Philippines: Cebu City calls for community help to protect local rivers

The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) has called on citizens to help protect the parts of some city rivers that remain clean and unspoiled. The call comes after water quality tests showed other local rivers to be polluted and seriously degraded. The tests were conducted in December 2024 by a CCENRO team and aimed to identify the portions of the city’s rivers that are still considered pristine and clean. In the final report, signed by special investigator Jayvan Tapia and Engr. Myka Marie Llanos, the team stated that many rivers around the city are polluted and degraded, but some parts of them are still relatively unspoiled. Among the nine rivers evaluated, which include six of the seven major watercourses passing in the Cebu City area, the Cotcot River showed minimal disturbance, and portions of the Guadalupe, Butuanon, and Lusaran Rivers were found to be in sub-optimal conditions, with minimal visible trash and low pollution. The conditions of the Mahiga, Mananga, and Bulacao Rivers were instead assessed as marginal due to significant amounts of trash accumulated along the banks. The most critical conditions were reported for the Kinalumsan River and the river mouth of the Guadalupe River, heavily polluted and with elevated levels of fecal coliform in the water.
In its conclusions, the CCENRO report urged protection for the remaining clean rivers of Cebu City, safeguarding human health and livelihoods. It also emphasized the need for officials and communities to work together to disseminate proper information and ensure the enforcement of local ordinances against pollution and illegal waste disposal.