ILOILO CITY — The local government of Iloilo City and the University of the Philippines Visayas have extended a major research initiative to improve water quality across the Iloilo-Batiano River, a project that directly impacts 29 riverside villages.

The two institutions signed a new memorandum of agreement on 27 January, formally advancing the project into its third year. The initiative, titled “Revitalizing an Urban River: Stakeholders’ Engagement in Improving the Water Quality of the Iloilo-Batiano River Basin,” is shifting its focus from diagnostic research to implementing solutions that combine science and governance.

It takes a basin-wide approach, based on the principle that sustainable rehabilitation requires coordinated action from all communities and institutions situated along the waterway.

City officials cited that the expanded scope ensures the river is not treated in isolation, as pollution and flooding in one area inevitably affect downstream neighborhoods.

Researchers from UP Visayas are focusing on generating continuous water quality data and monitoring the socio-economic conditions of families living along the riverbanks. This information will be used to create policy recommendations for long-term urban river management.

University experts emphasized that the involvement of stakeholders, ranging from village leaders to city planners, is essential to restoring ecological health while protecting local livelihoods.

The findings from this initiative are expected to be integrated into the Iloilo River Development Master Plan. Officials hope the project will serve as a model for evidence-based river revitalization in other regional cities across the Philippines.