Panigan’s guardians
HAVING grown up with it throughout his life, twenty four-year-old Randy Legaspi has a deep affection for the Panigan river. During his childhood, the river was the place where he could take a quick swim and play around with his childhood friends. But today’s river is but a shadow of its former self. This is the reason why Legaspi, along with members of the Mt. Tipolog Bantay Kinaiyahan Association (MTBKA), began to be concerned about the slow deterioration of the river. This concern led him to join Bantayo Aweg, a community volunteer group which has been monitoring the quality of the river water for years now. Taken from the Bagobo term which means water guardians, the group is composed of volunteers from the community of Tawantawan, which is situated close to Panigan river. Once a month, rain or shine, this group takes water samples from the river as part of an ongoing community initiative to monitor water quality. Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) Environmental Research Specialist Ann Fuertes, who helped train the pioneer batch in 2005, said that the project was geared towards making the local community be better informed about the issues affecting their local river. “Despite the presence of basic services in the area, they still depend on the river for a lot of things. By putting them at the forefront of monitoring efforts, they can best make decisions on how to tackle them,” she said. So far, it has been working. Baneng Tiostumban, 24 years old and part of the second generation of Bantayo Aweg volunteers, can compare the state of Panigan river before and after the initiative was started. “Before Bantayo Aweg started, the river was a dumping ground for broken bottles. And villagers were using a lot of chlorine when washing in the rivers,” he said. Today, that practice has been discontinued. However, other threats continue to exist. “There is no more garbage but the river is still far from clean,” he said. “But if we work hard now, we can perhaps bring back the river to what it truly was years ago.” Bantayo Aweg has collected 6 years of water sampling data, creating a picture of the river’s quality over time. According to Fuertes, the Panigan river has still a long way to go before reaching Class AA, which is the highest ranking in quality for water. Basing on standards used by the Environmental Management Bureau, the organization’s data shows that the river generally falls under the Class A category which means that the river is still fit for drinking, despite the occasional periods of high phosphate and nitrite content. Note to all who care about sports. Indian bookmaker GBet (Gullybet) is running a generous promotion for new players and provides the best conditions on the market. Sign up and get bonus money and free spins on slots. Minimum deposit is $1 or equivalent in any other currency. This is good news for Davao City, according to the Davao City Water District. The DCWD has identified Panigan river and its sister tributary, Tamugan river, as the future source of Davao’s potable water which has been ranked as one of the best in the world. At the annual presentation of the group’s monitoring to the local barangay council last March 14, 2012, the DCWD was among the participants who listened to their presentation. DCWD, who also regularly conducts monitoring of the water quality among the rivers of the Panigan-Tamugan watershed area is hopeful that the initiative will continue on a long-term basis. “We commend the group’s initiative because it complements the efforts of the DCWD to create more awareness and stakeholdership on the issue of Davao City’s water resources. The more individuals and groups contributing towards the preservation of the quality of our waters, the more pressure for government agencies to implement policies to protect our waters,” said Anji Laura Grecia, a member of the DCWD’s Environmental Unit. But threats still remain. Tawantawan is surrounded by banana and pineapple plantations whose intensive use of pesticides threatens water quality. During heavy rains, the run-off from the plantations carries the agricultural inputs to the rivers. The absence of buffer zones, planted with proper trees, along the river banks, compound the problem. “Buffer zones are important because their trees absorb the water and silt coming from plantations and denuded areas,” said Rey Sapid, Advocacy Officer of the Kinaiyahan Amumahon Panggaon ug Protektahan, Inc. (KAPPI). “Their roots trap the pesticides, ensuring that river waters are protected.” The KAPPI is an environmental paralegal group of farmers and lumads from the 3rd district which has taken up the advocacy of buffer zone implementation for the district’s remaining forest and water resources. “And yet, most of the plantations in the 3rd district, have not been implementing or have been implementing buffer zones which are contrary to what is mandated by law,” Sapid said. The Watershed Code of Davao City requires that a buffer zone of about 40 meters must be established between plantations and critical areas such as recharge zones, riverbanks, rivers, springs, wells and other sources of water. KAPPI, which also has members in Tawantawan, is now actively engaging in an information campaign about the importance of buffer zones in protecting the rivers. Meanwhile, all this support has made Legaspi thankful. “We’re glad that this initiative is doing its share to contribute to the greater campaign for the preservation of Davao’s water. We hope that as we continue to do this yearly, more communities along the rivers will be encouraged to be vigilant and protective of our water resources,” he said. For IDIS, which has made it its advocacy to campaign for clean water and healthy watersheds, there is still much to be done in the preservation of the river. “We need to adopt a watershed approach since the Panigan river is not an isolated system. We need the cooperation of all stakeholders, from farming communities to even plantations along the watershed area. Monitoring can be a start, but it’s the
Environmentalists warn of toxic river
DAVAO CITY—Rising levels of nitrate and phosphate in a river that drains into one of the city’s major sources of drinking water are prompting environmentalists to raise health concerns here. If not immediately addressed, the high levels of nitrate and phosphate could degrade water quality at Panigan River and may cause health problems to water consumers here, said one of the environmental groups, Bantayo Aweg, a Bagobo term for water guardians. Aian Gumapac of Bantayo Aweg said a six-year monitoring they conducted on the water in Panigan River, an important catchment basin for the city’s aquifer, showed that its nitrate level has gone up to 2.53 milligrams per liter, higher than the allowable 1 mg per liter for top quality water; while phosphate level was at 0.23 mg per liter, which is higher than the 0.1 mg per liter for top quality water category. Under the standards used by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the level of nitrate in Panigan River placed its water quality in the Class C category while its phosphate content placed it under the EMB’s Class B category, which makes water good for “recreational purposes only.” Gumapac said their study showed that except for the rising nitrate and phosphate levels, the river’s color, temperature, dissolved oxygen content and water acidity were still within the ideal range for water organisms to survive. But Gumapac said the situation could worsen if the contaminants were not addressed from its source. “The river is still clear and has enough oxygen to support fishes but we are concerned about the levels of phosphate and nitrate in the water,” said Gumapac. Ann Fuentes, environment research specialist for Interface Development Intervention, said the high level of phosphate and nitrate found in the river could have come from pesticides and fertilizers. Gumapac said monocrop plantations and small farms dotted the river. Gumapac said the solution to the rising levels of nitrate and phosphate is to implement the city’s watershed code, which banned single crop plantations and farms from the watershed areas or its periphery. City Agriculturist Leonardo Avila admitted that the code, approved in 2008, has yet to be fully enforced. (Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao)
Group wants Panigan River studied for contamination
A volunteer group that monitors the Panigan River, Brgy. Tawan Tawan, Baguio District has recommended the need to conduct a study in the areas along the watershed to detemine what caused the possible contamination on the water body. Aian B. Gumapac, a member of Bantayo Aweg who presented the results of their water monitoring study yesterday, said the river might be in danger of contamination as the nitrate and phosphate level goes beyond the international standards. Bantayo Aweg is a volunteer group composed of individuals based in Brgy. Tawan Tawan which has monitored the river since 2006 by measuring the temperature, color, pH, stream flow discharge and dissolved oxygen, nitrate and phosphate content. “The river is still clear and has enough oxygen to support fishes but we are concerned about the level of phosphates and nitrates in the water,” he said. Last year, the phosphate level in Panigan River reached to 0.5 mg/L while the nitrate level was above 1 mg/L. The river should only have a phosphate level of 0.1 mg/L and nitrate level of 1 mg/L to qualify on Class AA standards, the highest for clean water. Gumapac said the existing monocrop plantations along the river should also strictly impose a buffer zone. The fertilizers used by the plantations, he said, could be among the possible contaminants of the Panigan River. The river, which drains to Tamugan River, has been identified by the Davao City Water District as the future source of drinking water. Lawyer Joseph Dominic Felizarta, officer in charge of City Environment and Natural Resources Office, vowed that they would strictly order the existing monocrop plantations and residents within the watershed to have a buffer zone of at least 40 meters. “We can implement it using the Watershed Code,” he said. The city government will also conduct delineation along the city’s eight major watersheds such as Tuganay Watershed, Lasang River, Bunawan River, Davao River, Matina River, Talomo Watershed, Lipadas Watershed and Sibulan River. The program is to delineate the areas identified in the terrain analysis study of Mines and Geosciences Bureau which was conducted in 2005. It is also pursuant to the full implementation of the 2007 Watershed Code. The Watershed Management Council, with representatives from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, will conduct the delineation. They will mark the areas by placing signages if it is non-tillage, conservation or primary agricultural lands. (Kristianne Fusilero, Mindanao Times)
National faith-based network supports Ban Aerial Spray campaign
DAVAO CITY– Around 281 faith-based organizations, non governmental organizations , people’s organizations and members of the Catholic clergy nationwide urged the Supreme Court to resolve the legality of the Davao City ordinance banning aerial spraying in favour of the affected communities. These organizations, belonging to the Philippine Misereor Partnership Inc. (PMPI), issued the statement during its 4th General Assembly last March 1, 2012 at the Teachers’ Camp in Baguio City. Prefacing their statement with a quote from a letter of Pope Benedict XVI entitled “If you want to cultivate peace, protect creation”, the group also called on President Benigno Aquino III to issue an Executive Order halting aerial spraying practices in all agricultural areas in the country. In that letter, Pope Benedict XVI had written that “Environmental degradation is often due to the lack of far-sighted official policies or to the pursuit of myopic economic interests, which become a serious threat to creation..Every economic decision has a moral consequence!” Mamamayan Ayaw sa Aerial Spraying (MAAS) President Dagohoy Magaway welcomed the statement of national support for banning aerial spraying saying that this is candid proof that there are many groups nationwide who recognize the validity of the precautionary principle which is the basis of MAAS’ campaign to ban aerial spray. “The Supreme Court and President Aquino should heed this growing clamor nationwide and take immediate steps to halt the practice of aerial spraying in banana plantations everywhere.”, he said. Last year, President Aquino had tasked the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to convene a workshop to consolidate recommendations from various stakeholders on the issue. However, the workshop failed to include representatives coming from MAAS and the affected communities.
Grassroots paralegal group calls for enforcement of buffer zone
DAVAO CITY – A paralegal group composed of farmers and residents from the third district reiterated their call for the City Government to implement proper buffer zones in the upland areas even as the Watershed Multipartite Monitoring Team (WMMT) finished last Tuesday its plans to monitor violations of the provisions of the watershed code. The 122-strong Kinaiyahan Amumahon Panalipdan Panggaon ug Irespeto (KAPPI) said that plantations in the uplands have not been complying with the buffer zone requirements and called for the WMMT to investigate and penalize violators. “We welcome the formation of the WMMT and we hope that it will do its function of monitoring violations.’, according to KAPPI Advocacy Campaign Officer Rey Sapid . Under the Watershed Code, the WMMTs are legally appointed bodies which will monitor the implementation of the Watershed Code. Its membership includes representatives from the government , the academe, the civil society and the local barangay unit. There are three WMMTs , each in charge of monitoring one cluster zone in the watershed area. Last Tuesday, the WMMT had just finished its annual work plan for the implementation of the Code. Among its tasks are to enforce the establishment of proper buffer zones, identify and secure landslide-prone communities, conduct ground monitoring and recommend filing of cases for violators. The Watershed Code of Davao mandates that 40-meter buffer zones must be established around recharge zones, riverbanks, rivers, springs, wells, and other critical areas. Meanwhile, areas with residential houses, schools and other community infrastructure must have 30-meter buffer zones from surrounding plantations. KAPPI noted that most plantations have not been complying with the provisions. “Buffer zones should be planted with trees to catch the drift from pesticides but most of the plantations are only content to establish shrubs along the edges of their plantations and call it a proper buffer zone.” , said Sapid. “The WMMT should investigate these cases promptly and penalize violators. They should not wait for residents to complain before acting on the problem.”, he said. KAPPI is prepared to assist the WMMT in monitoring the grassroots implementation of the Code. “ Our members are present in all the 14 barangays in the 3rd district. We know firsthand how plantations have disregarded the environment in their drive to expand their areas.” Even before the Watershed Code was drafted, environmentalists have long lobbied for the proper establishment of buffer zones. Buffer zones are important areas because they safeguard the sources of water and rural communities from the toxic effects of chemicals used by monocrop plantations. During heavy rains, they minimize flooding as they absorb the surface run-off. ( #)
Levelling the playing field: Davao’s small farmers push for second party organic certification
DAVAO CITY – Organic small farmers are pushing for a second party organic certification to enable them greater market access for their products. Tranquilina Alibango, an organic farmer who markets her produce every Sunday at the women managed organic vegetable bagsakan at the Calinan market, says that third party organic certification is complicated and very expensive for a small farmer like her. “Dili man namo makaya kay mahal kaayo. Kung ing-ana ang mamahimong paagi, dili gihapon kalahutay nga mupartisipar ang mga gagmay nga mag uuma sa organikong merkado.”, according to her. Alibango’s case is symptomatic of the dilemma that small organic farmers face under Republic Act 10068 or the Organic Agriculture Act of 2010. While the Act provides support and incentives for farmers to shift to organic farming, helping small farmers access the growing global market for organic produce remains problematic. In the international market, much depends on the certification of a product. In the case of the organic market, this means the acknowledgement that the marketed products have been produced according to the applicable organic production standards. Such certification may be obtained through any of three levels: branding, or 1st party certification,where the farmer brands his product as organic; participatory guaranty system (PGS), or 2nd party certification, where a network of farmer peers certify the product as organic; and private organic marking, or 3rd party certification, where a independent group of private inspectors certify the product as organic. In the Philippines, the OA law only recognizes 3rd party certification. This means that only certified by an independent and accredited third party as organic will be the ones allowed to market and brand themselves as such. Any sale of products with organic labels or claims without the approval of the certification body will be illegal. The same applies to imported products. But according to Ling Castro, Policy Officer for Interface Development Interventions, the third party certification process puts small farmers at a disadvantage. “Getting a 3rd party certification will cost a farmer P 100,000.00 per crop.”, Castro said. According to her, the certification is only good for one year, after which, it must be renewed. “ For the small organic farmer who practices diversified cropping, it would be very expensive.”, she said. “We need to level the playing field between small farmers and big farmers.”, she stressed. For Castro and the rest of the Go Organic Davao City, a network of organic farming practitioners and advocates, this will entail the adoption of the 2nd party certification so that farmers will be able to engage the international market. Castro pointed out the experience of MASIPAG, a non government organization engaged in sustainable farming, which already practices 2nd party certification among its partner organizations. “The Masipag Farmer’s Guarantee System (MFGS) is an appropriate system for Davao’s small organic farmers to follow because it empowers the small farmers in that it allows them to participate in the certification process.”, she said. Last week, GO DC had invited MASIPAG National Coordinator, Dr. Chito Medina, PhD , to give an orientation on the Participatory Guarantee System (PGS) which the GO DC is pushing for as an alternative to 3rd party certification. “As an example of a 2nd party certification, the PGS is even more reliable than the 3rd party process because monitoring is built among the farmers.”, according to Dr.Medina. Under the PGS system, organic producers are certified based on the active participation of stakeholders, built on trust, social networks and knowledge exchange. “For instance, communities can be mobilized around the clock to ensure that their organic fields are safe and healthy.”, Medina said. It is also very much cheaper than 3rd party certification. “In PGS, local inspectors are trained to conduct monitoring and evaluation. There is no need to pay expensive fees for 3rd party certification inspectors.”, he pointed out. Around the world, various countries have already adopted their own versions of the PGS. Australia, India and Brazil which supply most of the world’s demand for organic produce are already using their own versions, according to Medina. At last year’s national conference on organic agriculture , the Aquino administration had estimated that in 2012, the high potential of organically grown commodities in the world market would cost around $40 billlion- $70 billion. “With a potential market like that, small farmers need to take advantage of it but only if the necessary mechanisms are in place.”, said Medina. Locally, this will entail mainstreaming the PGS model among the farmers in the grassroots. On a national scope, this will mean amending the OA law to include PGS as a valid organic certification process. Go DC, which is taking the lead in drafting its own version of PGS, hopes that this 2nd party certification will be adopted by Davao City as part of the implementation of its Organic Agriculture Ordinance. “If the Organic Agricultural Management Council (OAMC) mainstreams the PGS, this will mean that small farmers like Alibango will not have only the Calinan district to market their organic products, but the whole world.”, said Tina Delima, Go DC member and officer-in-charge of SIMCARRD. “Through PGS, we aim to make organic agriculture more inclusive and facilitative for our small organic farmers.”, she added. (Mindanao Daily Mirror, Feb 19, 2012)