By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
The Iloilo City government has collected more than two tons of trash, primarily plastics, from the five-kilometer, four-lane Iloilo River North Bank Road, also known as Sunset Boulevard, this week.
General Services Office (GSO) head Engr. Neil Ravena told Daily Guardian that on Feb. 2 alone, the first day of their massive cleanup drive, around 2,240 kilograms of solid waste were recovered from the area.
“Ninety percent of it is food packaging and plastics. So, we also provided garbage bags and instructed food cart vendors to bring their own garbage bags so that plastic cups will not litter the area,” he said.
As of Feb. 6, Ravena said the total collected trash had exceeded two tons, consisting of waste from the Iloilo River, informal settlers in nearby villages, and visitors frequenting the boulevard since its opening on Jan. 24.
Sunset Boulevard stretches from Molo-Mandurriao Road, intersects with the Iloilo Circumferential Road, and ends at Oton-Pakiad-Mandurriao Road in Cagbang, Oton.
With residential areas from Barangay Tabucan in Mandurriao, Iloilo City, and Barangay Cagbang in Oton bordering it, the site remains vulnerable to improper waste disposal from households.
The GSO has deployed 19 waste bins and four portalets, or portable toilets, in the area.
Ravena said they plan to install six additional concrete bins to improve waste collection and prevent littering, particularly from bottles of alcoholic beverages left behind by individuals engaging in “park shots.”
“According to the monitoring report, the situation has improved in terms of solid waste management. At the same time, there are rules enforced by other departments, such as anti-smoking regulations and curfew on minors,” he said.
Ravena noted that the local community has generally complied with proper waste disposal practices.
However, authorities continue to encourage residents to adopt a “clean as you go” mentality to help maintain cleanliness.
“We have already provided waste bins, and there are visible signs reminding people to clean as they go. We should practice this habit to preserve and protect our Sunset Boulevard,” he stressed.
He added that the collected plastic waste will be repurposed, similar to previous initiatives during the Dinagyang Festival, where plastics were processed into eco-boards for sustainable use.
