IDIS to Apo Agua: Obey EIS rules
The watershed advocacy group Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) reminded officials of the Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. (AAII) to follow the protocols provided by the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) law in conducting public consultations. In a statement IDIS said it has received information from their partner communities in Gumalang and Tawantawan barangays that Apo Agua went ahead with its public consultation regarding its Tamugan Bulk Surface Water Treatment project last November without informing the Watershed Management Council (WMC) secretariat or its representatives to join the consultation. In a report submitted by the Watershed Multipartite Monitoring Team (WMMT) to the WMC, it recommended that the Apo Agua “conduct consultations in all barangays covered by the project including the IP communities with proper narrative and photo documentation to ensure proper documentary evidence and with the presence of the WMMT.”
Walk the talk on renewable energy, ecologists dare P-Noy
DAVAO CITY—Local environmental groups challenged President Aquino to show his sincerity when he bragged about his administration’s push for renewable energy while inaugurating the first of a series of coal plants to be operating soon in Mindanao. “If the Aquino administration is sincere in its rhetoric of inclusive development, it should prioritize community-based renewable-energy solutions. It should be people-led and not corporate-driven,” said Dr. Jean Lindo, cochairman of the environmental network Panalipdan Mindanao. The group has been criticizing Malacañang for alleged “bias for corporate-led development, which favors projects like the coal-fired power plants.”
Coal still “clear, present threat” to Davao water
DAVAO CITY – An official of the Aboitiz Power dismissed the fears of environmentalist on the harmful effects of the newly inaugurated coal fired power plant here saying they will not do anything bad for the city. The 300 megawatts coal fired power plant was inaugurated yesterday in Barangay Binugao, Toril district. The event was graced by President Benigno Aquino III and other national and local officials. The power plant currently supplies power to more than 20 electric cooperatives and distribution utilities in Mindanao.
Reforestation revives ‘baboy ihalas’ population in Davao watershed
MEMBERS of the Bantay Bukid, a Watershed Management Council (WMC)-deputized forest guard volunteer group, have reported frequent sightings of the native wild pigs along the slopes of Mt. Tipolog, in Barangay Tawantawan, in the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed. “In previous years, we have rarely seen the baboy ihalas in these parts. Now, we encounter them frequently, especially when we conduct our regular inspection trek of Mt. Tipolog,” said Stephen Matondo, Bagobo tribal elder and Bantay Bukid team leader for the Sumpitan area. The Philippine warty pig, Sus philippinensis, is categorized by the International Union of Conservation for Nature (IUCN) as a Vulnerable species due to habitat loss, over-hunting and genetic hybridization.
Envi group urges Dabawenyos to save rainwater
DAVAO CITY- The Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) urged Dabawenyos to take advantage of the rainy season by harvesting rainwater for household use. The local government passed a Davao City Rainwater Ordinance in 2009, mandating the establishment of rainwater catching systems (RCS) in newly built residences and buildings. The policy was formulated to promote the storage and usage of rainwater for non-potable use.
Take advantage of rainy season, catch rainwater
DAVAO CITY—An environmental group has appealed to residents to take advantage of the wet season “by harvesting rainwater for household use.” “Harvesting rainwater for domestic or industrial use will lessen our water-utility bills, since we won’t waste drinking water for flushing toilets, cleaning households or for watering gardens,” said Mark Penalver, policy advocacy specialist of the Interface Development Interventions (Idis), a non-governmental representative to the city government-formed Watershed Management Council. Penalver said the stored water from the rains “can reduce the effects of storm water peak flow and surface runoff.” “Imagine if every building in the city has a rain-catching storage, there will be less flooding in the streets and less erosion of floodwater canals,” Penalver said.