Echoes from a dying river

At one time, people believed the Mananga River could supply Metro Cebu with water, but it is no longer the placid body it used to be. Today, the riverbank has too much plastic and waste that many people have thrown out. It’s not only caused by nature or changing weather, but the decline in its environment is due to poor policy choices, lack of implementation, and less interest from the public. The Mananga River, which was once essential for those who lived here, has become an important sign of environmental damage in the city.

This situation reveals a fact that cannot be disguised: policies often fail not due to inherent flaws in their design, but primarily because of poor implementation.

It was not until 1997 that the Mananga River was declared a Class A river, and after being properly treated, it could provide safe drinking water (Melad et al., 2024). From 2016 to 2019, a study explained how the river’s health deteriorated, making it unsafe for all humans, plants, and animals (Mercado et al., 2023). It was clear that both the regulations and the good intentions behind them had been overpowered by poor implementation and weak administration.

Talisay City Ordinance 2007-03 was created with the hopes of making the objectives of Republic Act 9003, also known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, into the City’s policies. The ordinance required residents to segregate garbage, organized materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in the barangays, and encouraged everyone to participate. After over a decade, the ordinance continues to exist but has not reached its intended purpose.

According to the 2024 River and Coastal Clean-Up report by the Talisay City Ecological Solid Waste Management (ESWM) Office, 9,603 kilograms of solid waste were cleared from just a section of the river, obtained from seven community barangays. Lawaan 3, weighing 2,576 kilograms, Lagtang, weighing 2,151 kilograms, Tabunok, weighing 1,465 kilograms, and Mohon, weighing 1,316 kilograms, were the largest of the records. Some of these barangays sit side by side, and Mananga Bridges 1 and 2 are places that are frequented for entering the city and are crucial for drainage activities.

The number proves more than it measures. It carries significant evidence. It highlights what the authorities did wrong and what solutions communities were not able to implement. Instead of just being trash, this garbage shows a lack of coordination in the community.

It is common for responsibility to be passed along to somebody else, much like garbage ends up elsewhere. Officials claim there is not enough budget, many MRFs are in poor condition, and waste is collected irregularly. In comparison, residents say it is common for trash not to be collected on time, they do not understand how to sort their waste correctly, and they feel that trying to separate it makes no difference.

The policy can be seen in writing, but when put into action, things are not always clear. In agreement with Farr (1985), a political explanation should also consider the background situation, such as the people involved, their abilities, the rules in place, and the environment in which they function. But here, everything is not working as it should.

It’s interesting that the majority of those living near the Mananga River are familiar with the regulation requiring the separation of different types of waste. Yet, the gap appears when practice is involved. If the rule is broken in the process, people see no reason to sort their trash.

It is common for cities to arrange clean-up drives, and most people praise them. Of course, their impact can be seen, even if it doesn’t last for a long time. They care about the symptoms, not the causes. They strive to address the starting trouble, not the continuous damage caused by it. As a result, the problem gets worse: garbage keeps building up, someone holds a drive, and the river is contaminated within only weeks.

Ineffective preventive measures

Preventive measures will fail to be truly effective unless they are continuously enforced. They are satisfying at first, but do not help in the long run.

Implementation at the local level is done through the barangay. Even so, barangay officials are simply tasked with implementing policies and require proper support from the state to succeed. Farr (1985) argues that politics is driven by both human choice and obstacles or opportunities in the environment. In this situation, many challenges arise, including not having enough equipment, not having clear guidance on some types of waste, and too much reliance on aid from city administrations.

Moreover, MRFs are not functioning in many barangays. Apathy from the community and a lack of care for facilities are reasons why many of these existing buildings are rarely used. There are many points in the chain where things go wrong.

The problem with the Mananga River is now also being seen as a political issue. It shows how cities handle changes and refuse clean-up, how their old policies remain unchanged, and how people are made to get accustomed to the pollution.

For every plastic bag we see in the water, there was a missed opportunity to collect a fine, sort out a trash offense, or help people understand waste. Flooded streets at the height of the rainy season indicate that uncontrolled waste transforms into a danger.

With pollution blocking its flow, the Mananga River demonstrates Farr’s (1985) point that a political event depends on the relationships between actors and the environment. The river is the result of a planned policy that is not effectively followed in actual practice.

Actions to save the Mananga River must be both aimed at avoiding future problems and implemented widely. First, local government leaders should assign specific tasks to the barangays, keep a close eye on their work, and involve all related agencies. They also require enough money and proper training, or their initiatives to manage waste will continue to face difficulties. It is essential to restore the public’s confidence by regularly collecting household waste. If individuals see that the system is fair, they tend to get involved.

Additionally, more information should be made available by publishing regular reports about the barangays that comply, families that are fined, and companies that meet waste management requirements. The public needs to be aware at the same time as the government takes action. Thirdly, people’s involvement in politics should move from meeting obligations to having genuine interest. This can be made possible by making incentives available, including rewards, tax cuts, or rebates for following the rules.

The Mananga River remembers all the events of the past. The ordinance was approved but left ineffective, and officials in each barangay stand by themselves. Every household is unclear as to whether what they throw out really matters. It remembers all the clean-up efforts from the past, only to see new garbage coming tomorrow.

The rules in environmental policies must be put into action. They should exist in communities, perform appropriate behavior, and remain in water. To govern means to oversee the process, starting from local city councils and in the most distant homes.

If we want to help Mananga communicate, let its words remind us to act for the environment.