Slowly but surely

As everyone is in a frenzy over their certificates of candidacy with supporters parading to the Commission on Elections to support their bets, I’d like to further the campaign for the Butuanon River. And my cry is to ask everyone, both upstream and downstream, to do their share in keeping the Butuanon River clean.

Last October, a ceremony was held to mark the ground for the viewing deck of the Butuanon River. The structure, which is supported by the Metro Gaisano group and Matimco, hopes to bring to the fore a consciousness for the rivers.

There are two main rivers and two creeks in Mandaue City, all of which are exposed to the ravages of man’s neglect. The  Butuanon River and Mahiga Creek are classified as rivers that traverse Cebu City and Mandaue City. Two major creeks, Tipolo and Labogon, are also the two bodies of water that empty in the Mactan channel and the Cansaga Bay respectively.

The beds of these waters are heavily silted that sometimes islands seem to crop out from the middle of the river and becomes host to wild plants that sieve the flow and inadvertently catch debris that further clog the waterways.

During rainy days garbage from the uplands and the river banks are washed down and use the rivers and creeks as roadways to the sea. Some of which, get banked up in the slow flow and layer the river beds.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) have an Adopt-a-River program where the local government, the private sector and DENR have joined forces to drum up a conscience for the river.

The meetings for the Adopt-a-River program in Mandaue City reveal the interest of the constituents living near the rivers to protect these bodies of water. The presence of the barangay captains demonstrates the desire of the local government to keep their rivers clean.

The upcoming International River Summit hosted by Mandaue City will tackle issues on the importance of keeping the rivers vital for a well-balanced environment, a healthy community and opportunities for social enterprise.

With focus on revitalizing the Butuanon River, we look forward to its restoration through a slow but sure effort in tackling concerns surrounding the pollution of river. With the cooperation of all those within its vicinity, we can expect improvements and the  rise of a beautiful walkway along the river banks that lead to another picturesque treat of the mangroves that abound in the Cansaga Bay.

When these efforts succeed we can expect that we can take on the development and restoration of other rivers and creeks in Mandaue one at a time.