BY VANNE TERRAZOLA
Senator Cynthia Villar has cited the Las Pinas-Zapote River as a “life artery” for the people of Las Pinas City.
In a statement following the celebration of the World Rivers Day, Villar said the rehabilitation of the Las Pinas-Zapote River paved the way to social enterprises that provided livelihood to residents.
“While we no longer have a river as pristine as in the 70’s, back in the time when the river is teeming with fish, the river continues to provide for the city through livelihood projects that sprung out of our project to rehabilitate the Las Pinas-Zapote River,” Villar, also chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, said.
The “Sagip Ilog” project was launched in 2002 to resuscitate the Las Piñas and Zapote Rivers thru the collection of garbage, plastics, and water lilies in the river.
The water lilies collected from the river were also used as a material for weaving handicrafts which also served as a livelihood project for housewives in the city. Organic fertilizers were also made from the coconut husk thrown into the river.
The Sagip Ilog project won for Villar, who was then Las Piñas City representative, and her husband, former Senate President Manny Villar the United Nations “Best Practices Award” in 2011.
Villar also initiated the construction of the Las Piñas River Drive, a five-phased, 20-kilometer road project with the twin objective of easing traffic congestion and reducing flooding in Las Piñas City during the rainy season.
“We hope that through our projects that transformed our once murky and dirty river to a useful water system, we are raising awareness on the need to better care for our water resources for it to continue to provide us with necessities of life,” Villar said.
World Rivers Day is celebrated every fourth Sunday of September to highlight the many values of rivers and also to encourage the improved stewardship of rivers around the world. (Vanne Terrazola)
