1.3 metric tons of garbage hauled from Visayas rivers

CEBU CITY — Fishes were not the only things pulled from Central Visayas rivers. There was garbage too, mostly plastics.

More than 1.3 metric tons of trash were hauled from rivers and waterways across the region during a simultaneous cleanup drive held in celebration of World Environment Day.

Led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Central Visayas (DENR-7), the regionwide activity mobilized hundreds of volunteers across Cebu, Bohol, Negros Oriental, and Siquijor.

Plastic waste dominated the collection, reflecting the persistent problem of plastic pollution in inland water systems.

In Cebu City, 142 volunteers removed 713 kilograms of garbage from the Lahug River, filling 111 sacks, most of which contained plastic.

The initiative formed part of the DENR-7's "Rivers for Life" campaign, which aims to curb plastic waste at its source and encourage community-led environmental action.

Negros Oriental also joined the effort, with 142 kilograms of trash collected from the Tibyawan River in Tayasan. In Dumaguete City, a separate cleanup at Banica River included the planting of 500 miagos (Erythrina variegata) seedlings and the installation of a trash trap to intercept future waste.

In Siquijor, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) led volunteers in retrieving 201 kilograms of trash from the Datag River, including cigarette butts and construction debris.

Bohol's Abatan River cleanup gathered 51 kilograms of garbage through a joint initiative with the Abatan River Development Management Council and local volunteers.

The agency said the event highlighted the importance of restoring rivers and involving local communities in protecting water ecosystems.

DENR-7 director Paquito Melicor Jr., during a forum on Wednesday, underscored the need to address the proliferation of single-use plastics.

He encouraged communities to adopt zero-waste lifestyles and continue monitoring waterways even beyond World Environment Day activities.

Melicor also emphasized the "Love Our Earth Program," which promotes the collection and repurposing of single-use plastics into construction materials such as pavement bricks and hollow blocks through recycling facilities like the one in Toledo City.

Aside from the June 5 cleanup, DENR-7 has lined up additional environmental activities, including coastal cleanups in Cebu's South Road Properties on June 7 for World Oceans Day and Coral Triangle Day.

Tree planting and maintenance events are also scheduled in Balamban and Minglanilla towns later this month.