BAGUIO CITY (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has approved the reclassification of the Balili River from Class A to Class B in keeping with the  current situation.

DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations – Luzon Atty. Juan Miguel Cuna turned over the DENR Memorandum Circular 2022-08, the official reclassification of the Balili River to Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong and La Trinidad Mayor Romeo Salda in simple ceremony at the Environment and Management Bureau-Cordillera(EMB-CAR)  in Baguio City last week.

EMB-CAR Regional Director Ma. Victoria Abrera said that the Balili River as a head tributary of the Upper Naguillian River was holding the classification of Class A and was designated as a Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) by virtue of DENR Administrative Order 2013-05.

“History shows that this water body used to be suitable for swimming and other recreational activities and purpose. It is undeniably true that due to rapid urbanization and population increase, the river has been polluted and changed its beneficial use to irrigation and other purposes,” she explained.

While EMB-CAR can only cover the 500 establishments along the Balili River, she said that they are hoping that with the expansion of the Baguio sewerage treatment facility would be very helpful in the cleanliness and revival of the Balili River.

In the message of DENR Usec for Environment and International Environment Affairs Jonas Leones read by DENR-CAR Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo, he commended the different local government units for their willingness to do good to make a ripple of change and to revive the Balili River.

“I would like to honor the local government units for taking the lead, special mention  to Mayor Benjamin Magalong,  in taking the first call in classifying Balili River from Class A to Class B in order to pass the guidelines for putting up a more advanced STP in Baguio City and align its classification close to its beneficiaries. But aside from that I would like to commend all of you for supporting this cause in order to improve Balili River,” Leones stated.

From the old Class A classification which notes that the Balili River is for Public Water Supply Class II which is intended as source of water supply requiring conventional treatment to meet the latest Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water, Balili River is now a Class B or for Recreational Water Class I which is intended for primary contact recreation such as bathing and swimming. (JDP/RMC- PIA-CAR)