The Leyte Normal University (LNU) has constructed a park along the Mangobangon River here as part of its efforts to rehabilitate and preserve the stream.

LNU president Jude Duarte said the school has been maintaining the area “to bring back its glory wherein students including those in nearby schools used to enjoy.”

Duarte said they signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources years ago to maintain and protect the river from pollution.

“I believe that it is worthwhile and worth investing to improve the aesthetic of the area where lots of commuters pass by. Our students also take time to clean it up,” he said in a virtual press conference on Friday.

The university has completed the first phase of the rehabilitation project worth PHP2-million this week.

This includes the construction of benches and railings, among others, Duarte said, adding that the same amount would be set aside next year for its second phase.

He said the project will send a message to its neighboring villages along the stretch of the river to also do the same.

“If we will keep on cleaning that area and the others would not do the same, it’s an exercise in futility. We want to set an example that reviving the Mangonbangon River is important, necessary, and part of our social responsibility. So I am asking the different barangays to respond to our challenge,” he added.

LNU, a center of development for teacher education in Eastern Visayas and the Philippines, was established as a normal school in 1921 and converted to a university in 1995.

The university will celebrate its centennial anniversary in March next year virtually and through limited face-to-face, to continue its tradition of honoring the people who made LNU what it is now, Duarte said. (PNA)