Mr. Jaime L. Mendoza
Deputy City Administrator, Office of the City Mayor,
Olongapo City Government, Philippinres

1. The City

Based on the year 2000 Census of Population conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO), Olongapo City has a total population of 194,260 excluding transients.

The existing water supply system of Olongapo City is operated by a private company called Subic Water and Sewage Company, or “Subicwater”. The system extends throughout Olongapo City and it is estimated to have covered or serviced around 92% of the entire population. Water for the system is derived mainly from two rivers, a well and a spring. The combined capacity of all these sources is an average of 56,024 cumd. The percentage of houses that have adequate sanitation facilities ranges from 95.2% to 97.9%, as determined by the 2000 NSO Census and the 2004 Socio Economic Survey by the City Government.

There is no existing piped wastewater collection in Olongapo City, nor any wastewater treatment facilities for waste removed from septic tanks or vaults. About 86.72% of households discharge their excreta waste to septic tanks and another 8.51% discharge their waste to vaults and other depositories. Septic tank effluent is generally disposed of by leaching into the ground.

When the massive Subic Bay U.S. Naval Base was built in the late 1940s, an artificial river was created to form a natural border between the Base and the residents of what is now Olongapo City. The Pagasa River was once a clean water way where children played and along which residents traveled on an effective transportation system. It still represents a central asset for the city, along which a pleasant covered walkway has been constructed. At the same time, rapid population growth, especially in the area alongside the river has made this once pristine waterway highly polluted. The portion of the Pagasa River between the city and the Subic Bay Freeport Zone that passes along the perimeters of Barangay Kalalake and Pag-asa is one of the most polluted waterways in the city. The pollution is mainly from household solid wastes and wastewater.

The pleasant walkway is little used, because of the bad odors from the river. Although there is city garbage collection in the neighborhood along the river, residents living on small lanes off the main road still throw garbage into the river. This means that a great deal of household waste is dumped into the river, which causes the extensive pollution. If this river can be effectively rehabilitated, it could become a beacon of what the population can do to protect the environment and make a more pleasant and healthy surrounding for itself.

To TOP

2. The Proposed Action Plan

There is a need to prioritize the rehabilitation of this portion of this river because it runs through the main western gateway to the city from the Freeport, and it is crossed daily by thousands of commuters to and from the Freeport. It is also at this portion of the river where some tourism facilities are located, such as the City Shopping Mall, the Boardwalk, and the proposed Floating Restaurant. This project will rehabilitate the river, cleaning it of rotting debris and ridding it of bad odors. It will also create a model pilot project for river rehabilitation that can be used in other areas.

The project will involve building and partnership between relevant elements of the city government and newly formed community groups, drawn from a variety of existing NGOs, and schools. Education and media campaigns will be designed and activated to draw attention to the plight of the river and mobilize groups to take an active role in cleaning the river and keeping it clean.

General Objectives:

1. To rehabilitate the river by eliminating its present bad odor and reducing the pollution to the level that is consistent with the standards for its present and future uses.
2. To establish a model pilot area for river rehabilitation, that can be replicated for other waterways in the city.

Specific Objectives:

1. To obtain and collate all the necessary data information needed for the detailed planning and implementation of the project.
2. To get support from the various levels of the city government organization.
3. To inform, educate, obtain the commitment of, and actively involve all the stakeholders in the project.
4. To periodically attain specific, quantifiable reductions in the amounts of pollutants in the river.
5. To periodically monitor and assess the project activities.

Key Steps:

1. Report to the City Mayor on the AUICK Workshop.
2. Present Action Plan at Department Heads’ Meeting.
3. Detailed discussion / finalization of Action Plan with CPDO, ESMO, CHO, PIO and other concerned City Government Departments.
4. City Mayor issues executive order creating a task force for the pilot project.
5. Coordinate with Subicwater regarding technical data on water quality at project site.
6. Gather / collate needed data.
7. Present Action Plan to the City Council.
8. Prepare/produce public information materials.
9. Launch massive public information campaign:
   a. Disseminate public info materials.
   b. Hold public meetings (Barangay officials/ residents, PTA’s, students, business groups,etc.).
   c. Hold contests: “Name the River” contest, essay writing, poster-making, sloganeering, etc.
   d. Media Blitz: press conferences, press releases, TV/radio guesting, radio barrage, etc.
10. Community organizing for project participation / tasking.
11. Monthly water quality monitoring.
12. Continuous project monitoring and monthly assessment of project activities.
13. Public feedback and reporting to the stakeholders.

Time frame: June 2007 - November 2008