In a strong show of environmental commitment, the Central Philippine University – College of Arts and Sciences Student Council (CPU PASSC), in collaboration with the Iloilo Local Initiators Group for Batiano River (ILIG Batiano), is set to lead a clean-up drive aimed at raising youth awareness on the state of the river and why it calls for its rehabilitation and revival.
Organizers say the activity is a part of their broader campaign with local communities for environmental stewardship and engagement under the “Flowing Forward: Reviving the Iloilo Batiano River” Project.
The Batiano River Clean-Up Drive is set for May 31, 2025, from 7:00 to 9:00 A.M. The assembly area is at the Brgy. Sta. Cruz Bridge that connects Brgy. Sto. Niño Sur in the Villa Arevalo district.
In preparation for the event, CPU PASSC and ILIG Batiano have formally sought the support and coordination of the Iloilo City Government, specifically, the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) headed by Janis Mae Sy and the General Services Office (GSO) under Engr. Neil Ravena, respectively.
“We hope to foster collective action and raise awareness about the importance of restoring the Batiano River, a vital waterway from Oton to Iloilo city,” said Sarah Estha S. Ong, Board Member of CPU PASSC and lead of Flowing Forward: Reviving the Iloilo Batiano River Project.
In October last year, CPU PASSC conducted a student forum: “Batiano: Why Rivers and Waterways Matters” at the CPU Educational Media Center to start public conversation about the river and to rally for active youth participation for its revival. The forum gathered the commitment of more than 100 students.
The student council expressed optimism that the partnership with ILIG Batiano, CENRO, GSO, private sector, and members of the local communities will be a meaningful step toward sustaining the ecological health of the river and inspiring long-term community participation.
The clean-up drive is also a showcase of cooperation and collaboration through the active involvement of the Brgy. Sta. Cruz council members and the Sangguniang Kabataan, Hulag Ta! Sta. Cruz Volunteers, Sta. Cruz Youth Ministry, and the Brgy. Sto. Niño Sur, together with the Iloilo Hotels, Restaurants, and Resorts Association (IHRRA), FF Cruz Shipping Corporation, and Cafe Gloria.
On the other hand, the ILIG Batiano River movement, led by entrepreneur Mary Ann Matiling, believes that while clean-up activities are not sustainable and a long-term solution, they are a necessary small step to raise public awareness that, apart from the Iloilo River, another waterway requires attention and rehabilitation.
According to Matiling, the Batiano River carries rich historical, cultural, and ecological significance, pointing to earlier settlers and communities in Oton and down to Iloilo City and having a thriving flora and fauna with various bird species and mangroves.
In spite of its sad state, it continues to serve as a food source and livelihood among community folks residing along its scenic riverbanks, she added.
The Batiano River is a waterway approximately 17.5 kilometers from Oton, Iloilo, passing through the panoramic shorelines of Villa Arevalo and down to the populous urban district of Molo in Iloilo City, and empties into the Iloilo Strait, facing the majestic Island of Guimaras.
There are 20 barangays with 96,519 (PSA, 2020) people inhabiting its banks and residing throughout its interior communities that are formed by households and commercial areas, bisected by bridges like the Batiano Bridge in Poblacion to the Sevirino Haro Bridge in Oton, and then bridges in Villa Arevalo: Mohon, Sta. Cruz, and Sto. Niño, on to Calumpang and Boulevard in the Molo district.
