Water hyacinths first entered the public’s consciousness during the past administration, when then-President Noynoy Aquino declared war on the pesky plants that were choking up to 20 hectares of the Rio Grande de Mindanao in Cotabato City. Photos of the river at the time show a wide expanse of green plants so thick and dense that it blocked boats and other traffic and caused floods. Aquino said the government would study means to control the growth and spread of the water hyacinths, and explore using the plants’ fiber and as biofuel or alternative energy source. The plants, however, are hardy, and appear regularly during the wet season. They are seen blanketing the Pasig River as a huge green biomass, having traveled from Laguna de Bai.

Ortuoste, J. (2019, June 10). Water hyacinths: Bane or boon?. Manila Standard, p. A5.