fEATURE | DEVCOM
Merged Reality wriTTen by MDPWN. FRANZESCA MARI B. BAUTISTA
I
t was the 19th Century. The riverside was busy—boats came and went, passing through the river for trade. Sugar was of high demand.
The boom in the sugar industry made Iloilo River the second most important port of call in the Spanish Colony. With its economy growing, Iloilo’s rank was raised to Royal City (Queen’s City) of the South by the Queen Regent of Spain. The center of economic growth and development, Iloilo River still remains as a trademark. It is presented as a story of a forgotten asset, polluted and degraded. The Iloilo River supports the growth of 22 mangrove species out of 35 national species. However, what was supposedly
20
VOL.59 nO.1 | The DOLPHIN
abundant in the region has become a needle in a haystack of infrastructures. Mangrove areas were reduced because they were converted to residential areas. Informal settlers were not only a problem for the diminishing area for mangroves but are also contributors to water pollution. Untreated wastewater from residential, hospitals and hotels as well as solid waste caused the river to be poisoned. Waterborne diseases were abundant, water quality was poor, and fish kill was apparent.
Due to the presence of informal settlers and improper waste management, most of the wastewater from the city, as well as the waste from ocean vessels brought about by the current has infiltrated Iloilo River. The intrusion of saltwater was also evident. This may lead to the contamination of groundwater, making water scarcity and security an issue for the Ilonggos. National development objectives, environmental concerns, and possible economic progress led to the conclusion that the Iloilo-Batiano River basin had to be cleaned. In order to achieve this goal, the city government implemented programs and
