The University of San Carlos Department of Civil Engineering held the “River Scan Proposed Solution Turnover” on October 21, 2024, as part of its community extension service activity connected to the Metro Cebu River Scan Challenge that took place in April 2024. 

USC Civil Engineering students, under the supervision of the faculty members and graduate students of the Department, presented the proposed solutions for the river rehabilitation to the officials from barangays Bacayan, Pulangbato, and San Jose in Cebu City and barangays Alang-Alang, Paknaan, Tingub, and Tabok in Mandaue City. 

Each solution was designed to address the critical issues affecting the Butuanon River, with the dual purpose of restoring the waterway and improving the lives of the communities living alongside the river. This activity took place after a series of meetings and planning as part of the River Scan Challenge. The event marks a significant milestone in the attempt to restore the Butuanon River, which was once considered dead due to pollution. 

Representatives from the 12 groups returned to their assigned barangay to present these solutions and hand them over to the barangay officials or representatives, which include addressing local concerns such as flooding, water scarcity, poor waste management, and water contamination. 

Some of the proposed solutions also included innovative interventions like the Movabin, Aerator System, Sandbag Weir, Bira-Bira sa Basura, Cable Can, Bypass Canal, and Gabion Dam.

The students symbolically handed over these solutions via tarpaulins and fliers that contained the following documents: 

• Community meeting reports;
• ArcGIS story map; 
• Research report and solution proposal;
• Digital copy of the tarpaulin; 
• Photos during the ocular visit; and 
• A video presenting a more detailed explanation of the said problem and solution. 

Barangay officials expressed their appreciation for the efforts of the students, in taking the initiative on these proposed solutions, describing them as promising steps towards addressing the issues along the Butuanon River. Many of them remarked, however, that budget constraints could be a challenge in implementing these solutions.

Overall, the activity was a huge success, thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Local Government Units of Cebu City and Mandaue City and the Civil Engineering Department of the University of San Carlos. This initiative brings the Butuanon River one step closer to a cleaner and more sustainable future.

With reporting from the Department of Civil Engineering