CLOSE to a thousand individuals joined the Balili Clean-Up Drive in a continuing effort to revitalize the ailing river.

On March 15, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officer Arthur Pedro said an increase in walk-in participants coming from the academe boosted attendance in this year's clean-up drive compared to the original 800 participants.

The participating sectors include business, academe, private sector, cooperatives, line agencies, who helped clean the span of Km. 3 to Km 6.

Eight teams were dispatched along the stretch of the river starting from the Bell Church, StoBoSa Art Mural Homes, Mamaga, Pinespark, Tebteb, Central Balili Bridge, Tabangaoen and Als Restaurant with all collected waste to be surrendered at the Engineered Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Alno.

Aside from the Balili River, adopters were also presented within the tributaries in Bolo creek including Pico, Puguis, Poblacion and Wangal.

Mayor Romeo Salda said the town clean-up drive happens every quarter and said long term solutions like inventory of households is being done.

Household along the river are being profiled to determine how many are directly discharging waste water to the river.

In the past, the river was used for recreational purposes with children swimming and utilized as source of irrigation for farmers.

Today, river water can no longer be utilized with the government and stakeholders aiming to improve water quality for the next generation.

In 2018 groups took the challenge of the “Adopt an Estero” program to strengthen clean-up of the Balili River.