‘Bokashi balls’ to rehabilitate Bocaue River

BOCAUE, Philippines — Officials of the Bulacan environment and natural resource office (Penro) of the Department of Enivronment and Natural Resources recently started using “bokashi balls” to rehabilitate the Bocaue River.

Also known as “mabuhay balls,” bocashi is a Japanese water rehabilitation technology wherein fist-sized mudballs are scattered in the river system to reduce its pollutants. 

Emelita Lingat, Bulacan Penro chief, explained that the mudballs contain molasses, rice hulls or “ipa” and an effective microorganism (EM) solution, which helps promote the growth of good bacteria to consume pollutants in the river. 

“They are basically probiotics, able to clean up one cubic meter of water each,” Lingat pointed out.

Results of water quality test done by the DENR Environmental Management Bureau showed that the Bocaue River has a dissolved oxygen level of 0.22 mg/L, much lower than the standard of at least 1.0 mg/L to support fish and other aquatic life. 

Lingat said the bokashi balls are expected to help increase dissolved oxygen level at the river system to support aquatic life.

Bocaue Mayor Eleonor Villanueva-Tugna told The STAR that a non-government organization is willing to teach local residents to produce bokashi balls and sell these to concerned local government units for P15 each.

Mass production of the bocashi balls is being eyed as an alternative livelihood for the displaced fireworks industry in the town and at the same time help in the rehabilitation of the river. 

Meanwhile, in Alaminos City, the river system that discharges water into the famous Hundred Islands in Pangasinan has been adjudged as one of the entries of Region 1 the Ilocos Region together with the Naguilian River System, for the DENR’s R.I.V.E.Rs for Life Award.

R.I.V.E.Rs stands for Recognizing Individuals/Institutions towards Vibrant and Enhanced Rivers. It aims to raise awareness of the need to protect and conserve rivers as the lifeblood of the Earth and human civilization. 

Launched in 2017, the award intends to recognize individuals and institutions for their initiative and concerted efforts to protect the country’s rivers from degradation and pollution and to improve their designated use and classification by coming up with appropriate mitigations and interventions.

The Regional Evaluation Committee headed by DENR Regional Executive Director for Ilocos Carlito Tuballa has declared Ilog Alaminos and the Naguilian River System as the region’s entries in the national level. 

Based on the water sampling done in November last year, the coliform level of the water of Ilog Alaminos was 2,800 most probable number (mpn). The standard of a Class C river is 200 mpn pursuant to DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08.   

The coliform level of the Naguilian River System, on the other hand, improved significantly from 160,000 mpn to 7,836 mpn in the most recent sampling. 

Appropriate mitigations and interventions are continuously done to reduce the river’s coliform level and to improve the use of its water for possible recreational purpose, Tuballa said.  

National winners of the R.I.V.E.Rs for Life will be announced on June 10, 2019 in time for the anniversary of the DENR.     – With Eva Visperas