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[av_heading heading=’Celebrate Philippine River Day!’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY JOHNNY NOVERA
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Tuesday, March 7, 2017
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IT WILL BE Philippine River Day (PRD) on March 22 originally declared by then President Benigno S. Aquino III in 2014 as a national celebration every year for a united effort by our people to save our rivers and remind us of our duty to the environment.
As a twin-river city, we hope that Iloilo will not fail to commemorate this event through the Iloilo River Development Council, jointly with the Iloilo-Batiano River System as managed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Why not celebrate an ILOILO RIVER FESTIVAL, for example, that will involve all barangays found along the river banks. Barangay San Pedro in Molo, Iloilo City, under Punong Barangay Cirilo Lapascua Jr., celebrates one during their barangay fiesta in June with a program to keep the river clean in their vicinity, plus games and prizes. This can become another tourist attraction for Iloilo in addition to our Dinagyang in January and Paraw Regatta in March.
We are happy for the attention given to our lloilo River since the time of then mayor Jerry P. Treñas who organized the Iloilo River Development Council in 2004 and implemented the Master Development Plan on our river with outstanding results.
In November 2010, a few months into the term of Iloilo City mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog after Jerry P. Treñas became congressman, our city received an International Award for Livable Communities (LivCom) in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A., for the Iloilo River.
On the other hand, with regard to the Iloilo-Batiano River, we recalled a Summit held for the river body way back on Oct. 8, 2011 hosted by then mayor Vincent Flores of Oton, Iloilo, at Tatoy’s Manokan in Villa Beach, Iloilo City. Problems related to the river body especially affecting his municipality were discussed by Mayor Flores. After the event, all delegates in attendance led by Sen. Franklin Drilon, together with Cong. Jerry P. Treñas, Iloilo’s Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., and Iloilo City’s Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, affixed their signatures to a “commitment pledge” on a wide tarpaulin that read: “We commit ourselves to rehabilitate, protect and preserve the Batiano River as a sustainable development.”
We have no update how much work was done by now for this other river body to keep it clean and navigable. With its mouth at Treasure Island in Baluarte, Molo, Iloilo City, the river winds up to Batiano Bridge in Oton, Iloilo which was once a historic trading port.
We published Our River and Land in the City on April 9, 2014 (Copyright Reg. No. A-2015-00069) which reprinted in book form the series of articles we wrote in Panay News from February 2009 to November 2010 that we believed inspired in some way the development of the Iloilo River and accelerated by a united and results-oriented political leadership that we have in Iloilo today. The book also reflected the reactions of some Ilonggo readers both here and abroad who shared their comments and ideas on the protection and preservation of our river body.
Then we have the Iloilo River Esplanade with a length of 1.2 kilometers running on both sides of the Iloilo River from Carpenter Bridge in Molo, Iloilo City to the Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. Avenue near the bridge to UP Iloilo on General Luna Street. We are proud that hundreds of people stroll on this esplanade during early mornings and afternoons along a garbage-free Iloilo River.
With a successful cleanup and continuing development of our Iloilo river bodies, we have a good reason to celebrate. We therefore invite you to observe Philippine River Day! (For comments or reactions, please e-mail to jnoveracompany@yahoo.com)/PN
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