SUMMARY
This study examined the water utilization, waste disposal practices, and environmental attitudes of the riverside dwellers in a Philippine rural municipality. It also looked into the possible health impact of such practices on the community. The municipality river being the water source and provider of various domestic functions had played important socio-cultural value. As the degree of pollution and deterioration of water quality kept on worsening, the empirical study must be conducted for water monitoring and community household engagement to ensure sustainable use of a healthy river system. Socio-health and environmental attitudes surveys were randomly given to 120 residents across downstream, midstream, and upstream sites of the municipal river. Data on attitudes were subjected to the Pearson r correlation at a=0.05. Around 34% of the residents had experience being concerned with the river, while about 25% continue to use it. Waste disposal, animal bathing, and water drinking have since decreased, while quarrying activity kept increasing since. The residents usually use district water for bathing, cooking, flushing, and laundry while distilled/purified/mineral water for drinking. Moreover, indiscriminate disposal of both solid and liquid waste remained highly practiced and reported. Cough, flu, diarrhea, and skin ailments are the common diseases experienced by the riparian inhabitants. Their ecocentric concern is moderately positive and significantly correlated to their environmental movement activism as manifested in their strong opposition to solid and human waste disposal and quarrying/mining activities. There is a probable link to the health issues and the utilization and current river condition of the river. Developing positive attitudes translates to the positive actions of the riverside dwellers. The implications of this study can enhance public awareness of the importance of preservation and restoration of rivers. Local government units can implement an initiative for stringent monitoring, mitigation, and remediation of the river.