Maningning Creek Keeps on Shining Thanks to Innovative Youth

Photo from TAYO

Taytay Rizal---Maningning Creek has gone through an incredible transformation just to stay true to its name. Maningning which literally means “bright” or “shining” had lost its luster throughout the years due to pollution turning its once clear waters to dark and filthy. When Typhoon Ondoy hit in 2009, it wreaked havoc on Barangay Sta. Ana, a village in Taytay. Homes that were located beside the creek were flooded. 

Fortunately, a group of young people, took it upon themselves to face the problem head on. Lead by John Tobit Cruz, a Santa Ana native and President of the said youth group Angat Kabataan, they organized clean-up activities for the creek. They had a slow start with only a handful of volunteers but it gradually snowballed.  They wrote letters to different stakeholders and eventually got the attention of people from both private and public sector.  Local stores pitched in and so did big companies like SM Taytay. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine National Police (PNP) and Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) all  provided assistance.

Photo from Save Maningning Project

But the most pivotal ingredient in their recipe for creek clean up success came in the form of bokashi balls---a technology that originated in Japan which makes use of fermented organic matter mixed with EM (effective micro-organisms) mother culture. Its purpose is to break down toxic sludge and inhibit the growth of algae which Maningning creek was full of. Thousands of bokashi balls have already been dropped into the creek which has given way to a cleaner Maningning. Additional balls are dropped into the water every couple of months.

Cruz and his group have taken on female residents in the area to produce bokashi balls which they sell for a small price. The profit gain goes straight to the barangay.

To further ensure the sustainability of the program, other livelihood projects have been created in connection to the cleanliness of the creek. This includes fish breeding and water lily weaving which helps generate income for the residents. LLDA had also initially provided 100 bamboo seedlings which have grown, so the community is able to reproduce it and sell the seedlings as well.

The success that Angat Kabataan has garnered now serves as a model for rehabilitating other creeks and rivers in countries like Cambodia, Lao, Malaysia, and Viet Nam. 

To learn more about this innovative group, check out their website or email them at kabataangangat@gmail.com.