Butuanon River viewing deck breaks ground
The Mandaue City government broke ground yesterday for the construction of a viewing deck along the 24-kilometer Butuanon River.
The construction forms part of the city’s rehabilitation plans.
The 70-square-meter viewing deck, which is projected to cost P2 million and to be funded by private entities, will also serve as a testing area for water samples.
The construction of the viewing deck is targeted to finish next month in time for the 4th International River Summit (IRS), which will commence on November 22 and end on November 24.
Mandaue City will host the convergence of at least 500 local and foreign participants for the summit’s fourth leg.
With the theme, “Raising awareness, commitment, and resources for the rivers,” the summit is geared towards “effective river rehabilitation management, a strengthened commitment from major institutional partners, and a closer collaboration among stakeholders for the development, management and protection of our rivers.”
It aims to gather all the major stakeholders in the protection and rehabilitation of all the rivers in the country. Also, it underscores the importance of our rivers through intensified river advocacy and governance.
Mayor Gabriel Luis Quisumbing said the viewing deck will provide delegates an “easy-toaccess” to the present condition of the river.
"Kinahanglan man gyud dunay gamay nga area kun asa makabisita bitaw ang atong delegates to make sure they can actually see the river itself,” he said.
Quisumbing said the project will soon bring awareness to the public about the importance of having an unpolluted water body.
"This again, the entire intention is to bring awareness, hopefully positive change for the development of the Butuanon river," he said.
The IRS was first held in Iloilo City in 2012 followed by Marikina City in 2014 and Cagayan de Oro City in 2016.
In 2012, the first IRS held in Iloilo City led to the Iloilo Declaration, which calls for greater investment to address the challenges brought about by the impacts of climate change and rapid urbanization on rivers.
The summit in 2014 brought forth the Marikina Declaration, which itemized the global, national, and local actions toward river rehabilitation and management. It resulted in the creation of Marikina River Institute.
The third IRS facilitated the adoption of the Cagayan de Oro Consensus, a document that focuses on the conservation of watersheds, improvement of water quality, the establishment of resilient communities, and recognizes the importance of watersheds in the health of rivers.