Mayor Seeks Aggressive Measures to Stop Pollution of Balili
September 20, 2014
BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan this week stressed the importance of cooperation in the on-going fight to save and totally rehabilitate the Balili River here.
Speaking to the crowd who took part in the Balili River Day Stakeholders forum spearheaded by the Balili River System Revitalization Coalition (BRSRC) September 16 at the University of the Philippines-Baguio, Domogan acknowledged the progress that the coalition has made to protect and maintain the tributaries leading to the Balili River.
The mayor called attention to the many activities underway in addressing the issues besetting not only the city but the adjoining municipalities where the tributaries of the Balili River traverse.
Enlisting the different schools, barangays and organizations in adopting portions of the tributaries of the Balili River within the city helped a lot in strengthening the campaign towards its revival and protection.
“We are one in showing the importance of this gathering today and that there is a lot of challenges for the Balili River,” Domogan said.
The mayor also challenged the different stakeholders to come-up with aggressive ways to tackle the rampant disposal of sewage to the river system.
Domogan said, “If we cannot remove or come out with acceptable means of disposing our wastes it will continue to be a problem and there are still a lot of sewers connected to the Balili River and we have to, by all means stop them.”
The City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO) Wastewater, Water and Ambient Air Management Division(WAMD) is continuously monitoring the different river basins primarily the Sagudin (Balili), Bued, Galiano and Ambalanga rivers.
Monthly clean-up activities are also being undertaken by the different adaptors in coordination with the respective barangays where the tributaries are situated.
The CEPMO-WAMD has also issued notices of violations to different barangay constituents who have illegally disposed-off their wastewater and advice the public to construct septic tanks and .
Domogan stressed,”it is of utmost importance to focus on what everyone can do to address the problem since we do not want the problem to be passed to the next generation.
“We have to do what we can so at anytime and anywhere we can tell ourselves, I have done what I can to help,” he said./Paul Rillorta
