‘SILOED EFFORTS, VAGUE ROLES’: Iloilo River cleanups can’t fix deeper pollution problems

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan and Francis Allan L. Angelo

Weak coordination, unclear roles, and gaps in enforcement continue to hinder effective management of the Iloilo–Batiano River system despite the presence of multiple stakeholders, according to a discussion paper published by the University of the Philippines Center for Integrative and Development Studies (UP CIDS) on April 27, 2026.

The study, titled “River Governance in Focus: A Survey of Council Members and Barangay Leaders in the Iloilo–Batiano River System,” found that river management is constrained “not by the absence of stakeholders, but by unclear role delineation, weak institutional coordination, and gaps in enforcement.”

It added that these issues result in “fragmented and often reactive interventions,” such as clean-up drives that have limited long-term impact on pollution sources.

The paper was authored by Alan Dino Moscoso under the UP CIDS Urban Studies Program and draws from stakeholder consultations conducted in 2025 involving 69 respondents, including members of the Iloilo–Batiano River Development Council (IBRDC) and barangay officials from Iloilo City and the Municipality of Oton.

CLEANUPS DOMINATE, DEEPER PROBLEMS PERSIST

Water pollution emerged as the top concern across all stakeholder groups, although perceptions vary. IBRDC members and barangay officials tend to associate pollution with visible solid waste, while business sector representatives emphasize the unpleasant odor emanating from the river.

The study noted that clean-up drives dominate engagement activities because they are highly visible and accessible, but they do not address deeper structural issues such as wastewater management and industrial discharge.

“Clean-up drives dominate stakeholder engagement, reflecting high visibility but limited impact on structural pollution sources,” the paper stated.

Survey results showed that 48.3 percent of IBRDC respondents envision a “clean and unpolluted river” as the desired state of the Iloilo River, underscoring the central importance of water quality.

Other aspirations include serving as a model for ecosystem and biodiversity conservation (13.8 percent) and providing livelihood benefits for local communities (10.3 percent).

Stakeholders also recognized the river’s multifunctional role, including promoting biodiversity (16.2 percent), providing cultural pride and scenic beauty (13.5 percent), serving as a food source (13.5 percent), and preventing erosion and flooding (13.5 percent).

WEAK MONITORING, FRAGMENTED AGENCIES

The study found significant gaps in monitoring and evaluation systems. Only 20 percent of respondents were aware of the metrics used by their organizations to assess environmental, social, and economic outcomes.

Existing performance tracking systems often focus on narrow indicators such as water quality (12.5 percent) and waste collection (6.3 percent) rather than broader sustainability outcomes.

Coordination issues were also highlighted, with national government agencies and local government units often operating in silos, leading to duplication of efforts and delays in implementation.

The IBRDC serves as the primary multistakeholder coordinating body, but institutional coordination remains weak, with national agencies operating in silos and limited consultation with local actors.

Barangay officials reported limited authority to enforce environmental laws against commercial establishments within their jurisdictions, even when they directly observe infractions.

Survey findings showed that water quality deterioration is driven largely by human activities, with discharges from establishments and poor solid and water waste management each cited by 85 percent of respondents.

A higher density of people and weak, fragmented, and poorly enforced regulations were each cited by 70 percent of respondents as anthropogenic drivers of poor water quality.

Natural disasters such as floods were identified by 90 percent of respondents as the principal natural cause of low water quality.

GOVERNANCE BURDEN

In terms of governance responsibility, IBRDC members identified local government units as the most significant contributors to river management at 34.1 percent, followed by national government agencies at 22.0 percent, the private sector at 12.2 percent, non-government organizations and the IBRDC each at 9.8 percent, and the local community at 7.3 percent.

At the barangay level, respondents pointed to the city government (31.2 percent), local communities (20.4 percent), and barangays themselves (18.3 percent) as key actors in improving river conditions.

The study found a disconnect between policy-level coordination and ground-level implementation, with barangay officials and the business sector reporting that coordination mechanisms are not fully felt at the community level.

Survey data also revealed a statistically significant negative correlation (r = −0.582) between a respondent’s distance to the Batiano River and their perception of informal settlement encroachment.

This means stakeholders living closer to the Batiano River are more likely to report informal settlers as a pressing issue. No such correlation was found for the Iloilo River, which has benefited from major rehabilitation investments such as the construction of river esplanades and beautification projects.

Older respondents also reported significantly higher concern across several issues, including the lack of economic valuation data for riverside businesses, ambiguous roles of barangay officials, undefined administrative boundaries, and the high incidence of respiratory illnesses in riverside communities, with a Pearson correlation coefficient of .729 for respiratory diseases, significant at the 0.01 level.

CALL FOR SYSTEM-WIDE REFORMS

For barangay representatives, the top priorities for the next ten years are solid waste management (28 percent), wastewater and water quality management (26 percent), and river widening or dredging for flood control (18 percent).

Improper waste disposal (44.4 percent), septage or domestic wastewater (28.9 percent), and industrial or commercial waste (13.3 percent) were identified as the main causes of poor water quality in both rivers.

Cleanup activities accounted for 45.8 percent of stakeholder roles, followed by solid waste management at 14.6 percent and environmental monitoring at 10.4 percent.

Existing legal instruments include the Clean Water Act (Republic Act No. 9275), the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (Republic Act No. 9003), and Iloilo City’s Septage Management Ordinance (Regulation Ordinance 2017-07), but enforcement and integration across these frameworks remain inconsistent.

The paper recommended strengthening multi-level governance through a formalized covenant among local government units — particularly Iloilo City, Oton, and other municipalities within the Metro Iloilo–Guimaras Economic Development Council — and national government agencies, with clear roles, shared funding mechanisms, and common river health goals.

It urged adoption of an Integrated Water Resources Management approach, a shift from symbolic cleanups to source-level pollution control through investments in wastewater treatment and septage management, and the empowerment of barangays as frontline enforcers with clear mandates, training, resources, and authority.

The study also called for the development of an Open-Access River Data Portal for real-time monitoring, expanded monitoring frameworks that incorporate social, economic, and environmental indicators, and the strategic use of social media for environmental education, real-time information sharing, and citizen-based monitoring.

“Clarifying stakeholder roles within a collaborative governance and IWRM framework is essential to shift from short-term activities toward long-term, system-based river rehabilitation,” the study concluded.