WHAT DO WE DO WITH WATER HYACINTHS?

WHAT DO WE DO WITH WATER HYACINTHS?

Dear Mr. President: In the series of floods that have hit our country, many have blamed the indiscriminate throwing of garbage as one of its causes. Although it could be a minor factor in the overall equation, it could not be denied that both Water Hyacinths (Eichhornia Crassipes) and Pink Water Lilies (Nymphaea pubescens) are also part of the flooding problem. Aside from that, these two take up a lot of space that hinders navigation, and fish culture through fish cages.     

Although these two species are often confused with each other, they are very much different. Fortunately, only one of them, which is the Water Hyacinth, is more pervasive and more destructive because it not only forms dense mats on the water surface, but it also blocks sunlight and depletes oxygen levels, a dual problem that harms marine life.  Although the Pink Water Lilies are also present in Laguna Lake, these are not as pervasive as the Water Hyacinths, the former is not as fast growing and not as pervasive as the latter.

Although both species are edible, it is not safe to eat them if they are harvested from polluted waters, because both are rather good in absorbing pollutants. Of course, both could also be processed into animal feeds, but that is also not advisable, because the pollutants could also be ingested by the poultry or livestock. The only alternative is to process them into fertilizers or into native handicrafts.

As a matter of fact, with the right technology, both species could be processed into fabrics that could be used in producing textiles for clothing, for household use and for industrial use. Apparently, these fabrics could also be blended with other fabrics that are produced from pineapples, bananas, abaca and maguey. Perhaps Mr. President, you could task both the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) under the DOST and the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) under the DA to work on this together.

Although these two agencies might appear to have overlapping functions, the function of PTRI focuses on research and development to support the textile industry, including the creation and innovation of textiles and related products. PhilFIDA on the other hand is the agency responsible for promoting the growth and development of fiber industry in the Philippines. It is focused on research and development, production support, extension services, education and training, fiber processing and utilization, standards implementation and trade regulation.

In other words, Mr. President, it appears that the abundance of these two species in our rivers and lakes could become an opportunity, instead of being a problem. In the meantime, our people could earn their livelihood from producing fertilizers, handicrafts, fabrics and textiles, but they could prospectively produce human food and animal feeds once the pollution in the water is removed. And for sure Sir, more fish could be produced once the water is cleaner. IKE SENERES/10-30-2024

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