City Supports River Summit, Encourages Youth Empowerment

Cebu City officials call on the academe and private sectors to come up with sustainable programs that would protect the environment and at the same time, boost the economic development.

The summit was organized by the Cebu Academe Network (CAN), Cebu City River Management Council and Sangguniang Kabataan. This year’s summit tackled pressing environmental issues that contribute to the worsening of the rivers’ condition with the theme: “Rivers Alive: Atong Sapa, Atong Ugma.”

The summit, participated by hundreds of students coming from the different colleges and universities, people’s organizations, barangay youth organizations, and parishes in Cebu, was held at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) last Saturday, September 21, 2013.

There are five major rivers in Cebu City namely the Lahug River, Mahiga River, Kinalumsan River, Bulacao River, and Guadalupe River.

In his message,Mayor Michael Rama said that education plays a big role in understanding environmental stewardship, which is also a mixture of socio-cultural, political, economic and other physiological factors.

Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) chairman John Philip Po also shared that the youth also plays an important role in protecting the rivers of today to have a better tomorrow for all. The event empowered the youth, making them aware of their vital role in revitalizing the rivers at present within the community level.

To recall, Mayor Rama led the clearing operation of the Mahiga Creek of illegal structures last 2010 following a heavy flood in the area. Based on the 1976 Water Code of the Philippines, a minimum easement of three-meters along the riverside should be implemented, Rama said.

The move was protested by the affected residents who filed an administrative and civil case against the mayor and some city officials but was recently dismissed by the court in August this year. It also showed the local government’s pro-activeness thru the strong political will of the city mayor.

According to Rama, such willpower and strong implementation of the law are needed to fully protect the river and people as well. The river could now be properly rehabilitated thru City Hall’s ‘Project ReDz-River,’ while the residents are being transferred to a relocation area which is taken cared by the Division of the Welfare for the Urban Poor (DWUP). (Gessa Gunhuran, PIO Staff)