BANTAY BUKID
We partner with farmers who serve on the frontlines of protecting our upland water sources by enforcing environmental laws, doing reforestation, conducting biodiversity and river monitoring and serving as first responders in disaster preparedness and response.
Value
Watersheds are natural reservoirs for people’s drinking water. In Davao City, the Talomo-Lipadas Watershed located in Toril District is the city’s current source of drinking water. However, its supply is no longer sufficient for the increasing population of Dabawenyos. The adjacent Panigan-Tamugan Watershed located in Baguio District has been selected as the next source of drinking water, where surface water from Tamugan river will be tapped while Talomo-Lipadas aquifers are given time to recharge.
Threats
Monocrop plantations have assaulted the slopes of Davao City’s mountains, cutting down trees and converting forest lands. Their non-compliance to existing national and local policies regarding the implementation of a 50-meter buffer zone has resulted in the further soil erosion and floodings in the lowlands. Rampant use of pesticides through aerial or boom spraying has also further heightened the risk of contaminating local aquifers and water tables. Companies violations of proper disposal of their waste likewise pose threats to river waters. There are also increasing number of poultry farms operating in conservation areas without permits.
Solutions
- Implement the Watershed Code to protect the integrity of Davao City’s watersheds and the quality of our drinking water
- Delineate on the ground conservation and agricultural non-tillage areas
- Collect and utilize environmental tax for sustainable watershed management
- Continue monitoring of compliance among businesses operating in watershed areas by the Watershed Multipartite Monitoring Teams and Barangay Watershed Management Councils
- Establish riparian forest corridors
- Develop and implement Forest Land Use Plan
Role of Bantay Bukid
Indigenous communities, along with our non-indigenous farmers residing in upland conservation areas, with their rich local knowledge and exceptional physical stamina and mastery of mountain terrains, are in the best position to steward Davao City’s watersheds.
While there are existing environmental laws to safeguard our watersheds, actual warm bodies on the ground are needed to conduct regular patrols and report environmental violations immediately.
In Davao City for example, DENR’s Forest Protection Unit only has 10 personnel in charge of the city’s three districts. Over 250 Bantay Bukid volunteers managed by NGOs such as IDIS and Philippine Eagle Foundation come in handy as augmentation support.
Forest guarding is an important job that only few people are willing to perform. Thus the City Government of Davao recognizes that the Bantay Bukid volunteers represent a very critical human capital to protect the city’s natural resources and help deliver clear sustainable development outcomes for the city.
Read their full roles and functions.
What has been done so far
Bantay Bukid Accomplishment
Sixteen environmental violations apprehended and reported, 65 tree growing activities with a total of 11,318 seedlings planted and monitored, 10 monitorings conducted noting 23 species of birds and 26 species of trees, 11 water monitoring conducted, 25 river clean-ups and 6 disaster-related monitoring with damage assessments in 2018.
Read the full report.
Read the 1st Quarter 2019 report.
Why is Panigan-Tamugan Watershed valuable?
Reforesting Riverbanks
Riparian forest corridors are forest zones along riverbanks and streams valuable as their root systems trap sediments and pollutants in the run-off while reducing soil erosion along the riverbanks, improving the overall quality of the water.
Read about our USAID & FPE-funded riparian projects
Learn about the water cycle and the role of forests
Community-based Water Monitoring
Begun in 2005, the Bantayo Aweg (Bagobo for water guardians) are volunteers composed of Obu-Manuvu, Bagobo and Ata members who have been monitoring the water quality of the rivers in Panigan-Tamugan watershed.
Check water monitoring results of Panigan-Tamugan rivers since 2011
What roles do rivers play?
