CLEAN RIVER: JUST DO IT

Iloilo mayor shares his city’s success story

Cleaning Cebu City’s polluted rivers is achievable.

The task can take inspiration from a neighbor’s story of change.

After decades of neglect, Iloilo City was able to revive its main river and build a beautiful Esplanade that is drawing raves from tourists and investors – and development projects continue to pour in.

Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog yesterday said it took “unity , strategic planning and political will” to make the change,  and see the fruits in four years.

He shared Iloilo’s success story in the  public forum “Saving Our Rivers” mounted by the Movement for a Livable Cebu  in the auditorium of the Metro Cebu Water District.

Over 1,000 illegal settlers  by the  Iloilo River were transferred without a legal battle, he said.

“We believe in the power of dialog.  Make them part of the solution,” Mabilog said, explaining how riverside dwellers were consulted then relocated to a new P170-million subdivision built for them in the city with the help of Gawad Kalinga.

Mabilog said the river’s rehabilitation was the “catalyst for positive change” in Iloilo, and has spurred more investments in the city, which is completing an international convention center this year.

“Nobody wanted to put up business in the city because of the foul smell. The Iloilo River was the biggest septic tank of the city. Fish cages restricted the waterway and caused flooding. We used to be listed as the top 10  dirtiest cities in the country,” Mabilog recalled.

In 2002, the Iloillo-Batiano River Development Council was created but the body made little progress.

Mabilog said the turning point was in 2011, when Iloilo found ä “champion” in Senate President Franklin Drilon, an Ilonggo, to tap national funding and ensure the cooperation of national government agencies.

“One of the first things I did when I sat as mayor was to seek the help of Senate President Drilon,” recalled Mabilog.

Drilon was made the head of the river council.

He required agencies like the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to give monthly updates on how it was spending its budget for dredging and flood-control.

Mabilog said the “seemingly impossible task to clean up the river” took off because all officials in Iloilo, including Rep. Jerry Treñas (former Iloilo mayor)were “united” in this goal, irrespective of their political loyalties.

Drilon’s P70 million pork barrel from the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) was used to  build  the 2.9-kilometer Esplanade, a brick-path walkway and promenade for joggers, bikers, pedestrians, both residents and visitors, along the river designed by Singapore-based Filipino architect Paul Alcazaren.

About 25 kilometers of bike lanes have also been added in the city’s main thoroughfares.

The city government bought its own dredger.  Over 61 tons of solid waste were removed from the river.

“DO DAY”

The cleanup is a continuing activity.

Every Saturday, Iloilo city has a “do-day”, said Mabilog, where all employees in City Hall and the barangays, along with residents, spend time cleaning up the riverside and their surroundings.

“The city government does not spend a thing because everything is voluntary. It only takes some recognition, a pat on the shoulder and ‘good job’ post on Facebook,” Mabilog said.

The mayor said a typical politician would worry about losing votes with the drastic measures they took –  the removal of river dwellers, fish cages, sunken vessels, polluting commercial factories, an abattoir, and even a fish pond operator.

But the Iloilo River revitalization proved conventional wisdom wrong in the 2013 election.

With more effort, can Cebu City clean it up for a green, pedestrian pathlike the Iloilo River Esplanade?
Photo from Movement for a Livable Cebu.

“In doing what is  right, in fixing things, we thought we would lose in the election. We did these changes in 2011 and here we are.   It is the first time that our party swept the election, 15-0 (in the city council),” he said.

“Doing what is right, instead of what is politically correct, is the best thing to do for bringing progress and development in the city,” Mabilog said.

Cebu City Mayor Michael  Rama was scheduled to speak in the same forum yesterday but didn’t show up.  Organizers said he had to make a sudden trip to Manila.

A representative, Ely Espina, newly appointed head of the Cebu City River Management Council, said “much is expected” of  city officials “but it boils down to budget.”

“That’s our problem because of intramurals,” he said, referring to tensions in the City Council, many of whose members are Mayor Rama’s critics.

Espina said the mayor has plans for revitalizing the Guadalupe River, and Metro Pacific investors have presented a master plan for this.

“We are dead serious in cleaning up our rivers,” said Cebu City Attorney Jerone Castillo, but he lamented that there was no assistance from the national government.

“We asked but nothing came to us,” he said, citing the proposed P600-million Cebu City Medical Center.

LEADERSHIP

Mandaue City Administrator James Abadia said that “leadership” was key, and that for Metro Cebu to achieve what Iloilo did, government officials must be able to listen to the civil society and integrate these suggestions into an aciton plan.

“There must be a strategy-driven plan because even if civil society will continue to shout it won’t happen if the city government or the national government will not integrate it in their plans,” Abadia said.

The support of the national government is a big help, said Mayor Mabilog, but he said there are other ways to get funding and support, like tapping the private sector and volunteerism.

“There is power in dialogue and making everybody a part of the solution. Keep them involved,” Mabilog said.

He said the “Do Day” community activity on Saturdays was a reminder to implement action plans and “just do it”.

Today, Iloilo City has multi-billion investments coming in big commercial projects of Ayala, Gaisano, and Megaworld.