If the rivers stop flowing , life stops working !
-United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs
The importance of Rivers goes beyond water supply, its also about being a food source and biodiversity. This is a personal observation as someone who was born in a riverbank town of Oras Eastern Samar . Ours is a very long river that as a boy will take you days of travel on an outrigger manual boat and a good whole day of motor boat from Oras to Jipapad.
In 2020, Philippine News Agency’s Sarwell Meniano, wrote a News Story about 56 Billion worth of possible budget for the river development in Eastern Visayas, the story still appears he https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1090721.However, the budget may have been shelved or spent on other projects, we will know for sure, later. The project was also aimed to mitigate climate change effects as Meniano quotes Neational Economic Development Authority Regional Director Meylene Rosales.
To this writer, Rivers are sentimental places of calm and comfort. It has always been a happy place of cool and clear oasis of fun. But more than fun, we knew fully well that DEVELOPMENT can flow from the rivers. If given proper inputs much like the roads we built, the same can stimulate economic activity, smooth passage of goods and even a longer life span for the flood stricken areas, mostly we do not care that much to the river people.
But if we do give the river its due, these may be the game changer for development at the Eastern Visayas area. The Atlas will show that there are 325 or more rivers and that it traverse our lands and that in spite of the calm and stealth nature that it has, its and area that we can develop, we can improve. Perhaps, harness Kinetic Energy to become Hydro Power like that of Taft Eastrn Samar or harness its power of transporting goods and tourism like Bohol and Venice. It will always be a great source of Irrigation like the Nile and Mesopotamia where civilization started, but here in Eastern Visayas, it maybe our salvation, ecologically, economically.
Please let’s look at the rivers, one more time .Lets see it as it is, a life giver, an enabler of growth.
