MEMBERS of the Police Regional Office Central Visayas (PRO 7) hauled tons of garbage during a river cleanup in Barangays Day-as, Parian and T. Padilla in Cebu City on Thursday, September 15, 2022.They were assisted by officials of the three barangays and members of the Bureau of Fire Protection and the Department of Public Works and Highways.The activity was part of the PRO 7’s launching of Project Haw-as, or Hiposon, Alsahon, Wagtangon ang Sagbot, from esteros and canals.The waterway has been blamed for the perennial problem of flooding in the three barangays during heavy downpours.According to Lieutenant Colonel Mary Crystal Peralta, spokesperson of PRO 7 Director Brigadier General Roque Eduardo Vega, they collected tons of plastic waste from the waterway that has become very shallow.She said it needs to be dredged using a backhoe so it can accommodate more water when it rains.She said they also noticed that waste from household bathrooms flow directly into the waterway, which the City Government and the health office should look into.“One of the problems we saw during the activity was that many of the houses don’t have septic tanks,” Peralta said in Tagalog.Mayor Michael Rama, in an earlier announcement, said to achieve his Singapore-like vision for Cebu City, residents must practice self-discipline and refrain from using waterways as their private dumping ground.To support the mayor’s vision, Peralta said the PRO 7 decided to launch Project Haw-as. (AYB)