Lucena City launches river rehab drive, collects 105 sacks of waste

LUCENA CITY – An estimated 1.4 metric tons of waste from the Iyam River were removed by volunteers of a multi-sectoral clean-up drive staged on Wednesday as part of the city’s observance of National Disaster Resilience Month.

The City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) said volunteers collected 105 sacks of waste from the riverbanks, consisting of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles, other plastic materials, household waste, construction debris, and biodegradable waste.

Authorities said the biodegradable materials were instead buried so that they can naturally decompose and serve as compost.

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The activity brought together personnel from the city government, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Philippine Coast Guard, barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials, and community volunteers.

“The initiative serves as an important step toward rehabilitating and restoring the city’s rivers,” the Lucena City Public Information Office said.

Authorities also renewed their appeal to residents to stop dumping garbage and human waste into the city’s waterways, noting that some riverside communities have long used the rivers for waste disposal, laundry, and sanitation.

Lucena’s urban center lies between the Dumacaa River to the east and the Iyam River to the west. The two rivers converge in the southern part of the city before emptying into Tayabas Bay, while seven smaller rivers serve as tributaries.

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Previous studies by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and by the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Sciences warned that low-lying areas of Lucena would become increasingly vulnerable to flooding if the two major rivers remain clogged with garbage, pollutants, and natural debris washed down from Mt. Banahaw.

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In the 1960s, the Dumacaa and Iyam rivers were popular destinations for fishing, swimming, and picnics. Over the decades, however, unchecked pollution and improper waste disposal degraded the waterways into virtual dumping grounds.

In recent years, extensive mangrove planting along the riverbanks has helped restore portions of the river ecosystem while providing a natural buffer against flooding in nearby communities.

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Despite these initiatives, flooding still occurs when runoff from Mt. Banahaw coincides with high tide from Tayabas Bay, causing river levels to rise and overflow into low-lying areas./coa