Initial haul at Kinalumsan river: 31 tons of garbage

CEBU, Philippines — More than 31 tons of garbage had been collected during the cleanup drive over the “buwaran” or dried fish production area along the Kinalumsan river in between Barangays Duljo-Fatima and Mambaling, Cebu City.

And that was just the initial haul and a lot more things need to be done, said Sugbo Bike Lanes Board’s (SBLB) Executive Director Bernard Maraasin.

A ton is equal to 2,000 pounds.

“Perte pa gyung daghanag basura didto,” said Maraasin, who checked the area again yesterday afternoon.

Despite the warning from the city government over the “buwaran” in the area amid the voluminous amount of garbage surrounding it, there were still some fishes being dried up.

Maraasin said he hopes the other departments will also look into this and take action concerning the sanitary and health concerns.

Apart from the "buwaran," there is also a “talipapa” nearby that is just as unsanitary as the buwaran itself, Maraasin revealed.

A representative from the Cebu City Health Department earlier joined the Coastal Board Management and the SBLB during the clean-up and warned the locals to take an active participation in cleaning it up or have the “buwaran,” among others, closed due to sanitary concerns.

A massive information education campaign is also expected for residents to better understand the issue and be an active part of the solution.

“Ato ni silang seminaron kay surely this will affect their livelihood, now that this is out in the media. They should help us maintain cleanliness in their community,” Maraasin said.

Once they are done in cleaning up the area, they are also recommending for the strict monitoring of the river so that their efforts will not just be put to waste, Maraasin said.

A better barangay enforcement on garbage disposal and collection is also expected.

Another thing that should be given attention is the peace and order situation in the area so that monitoring in the area will not be hard.

Meanwhile, aside from the Kinalumsan river, the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) together with the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CCDRRMO) also conducted a clearing operation at J. Panes St., and St. Michael Village in Barangay Banilad last Saturday.

The clearing operation was made to unclog the area to allow better flow of water and avoid massive flooding in the area. — (FREEMAN)