NIA, DENR sign MOA for watershed management The National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for the effective management and development of the 143 watersheds supporting … Continue reading PHILIPPINES’ WATERSHED AREAS CONSERVATION EFFORTS BOOSTED
Most of banana and pineapple plantations and other large agri-business companies in Davao City are not paying the Environmental Tax mandated by the Davao City Watershed Management Conservation and Protection Ordinance. Only the Davao Agricultural Ventures Corp. (Davco) paid the … Continue reading DAVAO CITY AGRIBIZ FIRMS NOT PAYING ENVIRONMENTAL TAX
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION gained an added boost on May 25, 2012 in Ateneo de Davao professor Angelo Aportadera conducting a seminar on youth leadership seminar for members of the Watershed Management Youth Council (WMYC). WMYC is the coalition of students from different schools of Davao City assisting the local government in water resource protection and conservation. It sits as a member of the Davao City Watershed Management Council, a special body created to implement the provisions of the Davao City Watershed Management, Conservation and Protection Ordinance or the Watershed Code authored by city councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling. The one-hour lecture on … Continue reading RE-INFORCING LEADERSHIP OF YOUTH IN ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
The 22-member Davao City Watershed Management Council has expanded its membership to add four more members. In a meeting Friday presided by council vice-chairman city administrator Zuleika Lopez, the council added representatives from the youth sector, the city engineers office, the police and farming sector. The council is chaired by Mayor Sara Duterte. The watershed council is the policy-making body created by the Davao City Watershed Protection, Conservation and Management Ordinance. The ordinance authored by councilor Arnolfo Cabling and approved in 2007, aims to protect over 32,000 hectares of watershed areas in the city. The other bodies created by the … Continue reading Davao City Watershed Council expands membership
BY ROGER M. BALANZA A visiting United Nations expert on water resource management has warned of seawater intrusion into the city aquifer if the local government allows uncontrolled use of its groundwater reserve. When that happens, it would … Continue reading THE DURIAN BEAT: UN official fears seawater intrusion into Davao City aquifer
Saying their rights were not taken into consideration, farmers in Davao City are asking the Davao City Council to take a look-see at the Watershed Protection, Conservation and Management Code for amendments. City Ordinance 0310-07 also known as the Watershed Code authored by councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling, as then chair of the environment committee, was approved by the 14th City Council on February 23, 2007. The code laid down regulations in about 34,000 hectares of watershed areas which were delineated and classified into conservation areas, agro-forestry non-tillage areas and prime agricultural lands. At the core of the watershed code … Continue reading Farmers blast Davao City watershed code
Inday Sara urged to convene Watershed Management Council By ROGER M. BALANZA There is confusion over the Watershed Protection, Conservation Management Ordinance because City Hall failed to organize three special bodies created by the measure to implement its provisions. The landmark measure also known as the Watershed Code aims to protect the city’s about 32,000 hectares of watershed areas which have been facing developmental aggression from agri-business. The code classified the watershed areas into conservation, agro-forestry and non-tillage areas and prime agricultural lands. Economic and infrastructure developments are banned in the conservation and agro-forestry and non-tillage areas, … Continue reading CONCERN RAISED OVER DAVAO CITY WATERSHED AREAS
Rody may back off on Tamugan River stand Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte may do a somersault and agree to limiting use of Tamugan River for domestic water only if studies would show that putting up a hydropower plant would not invite environmental disaster. Duterte had earlier taken the position the river should be utilized also for power over looming power crisis as the Davao City Water District (DCWD) opposed a hydropower project of the Aboitiz-owned Hedcor Inc. In a media forum last week, Duterte said he will back off from his position “if studies by experts would show the hydropower … Continue reading DEBATE OVER DAVAO CITY HYDROPOWER PLANT RAGES
THEDURIANBEAT By ROGER M. BALANZA Davao City may be blessed with its water sources, but there is no guarantee this God-given gift could last forever. Studies show that the city’s underground reservoir located mostly in the Dumoy area may be depleted in 50 years if no alternative source is identified to ease pressure on this source where the Davao City Water District presently pumps out water for domestic use of the Dabawenyos. With the city’s population growing at a fast pace, demands could double in 50 years—a scenario that should make imperative identification of the alternative sources. What is happening … Continue reading THE DURIAN POST COLUMN —Avoiding a water crisis
The Davao City Water District (DCWD) is not about to get caught in the middle of a ‘quarrel’ between a father and his daughter. Mayor Sara Duterte and Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have different views over Tamugan River which DCWD plans to tap for its surface water development project, which the former supports. Vice Mayor Duterte has a different view: Tamugan River could be tapped for water…..and power as in the proposed hydropower project of the Aboitiz-owned Hedcor Inc. Mayor Duterte said she would veto any legislation by the Duterte City Council to amend the Watershed Code to allow the … Continue reading DCWD hands off in Rody-Sara row over Tamugan River
By ROGER M. BALANZA Local environmentalists in Davao City are looking at the Asian Development Bank and Japanese donors to fund long-term programs on watershed protection. Davao City councilor Arnolfo Ricardo Cabling said Hydrology for the Environment, Life and Policy (HELP)-Davao Network badly need funds and may tap foreign agencies as partners to fund programs in protection, conservation and management of the watershed areas and water sources. Cabling is president of HELP-Davao, organized here with assistance from the United Nations Education Scientific Organization (UNESCO) three years ago. HELP-Davao’s main objective is the conservation of over 32,000 hectares of watershed areas … Continue reading HELP-Davao to tap ADB, Japan for aid
