ILOILO CITY – Greenpeace Philippines volunteers have initiated a campaign to end plastic pollution in this city. 

Volunteers led by Jarrah Brillantes launched the “Para sa Ilig Batiano” to rehabilitate the Batiano River here and neighboring town of Oton.

GREENPEACE volunteers campaign to end plastic pollution on the Batiano River in Iloilo City. (Stella Justado) 

They found residents during a dialogue who were nostalgic of what the river meant to them, long before newer settlers arrived and the subsequent rise of plastic pollution.

Barangay Kagawad Elvin Jay Viñas of Barangay Santo Niño Norte in Arevalo District said the river was his childhood playground.

Jeffrey Bacaling, a teacher at E. Yusay Elementary School, said he remains hopeful that the river will be revived whenever he sees egrets and other bird species resting.

GREENPEACE volunteers with residents living near the Batiano River in Iloilo City. (Stella Justado)

A waste audit conducted on Jan. 5 said single-use plastic bottles and discarded household appliances made from plastics are clogging the Batiano River. These cause flooding in the community, especially during rainy season.

Volunteers are  working with the community to address the situation and “campaign for structural changes through local policies and ordinances on managing plastic in packaging, distribution, incineration, and disposal.”

They are conducting their own initiatives for the Global Plastics Treaty.