EDITORIAL — Another consequence of uncleanliness

The latest cleanup of the Kinalumsan River netted an estimated 31 tons of garbage, according to Cebu City officials.

The trash was found along the stretch of the river between barangays Duljo-Fatima and Mambaling, an area well known for its dried fish or “buwad” industry.

In fact, the area was still being used to dry fish even as the nearby river was full of garbage and the source of flies and foul odor.

Now the Cebu City Health Department said the “buwaran” as well as a small market in the area may have to be closed due to sanitary concerns if the area isn’t cleaned up.

We all know the most prevalent results of dumping our trash everywhere; constant flooding. The kind that more and more urban areas are experiencing even with the lightest of rains. But it seems that this carefree --or rather careless-- attitude may now also threaten the livelihood of some of us. Chalk this up as another consequence of our culture of uncleanliness.

Why is it that some of us still view natural waterways as our own personal dumping ground? Is it a failure of the government to make people understand what their actions will lead to? Is it a lack of common sense by people? Or are they just indifferent when it comes to disposing of their garbage. A combination of all those, perhaps?

This isn’t an easy question to answer, but what is sure is that our foolishness will return to our own bodies, to paraphrase an old saying.

Cebu is famous for its buwad. This is something that visitors from other parts of the Philippines and even other parts of the world actually go and buy to take home, and something that many families and even entire communities rely on as their livelihood.

It would be tremendously disadvantageous to some of us should the city government decide this industry, or at least the part of it being done beside the Kinalumsan River, is no longer sanitary.