DUMAGUETE CITY, Negros Oriental (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is adopting a research-based approach to identify solutions to the pollution caused by indiscriminate dumping of garbage in the Banica River.

DENR provincial environment and natural resources (PENRO) Viernov Grefalde said in a recent Kapihan sa PIA forum that their office tapped academic institutions to conduct information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns in the barangays along the Banica River to educate them on the importance of restoring the river to its original state. 

The IEC campaign also has a research component, wherein DENR’s partner schools will conduct house-to-house surveys in communities along the river to gather information about environmental issues, solid waste practices that contribute to river pollution, and determine people's attitudes towards the river.

Grefalde said this will result in a research-driven response from the government to address the issues that led to the deterioration of Banica River.

“Naay research component ang IEC. Ngano naay mga eskwelahan? Instead ang ilang ROTC magsige og paghinlo, mosulod na sa community. Interviewhon tanan tawo ngano ning basura problema? Ngano man gud ka molabay sa suba?,” Grefalde said.

(The IEC has a research component. Why are we involving the academe? Because we can utilize their ROTC. Instead of instructing them to do clean-up activities, they can go to communities and interview people. They can ask about their problem with garbage and why they choose to throw their wastes on the river.)

Currently, DENR has partnered with Foundation University (FU) to carry out an IEC campaign on Banica rehabilitation in Barangays Bagacay and Taclobo. 

DENR also partnered with Colegio De Sta. Catalina De Alejandria (COSCA) for the IEC campaign in Barangays Calindagan, Tabuctubig, Poblacion 8, and Tinago. 

“Kung moingon ang Foundation or COSCA (based on their study na) hundred percent of the population prefer the river as labayanan sa basura tagaan na og solusyon. Ato ba ihatag ni Mayor: ‘Mayor, walo ka barangay sa Dumaguete City mao ni ang kinahanglan ra gud diay 30 kaubok enforcer basin mafundingan’,” Grefalde said.

(If Foundation University or COSCA’s study shows that one hundred percent of the population prefers the river as a dumping site, then we have to create a solution for that. We can show the study to the mayor and tell him that the eight barangays in Dumaguete City need 30 enforcers to prevent it. Hopefully this can be funded.)

To formalize this partnership, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the academic institutions and their partner barangays.

Revitalizing Banica River

Based on data from DENR, Banica River spans 20.70 km in length and covers 3,795 hectares of land encompassing Valencia town and Dumaguete City.

The riverway passes through Barangays Apolong, Sagbang, Balabag, Palinpinon, and Balugo in Valencia and Barangays Tinago (Poblacion 1), Poblacion 2, Poblacion 8, Calindagan, Bagacay, Tabuctubig, Taclobo, Batinguel, Cadawinonan, Junob, Candau-ay, and Balugo in Dumaguete City.

Grefalde recalled that the Banica River once teemed with bamboo groves and lush foliage along its riverbanks, and its waters were so clean that children could swim in it from the segment of Taclobo up to Tinago.

He said families used to gather on the riverside for picnics and other recreational activities.

However, with the increase in population and human movement, more people have set up homes along the riverbanks. 

This caused the deterioration of the river over time, and its waters changed from dark green to gray because of the trash.

RIVERS program

The Banica River Rehabilitation Project is an initiative of DENR as part of its R.I.V.E.Rs (Recognizing Individuals/Institutions Towards Vibrant and Enhanced Rivers) program. 

R.I.V.E.Rs aims to honor community and provincial ENROs for effectively implementing laws and actions relevant to the river’s rehabilitation. 

DENR provincial information officer Jeanette Orcullo said the program was launched in the province in 2019, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, its implementation was stalled. 

Efforts to rehabilitate the river resumed in 2022.

Orcullo said DENR did not set a timeline for the conclusion of the project as it aims to make the efforts and partnerships sustainable in the long run.

Beyond clean-up drives

Grefalde said DENR formulated four clusters that its 53 partner-agencies participated in to cater to other aspects of the project. 

The clusters are: IEC, partnership and community mobilization, aesthetic and water quality improvement, and solid waste management.

The Philippine Information Agency (PIA) is a member of the IEC cluster. 

Grefalde said DENR will partner with PIA in holding a Kapihan sa PIA forum to present the findings of the research component of the IEC campaign and the achievements of the other thematic groups.

“Ipresent nato tanan ang resulta ani and ang activity kada thematic groups amo i-provide ninyo. Naka-water quality (testing) na ta kas-a,” said Grefalde. 

 (We will present the results of the IEC and we will also provide you with the activities carried out by other thematic groups. We have already done water quality testing.) 

The Kapihan sa PIA is a weekly multi-sectoral forum organized by PIA to discuss the flagship government programs and its accomplishments. (RAL/PIA7-Negros Oriental)