ILOILO City – Shifting toward large-scale environmental governance, Iloilo City and the Municipality of Oton, Iloilo have forged a unified, basin-wide strategy to rehabilitate and protect the Iloilo-Batiano River System – a move away from fragmented river management toward coordinated, science-driven action.
The partnership, formalized during a high-level policy-sharing session on March 25, 2026, at the Iloilo City Business Center, focuses on addressing interconnected urban and rural pressures — from pollution and informal settlements to flooding and climate risks — threatening one of the region’s most critical waterways.
The initiative was anchored on a three-year research effort led by the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) River Project Team and funded by the UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS), emphasizing evidence-based policymaking and stakeholder-driven solutions.
Bringing together representatives from 22 Iloilo City government offices under the Waterways Development Council, alongside officials from Oton led by Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Menchie Paniergo and Oton Sangguniang Bayan chair for Environmental Management Evaristo Miguel Flores Jr., the session highlighted the need for harmonized governance across political boundaries.
Central to the agreement is Iloilo City’s commitment to overhaul its River Development Masterplan to address biodiversity protection, climate resilience, solid waste and septage management, informal settlements, and governance gaps.
The revised plan will integrate Oton’s rural priorities, particularly flood control and riverbank management, ensuring that upstream and downstream interventions are aligned.
Officials stressed that managing the river system requires a unified approach that recognizes the interdependence of urban and rural communities sharing the same watershed.
To institutionalize the effort, both local governments agreed to embed river protection strategies into key planning instruments, including the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) and Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP), as well as align them with the Coastal Resource Management Plan and Local Shelter Plan.
The collaboration also includes plans to formalize the Iloilo City Waterways Development Council through an ordinance, paving the way for sustained funding, policy alignment, and stronger coordination with national agencies.
The policy session was co-convened by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), led by EnP Janis Mae Sy and Assistant Head Ma. Christina Octavio, with support from the Coastal and Water Bodies Management Division.
The UPV Project Team included Prof. Rhodella A. Ibabao, Prof. Brian Ventura, Mr. Alan Dino Moscoso, Michelle Ann Loredo, Jeestin Kent Gabinera, and Geraldine Camandillo, whose research continues to guide policy directions for sustainable river management in Western Visayas./PN
