It’s 455 days to the local elections scheduled on May 13, 2013. I started this countdown last Sunday for the purpose of encouraging the electorate to help our local government officials achieve what they promised to do during the election campaign. I thought that by reminding both the voters and the officials of the remaining number of days the officials have to accomplish what they promised to do, they would be inspired, knowing that the people are fully supporting them to do what still needs to be done as promised.
The Banica River is close to my heart. I had convinced Foundation University President Dr. Mira Sinco to adopt the river in February of 2008. Since then, FU faculty and CWTS students would troop to the river Saturday mornings and rid this waterway of trash and other objects which impede the natural flow of the water. I also composed the “Banica Atong Suba”, a song intended to inspire us all to join hands to save the river.
FU’s efforts has resulted in less pollution of the river, and making the people living along its bank to be more mindful about throwing their garbage into the water.
Today, the portion of the Banica River that FU adopted is much cleaner than what it was before the University took the initiative to protect it.
One election promise I would like to see implemented is this: “One case in point is the Banica River problem. A special multi-sectoral commission or council must be created to attend to this problem ‘24 hours/day’. Risk reduction plans must be formulated and put in place by way of a short-term solution.
“There is an urgent need to create this special body to attend to the Banica River Problem 24hours/day and seven days/week because of the following reasons: a) recent flooding of the river had caused loss of lives and property, and b) rivers are the primary source of potable water and it is projected that by the year 2020, barely eight years from now, the Philippines could face a severe water crises.
“Of the Philippines’ 421 major rivers and 20 large water basins, 50 are ‘ecologically dead”…In the face of climate change, it is important that Filipinos should now adopt water conservation as a way of life. (DENR website).
MetroPost columnist Juan Mercado last Sunday wrote that “Summer 2012 could be long and blistering, given weather changes… Now is the time to prepare for water shortages that will surely come.”
Another reason for my interest in the Banica River problem is an article titled What to do with our waste. A proposal for the Dumaguete Dumpsite (MetroPost, Feb. 8) written by Amy Villanueva, and I quote: “Foundation University is currently researching the technology that would work best for Dumaguete… the goal is to install a low-maintenance waste conversion system that could safely process the City’s waste, converting it into fuel (both biodiesel and charcoal) that can be resold to finance ongoing operations… FU plans to incubate the project for the first five years, beginning with the construction of a proven waste-conversion system on-site of the current city dump. FU staff and students would operate the machinery for the first few years, testing, maintaining and forming new markets for the by-product. Once the System has demonstrated value, consistent production and sustainability, FU will transfer ownership to the City of Dumaguete for perpetuity.
It is of common knowledge that the City dumpsite, (a.k.a. Gene V. Duran Sr. Environmental & Ecological Park) is located close to the Banica River in barangay Candau-ay and since the site is not sealed, pollutants seep into the soil and find their way into the river.
Or as in the case of the flooding caused by Sendong, wash back into the City all the garbage and waste that had been deposited at the site. As Villanueva aptly told the City folks downstream: “Your trash is back (to you)!”
Any laudable plan to solve the Banica River problem will not reach the drawing board without an official commission or council to attend to it 24 hours a day, as one local government officials had wisely suggested, will be formed to provide the leadership and guidance in the solution of the problem.
The question is: Who will take the initiative to form the body and ensure it will be operational?
And most importantly, when will this commission or council begin to function? Will the Dumagueteños wait for another election year to finally see in place a multi-sectoral representation of people committed to solve the Banica River problem?
