CPU PASSC, ILIG Batiano Launch Batiano River Clean-Up

In a strong show of environmental commitment, the Central Philippine University – College of Arts and Sciences Student Council (CPU PASSC), in partnership with the Iloilo Local Initiators Group for Batiano River (ILIG Batiano), will lead a clean-up drive to raise youth awareness about the river’s condition and the need for its rehabilitation.

Organizers said the activity is part of a broader campaign with local communities promoting environmental stewardship and engagement under the “Flowing Forward: Reviving the Iloilo Batiano River” project.

The Batiano River Clean-Up Drive is set for May 31, 2025, from 7 to 9 a.m., with the assembly point at the Barangay Sta. Cruz Bridge connecting Barangay Sto. Niño Sur in the Villa Arevalo district.

In preparation, CPU PASSC and ILIG Batiano have formally sought support from the Iloilo City Government, particularly the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) headed by Janis Mae Sy and the General Services Office (GSO) under Engineer Neil Ravena.

“We hope to foster collective action and raise awareness about the importance of restoring the Batiano River, a vital waterway from Oton to Iloilo City,” said Sarah Estha S. Ong, CPU PASSC board member and project lead for Flowing Forward.

In October 2024, CPU PASSC held a student forum titled “Batiano: Why Rivers and Waterways Matter” at the CPU Educational Media Center to spark public discussion and mobilize youth for the river’s revival.

The forum drew commitments from more than 100 students.

The student council expressed optimism that the partnership with ILIG Batiano, CENRO, GSO, the private sector, and local communities will be a significant step in sustaining the river’s ecological health and inspiring long-term participation.

The clean-up drive also highlights community collaboration, with support from the Barangay Sta. Cruz council, Sangguniang Kabataan, Hulag Ta! Sta. Cruz Volunteers, Sta. Cruz Youth Ministry, Barangay Sto. Niño Sur, the Iloilo Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association, FF Cruz Shipping Corp., and Cafe Gloria.

Meanwhile, ILIG Batiano movement leader Mary Ann Matiling said that while clean-ups are not a long-term solution, they are crucial first steps in raising public awareness that, aside from the Iloilo River, the Batiano River also needs attention and restoration.

Matiling said the Batiano River holds rich historical, cultural, and ecological value, once home to early settlers and a thriving ecosystem of birds and mangroves from Oton to Iloilo City.

Despite its deteriorating condition, the river continues to provide food and livelihood to residents along its banks, she added.

Spanning about 17.5 kilometers from Oton to Iloilo City, the Batiano River flows through the scenic shorelines of Villa Arevalo and into the urban district of Molo before emptying into the Iloilo Strait facing Guimaras Island.

Twenty barangays with a combined population of 96,519 people (Philippine Statistics Authority, 2020) live along the river’s banks and surrounding communities, which are intersected by several bridges including Batiano Bridge in Poblacion, Sevirino Haro Bridge in Oton, and Mohon, Sta. Cruz, Sto. Niño, Calumpang and Boulevard bridges in Villa Arevalo and Molo districts.