The Iloilo-Batiano River System is set for its first master plan update in more than two decades, following a new research partnership between the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) and the Iloilo City Government.
The UPV-funded study will revisit the 2002 river master plan and provide the basis for possible development control regulations to strengthen the protection and management of the river system.
Vice Chancellor for Planning and Development and project leader Rhodella Ibabao said the results of the research will be crucial in shaping long-term strategies.
“This will be the first time that we will be updating the master plan. The results of this study will guide not only the updating process but also future development controls to ensure the protection of the river system,” she explained.
The agreement was signed on Tuesday, Aug. 26, by UPV Chancellor Clement Camposano and Mayor Raisa Treñas, witnessed by UP Center for Integrative and Development Studies Director Dr. Rosalie Arcala-Hall and City Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Janis Sy.
Treñas underscored the importance of the study, saying that protecting the water quality and biodiversity of the Iloilo-Batiano River is essential for its sustainability.
The research, titled “Revitalizing an Urban River: Stakeholders’ Engagement in Improving the Water Quality of the Iloilo-Batiano River Basin,” will monitor water quality and ecological conditions, review existing laws and ordinances related to the river, and update the socio-cultural profile of 29 barangays along its area of influence.
UPV Chancellor Camposano said the project continues the university’s collaboration with the city government, noting that UPV has long supported Iloilo City through initiatives related to sustainability, eco-tourism, and food safety.IMT
