Over 9,000 volunteers marked World Water Day (WWD) in the Mimaropa region with simultaneous cleanup of 11 rivers, which netted around 22 tons of garbage, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said. The cleanup coincided with the launch of the Calapan River rehabilitation project in Oriental Mindoro. The river has been suffering from pollution due to solid waste disposal and untreated wastewater discharge. The cleanup activities recently organized by the DENR gathered participants from the agency’s field offices, partner agencies, local government units (LGUs), non-government organizations, academic, religious, and business sectors and other civil society groups with one goal in mind: to save rivers from pollution, and achieve safe water for present and future generations.

Villanueva, R. (2019, April 4). Mimaropa marks World Water Day with river cleanup. The Philippine Star, p. B6.