A THREE-WAY public-private partnership has been forged in a shared mission to cleanup the heavily-silted Navotas River in Navotas City.
Mayor John Rey Tiangco, together with Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga, Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, and San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president Ramon Ang, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to reduce pollution in Navotas River through Adopt-a-River Program.
“Almost 70 percent of our population rely on fishing and other related industries as their main source of income. Thus, it is imperative for us to improve the quality and condition of the waters that surround us,” Tiangco said.
“Our ultimate goal is to restore the waters surrounding Navotas to a classification fit for fishing, swimming, and other recreational water activities. Hence, we fully support the Adopt-a-River Program to clean up and rejuvenate our bodies of water,” he added
Under the MOA, Navotas will take the lead in removing obstructions along the river channels in the city, and issue necessary permits and approvals to ensure unimpeded dredging activities and implementation of the program.
The SMC, on the other hand, will provide funding for all required equipment and its operation costs, as well as manpower support to complete the project.
They will also provide other engineering solutions such as trash traps installation, rechanneling of rivers, and other environmental measures.
Meanwhile, the DENR and DPWH will provide the technical expertise for the project including the preparation and approval of appropriate Detailed Engineering Design.
The DENR will also coordinate with other concerned national agencies to improve and restore marine life in the river, prevent marine pollution and obstruction to ensure smooth water navigation in the city, and assist in the relocation of informal settlers in affected areas.
The Adopt-a-River programw also intends to mitigate flooding by deepening and widening the shallow and narrow portions of Navotas waterways. The agreement is effective for five years.