Will our children ever experience that time in our history when rivers are still suitable for fishing and bathing, instead of being cesspools of waste?
As part of intensified efforts to clear up Calabarzon river’s waterways and encourage the public to do their part, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the region launched the “Gawad Taga-Ilog: Search for the Most Improved Estero/River in the Province of Cavite” last Friday, July 11.
At a press conference held in Laurel, Batangas, DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) CALABARZON Regional Director Robert Angelo Metin and other officials said the awards aim to encourage local government units, especially at the barangay level, to do their part in rehabilitating and cleaning up the waterways that lead to Manila Bay.
The “Gawad Taga-Ilog” awards was first implemented at the National Capital Region (NCR) in 2020, and will be held for the first time in the Calabarzon region this year – specifically, in the province of Cavite.
According to Metin, the province of Cavite was chosen as its waterways directly impact the quality of water at the Manila Bay.
"Ang Cavite po ay mayroong anim na river systems, at lahat po ng mga ito ay dumadaloy papunta sa Manila Bay," he explained.
The award is also part of the DENR's continuous implementation of the Supreme Court mandamus to rehabilitate Manila Bay, which includes the rehabilitation of all waterways leading to the bay.
Entries will be judged according to the following criteria: solid waste management (25 percent); liquid waste management and water quality (25 percent); informal settler families and illegal structures management (15 percent); habitat and resources management (15 percent); and sustainability and partnership management (20 percent).
Barangays whose rivers and esteros will be adjudged the cleanest will receive cash prizes amounting to P100,000 (champion); P70,000 (1st runner-up); and P50,000 (for the 2nd runner-up).
Solid waste management
In reply to a question from OpinYon Laguna, DENR officials noted that one criterion they will be looking into is the barangays' capabilities to establish good solid-waste management practices.
This ensures that garbage will be processed and handled properly instead of ending up in rivers and esteros.
"Nire-require po natin ang mga barangay na magkaroon ng sarili nilang materials recovery facilities (MRF), at magiging gabay din po nila tayo sa pagse-segregate ng mga basura gayundin po kung sa tamang tapunan po napupunta ang mga ito," EMB Calabarzon Environment Monitoring Enforcement Division chief Corazon Gazapos explained.
Photo Courtesy: PIA Calabarzon
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #DENR