Manila, June 19 -- What used to be unused riverbanks lined with informal structures are now becoming walkable parks, shaded pathways, and community public spaces through the efforts of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to expand its river easement recovery program.

The DENR said the River Easement Area Recovery initiative is part of a broader push to combine environmental rehabilitation with community infrastructure, transforming underutilized river easements into "safe, accessible, and environmentally sustainable public space".

At separate site inaugurations in Bataan and Pampanga on June 14, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna highlighted how cleared river easements are being repurposed into linear parks m...