Baguio inks MOA with private partner to clean waterway

ENVIRONMENT MONITOR

Paul Rillorta

BAGUIO CITY  - Stakeholders of the ‘Salaknib ti Waig’ program of the city government is growing with yet another river adoptor here.

Mayor Mauricio Domogan representing the city government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources represented by regional executive director Engr. Ralph Pablo and Willow tree Development Corporation represented by its vice president for marketing and Sales Ulysses Gaerlan formally signed the memorandum of agreement for adoption of waterway within its area of operation at Brent International School.

Also present during the MOA singing were Councilor and Commitee on environment, Health and Sanitation Chair Fred Bagbagen, ABC president and Councilor Michael Lawana, EMB-CAR OIC Regional Director engineer Ma. Dorica Hipe, CEPMO Head CordeliaLacsamana, Imelda Village Punong Barangay Arturo Rapelo, Jr. and Julie Cabato of the Baguio Regreening Movement.     

Among the parties undertaking would be the reduction of pollution at the Sagudin-Balili River and its tributaries with the ultimate goal of maintaining acceptable water quality to improve condition of Balili River.

The parties agreed to coordinate during the term of the MOA and participate with regular planning and implementation with the view of firming up the agreement with an action plan including its implementation on the inland waterway.

Coordinated efforts in cleaning and monitoring of the indiscriminate dumping of solid and liquid waste will also be undertaken including greening or introduction of interventions such as planting bamboos and other plant species along the waterway to improve the riverbed.

The ‘Salaknib ti Waig’ program is a pet project of the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) patterned with the DENR’s ‘Adopt-an-Estero’ program. 

It aims to sustain waterway protection initiatives by tapping the assistance and support of partners from the private sector and community.

The main focus of the program is the adoption of rivers and streams within the city being the headwaters of four major river systems.

Adoptors and partners will be responsible in the upkeep and maintenance of the adopted river, formulate action plans to rehabilitate and ensure that measures are undertaken to reduce pollution and improve the quality of the water in said areas.

The adoptors will also be working with the barangays which has jurisdiction of these adopted rivers thru information and education campaigns and community mobilization activities in partnership with the city government and the DENR-EMB.

The program covers 28 barangays within the Balili River Basin and involves around 17.750 km of inland waterways within these barangays has been identified for adoption.