Bacolod city: The city government here enjoined Bacolodnons to take part in flood mitigation efforts after 26 tons of garbage were dredged from Mambuloc Creek on Thursday.

According to Philippines News Agency, Mayor Greg Gasataya, who personally supervised the initial dredging operation, stated that civic participation is critical to the long-term success of the initiative. He emphasized the importance of community involvement in maintaining clean waterways, highlighting it as a shared responsibility of the people.

The clean-up drive in waterways is part of the city's flood mitigation efforts targeting vulnerable areas, including Barangays 2, 8, and 10, which are situated in the city proper, adjacent to shopping malls and other major business establishments. Gasataya noted that while the city can implement infrastructure solutions, lasting change requires active participation from the community.

To help maintain the cleanliness of the creek, the city plans to install catch nets and other reinforcements along the waterways. A waste analysis and characterization study by the Bacolod Environment and Natural Resources Office revealed that this highly urbanized city generates an average of 577 tons of garbage each day, with about 400 tons entering the sanitary landfill daily.