‘Payment scheme’ for watershed protection eyed
DAVAO CITY – There is a need to create alternative livelihood opportunities that will help protect and sustainably manage Davao City’s watersheds. This will be among the key recommendations submitted during the Davao Watershed Stakeholders Summit which opened yesterday at the Ritz Hotel, Garden Oases in Obrero. Based on a study conducted by the Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), the group will look for ways in whicl local government units (LGUs) and stakeholders can provide financial support to residents whose livelihood has been affected by the implementation of various water conservation laws.
Restos told to source supplies from organic certified farms
DAVAO CITY -Restaurants serving organic meals are urged to source their products from the city’s organic farms that are PGS-(participatory guarantee system) certified. “We are urging these restaurants to buy their organic products from PGS-certified organic farms to ensure that what they are serving are pure organic meals,” said Joy Enriquez, a representative of Go Organic Davao City (GoDC). Enriquez said buying products from PGS-certified sources is highly recommended to as it assures healthy and pesticide-free products.
Proposal to pay residents to protect watersheds mulled
A STUDY looking into providing alternative livelihood practices that will lessen the negative impact on water sources will be presented during the Watershed Summit on Aug. 24-25. Commissioned by Interface Development Interventions, the study will explore whether the local government and stakeholders, can give financial support to residents whose livelihoods are affected by various conservation laws as a way also of lessening the residents’ impact on the watershed area. “The ‘payment’ does not have to come in the form of financial aid,” said IDIS executive director Mary Anne Fuertes in a phone call. “We do not want money just thrown around. Preferably, it should be in livelihood trainings that focus on environmentally friendly best practices.”
3 Davao organic resto receive PGS certification
DAVAO CITY — Three organic farm restaurants can now claim that their products are 100 percent organically grown and produce after receiving the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) organic certication. “The Davao PGS brand is a second-party certification process which is recognized by the city’s Organic Agriculture Management Committee (OAMC) and the Department of Agriculture’s Technical Committee on Organic Agriculture (TCOA). When you are certified PGS, this means that your farming process follows the established national standards on organic farming.” said PGS Inspector Alex Betarmos. Go Organic Davao City (GoDC) representative Joy Enriquez in a statement on Tuesday, August 23, said they welcome this development as “this signals a positive start for the organic food movement under the administration of Mayor Inday Sara.”
Dayanghirang’s bid to limit WMC power questioned
DAVAO CITY – A representative of a civil society organization is strongly opposing a proposal by Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang that will limit the influence of the Watershed Management Council (WMC) in implementing and drafting of environmental legislation. Civil Society Organization (CSO) representative to the WMC Chinkie Pelino told Mirror that WMC is denouncing the proposal which already passed first reading in the City Council on July 18. The move even puzzled WMC as the item was nowhere in the agenda when they attended the council session last Tuesday. Pelino said they only found out about the proposal in the records of the City Council secretariat showing the proposed measure passed first reading on July 18.
Envi group assails attempt to amend Watershed Code
ENVIRONMENT group Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) criticized the move of the city council to amend the Watershed Management Code. In a statement, IDIS executive director Mary Ann Fuertes called the proposal “anti-environment and contrary to the strategic direction of the City on sustainably managing its watersheds.” Second district Councilor Danilo Dayanghirang authored the proposal, which seeks to reduce the WMC’s role in issuing “official policies on the expansion of commercial/corporate plantations in the prime agricultural areas.”