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Bacolod City, Philippines Thursday, April 19, 2012
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MOA to protect rivers
systems in Negros Occidental

BY ADRIAN NEMES III

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will ink a memorandum of agreement with 30 towns and cities and private firms in Negros Occidental to protect its river systems, Jonathan Bulos, Regional Director of the Environmental Management Bureau in Western Visayas, said yesterday.

Bulos said they are also will replicate the “Linis Estero” campaign of the DENR in Negros Occidental that aims to institutionalize good sanitation and solid wastes management practices among the river or estero communities, through education and actual participation in the program.

He said they will hold initial discussions with the officials of La Carlota, Victorias, Bacolod, Bago and San Carlos on May 11 on the campaign.

Bulos said they hope that the campaign will not end after the signing of the MOA, and that this will be a sustainable drive.

Samson Guillergan, chief, pollution control division of Regional EMB-6, said that the water quality of the rivers in Negros Occidental is low only during the milling season.

Guillegran added that the state of the rivers in Negros Occidental is not worse than that of other areas in the Philippines, as most industries by the riverbanks in the province have their own waste water treatment facilities.

If the MOAs with 30 LGUs and private sectors push through, Negros Occidental will be the most successful province in terms of river water system preservation, DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio said.

Ignacio also said there are no dying rivers in Negros Occidental, but he called on the people to protect their river systems.

Under the “Linis Estero campaign”, a donor or partner, which may be a business establishment, an industry association, a non-government organization, or any other group, may volunteer to clean up rivers.

The donor may help by providing equipment, human power and other resources needed to do actual clean-up in partnership with the concerned LGU, the DENR and other partners.

Through this campaign, the incidence of water-related diseases especially those associated with poor sanitation, such as cholera, diarrhea, and dengue, will be reduced.*APN

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