Iloilo City to crack down on villages that dump solid waste into waterways
SOLID WASTE. Iloilo City government personnel remove solid waste from drainage as part of the clearing operations for drainage systems, waterways and bodies of water. Engr. Neil Ravena, chief of the General Services Office, said in an interview on Thursday (June 12, 2025) that they will install waste traps in outfalls to capture solid waste. (Photo courtesy of Neil Ravena’s Facebook page)
ILOILO CITY — The city government will begin installing waste traps at the boundaries of barangays (villages) along the Iloilo River and nearby creeks to trace the sources of pollution and hold violators accountable.
Engineer Neil Ravena, chief of the General Services Office (GSO), in an interview on Thursday said the move is to identify villages responsible for dumping solid waste into waterways.
The plan was discussed in a recent meeting with the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
“This is to identify the source of solid waste in the Iloilo River. We will summon the barangay officials, informing them that their village contributes wastes that we see in our waterways,” he warned.
Barangays found repeatedly violating waste disposal rules will be called to a technical conference and issued notices of violation, with corresponding fines and penalties if they fail to comply.
Ravena added that they also have an ongoing clearing of drainage systems, waterways and bodies of water, together with the City Engineer’s Office.
“Definitely, one of the factors affecting our drainage system is the solid waste,” he identified.
He said they again saw solid wastes at the river and even at the Sunset Boulevard on Thursday.
“We proposed to install waste traps in all outfalls,” he added.
Based on their record, the volume of waste collected from the drainage system increased to over 700 kilograms a day from the previous 300 kilos./apl
