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)
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. ( #)
Village officials, stakeholders forge commitment to protect Davao City’s watershed
DAVAO CITY, Oct. 17 – A total of 22 signatories representing barangays and key organizations, including the Davao City Water District (DCWD) and city government here, recently signed a commitment to protect the city’s watershed as part of the full implementation of the Watershed Code of Davao City. Councilor Marissa Salvador-Abella, chairperson of the City Council committee on environment, said that of the 31 barangays covered in the Watershed Code of Davao City, 22 village chiefs from these areas were present during the pledge signing, along with various environmental groups and representative of the city’s executive and legislative departments. Abella said since it has been officially mandated to all barangays, especially those covered by the code, it is now the right time to act collectively in saving the city’s water source. The pledge states that they recognize the “importance and urgency of protecting, conserving and managing Davao City’s watersheds to ensure a balance ecology and sufficient water source for the Davaoenos present and future generations.” Abella said watershed has been defined as areas of land on which rainwater drains from a river system to a common outlet such as a dam, lake or sea; or an area where rain water from a higher level of land flows down to a river or stream then to the Davao Gulf. “We should monitor, prepare and submit monthly report of activities to the Watershed Management Council on activities relative to the compliance of the law. Starting next month until July next year, we should initiate delineation and ground marking areas covered by the code,” she said. There are at least six watershed areas in the city. These are Sibulan River (Sirawan Area), Lipadas River, Talomo River, Tamugan River, Cugan River and Suawan River, she added. (PNA)
Mayor directs reconstitution of watershed management councils
DAVAO CITY. Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio has penned an executive order that reassembled the management council as part of the full implementation of the Davao City Watershed Code. Executive Order No. 23 provides that the Watershed Management Council (WMC) along with the barangay watershed management councils and watershed multi-partite monitoring teams should be rebuilt to help protect and conserve the protected areas. “There is a need to develop general directions for the interaction among government agencies and stakeholders, multi-sector participation and collaborative management . . . towards ensuring the health and sustainability of the watershed areas,” it cited. Councillor Marissa Salvador-Abella said a text message the order was signed by the mayor on May 11. “But there is no date yet on when the different members of the council will convene,” she said. The reconstitution was further lauded by an environmental group. Lia Esquillo, executive director of Interface Development Interventions Inc., said that the reconstitution of the WMC sends a strong signal to environmental violators that Davao City is serious when it comes to protecting its last bastion of drinking water. “Now that it has been issued, we look forward towards an active collaboration with the WMC as it begins to act on the issues which have long threatened the watersheds,” she said. Published May 17, 2011, Mindanao Times.