in the city is “quite controversial” and some measures addressing these are “passive”.

The rivers in the city are Guadalupe River, Butuanon River, Mahiga River, Lahug River, Kinalumsan River, Bulacao River, and Estero de Parian.

Llanos said there is so much more to unfold aside from the garbage problem in the rivers.

She said that in the upstream, there are septage problems while majority of the parts of the river is experiencing drought midstream. As to the downstream, which she said the critical area, there is so much water which are coming from untreated wastewater.

Llanos said the water pollution is indeed undeniable but a collective effort would be a big help to such problem. Further, Ballescas said that there is still hope to restore the city’s rivers.

She said the city government and its constituents should commit to make the rivers clean again, stressing that it is not necessary to shell out a big amount to solve such problem.

“You need commitment, political will, you need participation, resources. Funding is not the main solution, will gyud,” said Ballescas.

Today is the last day of the river summit, with the theme “Ang Hagit: Atubangon ang Kaniadto, Karon, ug Kaugmaon sa Atong Mga Suba”.

The two-day day event is facilitated by the office of Vice Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros, in coordination with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-7 and the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-7. — FPL (FREEMAN)