Super body formed to address Chico River pollution

BONTOC, MTN. PROV., May 15, 2009 – The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC) here created a task force to address the worsening pollution of the Chico River which strands from this landlocked province to Kalinga and Cagayan. The river is suffering from the unabated disposal of garbage and liquid wastes along the river to the detriment of downstream communities and other water users.

The Chico River has been identified as one of the major river systems in the Cordillera that provides sufficient water resources for electric power generation, agriculture, domestic water, ecotourism or recreation and fishery.

The super body will be composed of representatives from the regional offices of the DENR, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), DPWH, DILG, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) and the local government units of Mountain Province and Kalinga.

The task force shall ensure complimentary and concerted actions of government agencies, local governments and other stakeholders in addressing the problem of garbage and waste disposal and to oversee the effective implementation of activities that would ensure the proper disposal of such wastes of communities and households to prevent the eventual death of the river, popularly being used by foreigners for white-water rafting activities.

Earlier, the province of Kalinga has expressed grave concern on the massive pollution of the river through Resolutions No. 2009-035, 2009-045, 2008-477, 2008-478 and 2005-123 of the provincial board which were eventually endorsed to the RDC-CAR for appropriate action.

The Kalinga provincial government has established a provincial monitoring team headed by boardmember Fernando M. Abay and composed of representatives from the DENR office in Kalinga and the local government units concerned which recently conducted an inspection of the river and met with provincial officials of Mountain Province and the municipal officials of its capital town regarding the alarming state of pollution along the river.

On the other hand, the EMB-CAR also conducted dialogues and consultations with officials of Mountain Province on the establishment of materials recovery facilities, sanitary landfill sites and the conduct of massive information and education campaign activities on solid waste management in communities along the river.

The RDC asserted that only a concerted action of government agencies, local governments and other stakeholders can ensure a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the garbage and waste disposal problem along the river.

For their part, Bontoc municipal officials disclosed they are implementing strict waste management practices to prevent residents from dumping their solid and liquid wastes along the Chico River. **By Dexter A. See, ZZW