San Juan River rehabilitation underway

MANILA, Philippines — The San Juan government has partnered with government agencies and the private sector to clean up San Juan River and its tributaries, according to Mayor Francis Zamora.

During the launch of the “Adopt an Estero” rehabilitation program on Wednesday, Zamora called on the local governments of Mandaluyong and Quezon City to rehabilitate the San Juan River whose portions also run in the cities.

San Juan teamed up with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and Manila Water to rehabilitate the river.

“I am giving my 100 percent commitment to the DENR, Manila Water and MWSS. I am enjoining all residents to take care of our environment,” Zamora said. “What I envision here in San Juan is once we are able to clean these creeks, we can build infrastructure for us to enjoy the waterway.”

Zamora, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu and other officials dropped 1,000 Mabuhay or bokashi balls, substances that are deemed helpful in neutralizing toxicity in waters, into the Maytunas Creek during the launching.

The local government said a livelihood program to produce bokashi balls would be conducted for out-of-school youth and displaced workers in the city.

Each bokashi ball is composed of clay soil, microorganisms and Mabuhay mix (rice bran, sugar and salt). Once thrown into dirty water, the microorganisms in the balls will eat coliform and other bacteria in the water.

“We look forward to the training of our communities in creating Mabuhay balls not just to clean rivers but also as a livelihood for the unemployed. Our constituents will be more invested in the cleanup of creeks and the San Juan River if they are part of the solution,” Zamora said.