November 16, 2022 – On its third and final reading, the 11th Council of the Sangguniang Panlungsod approved the ordinance establishing the Sum-ag River as a tourist destination, creating a committee for its maintenance and preservation and appropriating funds and providing penalties therefore.

Authored by Councilor Jason Isidro Villarosa and Councilor Jude Thaddeus Sayson, this ordinance shall be known as the “Sum-ag River Ordinance” and was approved during the 20th regular session of the SP.

The City of Bacolod has become a gateway for various tourist destinations and it is the prerogative of the local government to maintain and preserve the natural resources situated in this city.

In line with the ordinance content, the city shall provide adequate maintenance in regards to cleanliness and sanitation as well as how the public tourist destinations should look relatively pleasant, tidy, and graceful for the purposes of preserving the city’s tourism development and further protect the health of the surrounding residents.

The scope of the ordinance shall only cover the Sum-ag river stretching from the boundary between Bacolod City and Bago City up to the end of the river meeting Guimaras Strait.
(Source: Bacolod City Public Information Office)