Naga River now a water quality management area

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Naga City — One good thing leads to another.

Ten days after this city celebrated with flourish and style the Naga River Day last March 8, comes the news that the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has chosen Naga River to be the second Water Quality Management Area (WQWA) in Bicol.

The highly successful celebration was spearheaded by its top city hall officials, and guests led by no less than Archbishop Rolando J. Tria Tirona of Caceres and Rep. Leni Robredo who all expressed hope over the river’s future because the people themselves advocate and participate in the preservation of the river’s role in the city’s development and history.

The newest good news was brought forth by EMB Regional Director Roberto D. Sheen when he called and presided over the initial meeting for the WQMA designation last March 18 at the Blue Room of the Raul S. Roco Library at the City Hall compound here.

The meeting which was attended by DENR officials in Bicol and Camarines Sur and stakeholders representing various NGOs and civic and business organizations, officials of the local water districts, and those from the academe tackled the WQMA designation project as one of the strategies identified to effectively enforce the Clean Air Act of 2004 and improve the water quality of water bodies through focused interventions or actions that are designed to address specific water quality issues of the areas.

Director Sheen disclosed that Lake Buhi was the first designated WQMA in Bicol, with Lake Bato, also in Camarines Sur being eyed as the third.

During the same meeting, the composition of the Naga River WQMA Governing Board (GB) was discussed, the final composition of which, that will include representatives from the LGUs and the private and public sectors, will be taken up in the next meeting after the Holy Week, Sheen said.

As explained, the Governing Board will primarily serve as the planning, monitoring, and coordinating body of the WQMA. This GB will review the WQMA action plan prepared by the DENR through the EMB and member stakeholders.

Naga City Environment and Natural Resources Officer Oscar Orozco said this is a welcome development considering that Naga is on its heels of implementing the integrated Naga River Revitalization Project (iNRRP) that seeks “to create public awareness in preserving the historic Naga River, and to encourage better stewardship of the environment in general.”

He announced that the P150M revetment of the riverbanks and implementation of related works like dredging and desilting along Naga River will soon start with the anticipated release of P150M fund secured through the efforts of CamSur 3rd District Rep. Leni Robredo.

Meanwhile, during the presentation of the result of water quality monitoring of Naga River conducted during the first quarter of this year, it was revealed that Naga River since its last monitoring ten years ago remains to be categorized as Class C, meaning that there may be habitation or life (for fish and other marine resources) within the river but its water quality remains polluted and its water may not be used for drinking, bathing, or cleaning clothes.

“But there is hope to revive the river which will be made easier through intervention and collaboration by stakeholders and the people themselves who are the beneficiaries of the river’s wealth and health,” Orozco stressed.

An EMB presentation showed that 57 percent of classified rivers throughout the country still meet the standards for their traditional use and that 31 percent of diseases reported were caused by polluted waters. CPO Naga