Davao City Watershed Code IRR
DC Watershed Code IRR final
Plantations in watersheds need permits, clearances
DAVAO CITY – PRIVATE and big corporations who want to convert watershed areas of Davao City into plantations must secure government permits and clearances, Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte said. Duterte on Sunday issued the reminder after Sun.Star Davao columnist and Davao City Water District (DCWD) board of director Serafin “Jun” Ledesma called the attention of the city mayor through his weekly column. “We really prohibit expansions in watershed areas. Naay balaod ana (There is a law) and it is enforced. Ug naay gusto mutanom o mugamit ug yuta (If anyone wants to utilize that land), it has to be delineated sa terrain analyses and they have to get a clearance. Otherwise, it would be a violation of law to proceed without a clearance,” Duterte said during his Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa Sunday. He also said he will ask the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) to look into the areas and determine whether violations are committed. Ledesma, in his column published on July 22, said “I have it from veritable source that a multinational banana corporation had developed some 200 hectares of land adjacent to Tamugan River and its tributaries. This is a serious issue in the backdrop of the plan of the city government and of the Davao City Water District to tap the surface water of Tamugan.” He said the corporation should stop its activity in the area and reforest the area, instead. “I am urging Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to issue an order stopping corporate farms from converting recharge areas or watersheds of Davao City’s aquifers to monocrops. Their failure to comply with the directive of the city council to put up buffer zones should the more deter them from invading watersheds or anywhere beside Tamugan river and tributaries,” Ledesma said. These allegations were confirmed by Duterte. He said corporate and even individual who are into agricultural farming operates in prohibited areas. Duterte reminded the public “not to tinker with the watershed areas” since the spray being used goes straight to the river. “Wala na tay underground water karon, naa pa pero dili mahatag ang supply nga panginahanglan sa syudad. So we have to tap the surface water and protect the watershed. Mao na dapat naay buffer zone especially in Tamugan (Our underground water is being depleted, there’s still some but no longer enough to provide for the whole city. Thus the need for a buffer zone in Tamugan),” he said. The establishment of buffer zones along riverbanks is mandated by the Watershed Protection, Conservation and Management Ordinance of Davao City. Website , which hosts the best escorts in UAE, invites you to choose a companion for the evening! Section 24 of its Implementing Rules and Regulations states that “A minimum of 40-meter buffer zone shall be established between the plantation and critical areas such as recharge zones, critical slopes, riverbanks, rivers, springs, wells and others sources of water measured from the outermost boundary of the nearest critical area towards the plantation area within 6 months after the approval of the IRR.” Meanwhile, the Watershed Management Council (WMC) launched a reforestation project along the riverbanks of the tributaries inside the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed to protect its headwaters which are the future source of Davao’s world-class drinking water. The Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS), the Non-Government Organization Representative to the WMC, said this project will rehabilitate the areas already delineated and permanently marked by the WMC as critical areas for conservation and protection. “This initiative gathers stakeholders to plant trees along the banks of streams and rivers, creating riparian forest corridors throughout the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed,” IDIS Executive Director Mary Ann Fuertes said. “Riparian forest corridors are essentially buffer zones or easement banks along the rivers and streams. They are very important in forest ecology because not only do they prevent pesticide residues from reaching the rivers, they also serve as natural sponges which absorb excess run-off during heavy rains, thereby preventing flooding and erosion,” she said. Funded by the Foundation for the Philippine Environment (FPE), the project will identify appropriate riverbank sites for tree growing in coordination with the riverbank communities and barangays. Endemic fruit trees will be prioritized in the tree growing activities with the communities being coached to take the lead in monitoring and evaluation of the forest sites. “Barangay volunteers will be trained as Bantay Bukid personnel to help protect these forest corridors. Agro-forestry livelihood initiatives will also be implemented by the WMC so that communities can also generate additional income,” she said. The initial areas identified for the project are in the upland barangays of Tambobong, Tamugan, Wines, Gumalang and Tawan-tawan. The project aims to cover all riverbanks in all the eight watersheds of Davao City. At the end of the project year, incentives will be given to the best community-managed riparian forest corridor. “Through this project, the riverbanks will finally be highlighted for their strategic impact in watershed management. It is my hope that all riverbanks, especially the urban riverbanks, will be eventually covered by this project,” said WMC member and Chair of the Watershed Multipartite Monitoring Team (WMMT) Engr. Liza Madrazo. (Arianne Caryl N. Casas, SUNSTAR DAVAO)
Riparian Forest planned at watershed
DAVAO CITY – The Watershed Management Council (WMC) and its member-organizations are planning to set up a riparian forest corridor at the Tamugan- Panigan watershed that will connect the watersheds to the city’s coastal areas. A riparian forest is the area of land and vegetation immediately next to bodies of water such as streams, rivers, or lakes, said Mary Anne Fuertes, head of Interface Development Interventions (IDIS), the non-government organization representative of the project. “Riparian forests help in filtering wastes, they absorb that instead of the runoffs from the uplands going to the river or water supply,” Fuertes said. She added that apart from the ecological development of the watershed, riparian forests also serve as livelihood opportunities for communities in the area who will also be their partners in developing and managing the forest corridor. “Ecotourism can flourish in the forest corridor. There can be barangay parks, picnic areas, and there are species of trees that can be used for livelihood,” added Fuertes. Riparian forest corridors also attract different endemic wildlife, she said, both in the forest areas and the bodies of water they will be connected to, encouraging wildlife diversity. The setting up of the riparian forest corridor project has no schedule yet, she said, but stakeholders from the immediate community also met yesterday at Lispher Inn in Juna subdivision for the implementation planning. “We want to meet with the schools, barangay leaders, to determine what is feasible for everyone,” she said. The Foundation for the Philippine Environment has set aside P2 million in two years for the project. “This is not solely for the river banks projects. But with that amount, there are plenty of projects that can be started,” Fuertes said. Additionally, Fuertes said there are five “Bantay Bukid” volunteers set for training this year to monitor the areas. The volunteers will be coming from the barangays located around the Tamugan-Panigan Watershed, such as Tambobong, Tamugan, Wangan, and Wines. The volunteers will join the 42 Bantay Bukid personnel trained last year, and Fuertes said they are compensated through provision of insurance, and equipment for their work in the area. (Salud Isabel Petalcorin, MINDANAO TIMES)
Eagles fly for Lunhaw Awards 2014
DAVAO CITY – Coming off from the success of last year’s fundraising activity for the Lunhaw Awards, this year’s edition of the Flight of the Eagles, Davao’s annual 40-km fun ride cycling event, continues its support to raise funds for the award-giving activity which recognizes green initiatives in Davao City. With the theme, “Bike Safety: Share the Road”, this year’s route will start from Magsaysay Park at 7:00 am and will end at the Malagos Watershed Park near the Philippine Eagle Center. Cycle for Life convenor Monica Ayala, one of the co-organizers of the fun ride, said that the theme was selected in order to highlight the advocacy of the bicycle enthusiasts in Davao City. “Cycling is a practical activity that most Dabawenyos should take part in because it doesn’t emit carbon fumes which pollute our urban air. This makes it one of the best ways for anyone eager to do their own share for the environment because it reduces one’s own carbon footprint.”, Ayala said. Lunhaw Awards Co-Organizer Mary Ann Fuertes, of the Interface Development Interventions, said that the Awards Organizers were pleased to be one of the beneficiaries of the 12th Flight of the Eagles fun ride. “This will go a long way in providing funds so that the Lunhaw Awards can recognize more deserving green initiatives in Davao City.”, Fuertes said. Other than the Lunhaw Awards, funds from this event will also go to reforestation initiatives in the Talomo-Lipadas area, which the annual activity has been supporting for the last ten years. A part of the proceeds will also go to the installation of bike racks in Magsaysay Park. Registration fee is at Php 500, inclusive of jersey shirt, lunch pack, and raffle ticket. Pre-registration is open until October 4, 2014 at the Office of Councilor Avila at Room 212, SP Building, San Pedro St., Davao City. The activity is organized by the Cycle for Life, Davao City Water District (DCWD), Federation of Off-Road Cycling Enthusiasts (FORCE), Interface Development Interventions Inc. (IDIS, Inc.), Philcycling, Office of Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III, Watershed and Environmental Protection Coalition of Davao (WEPCD), Watershed Management Youth Council (WMYC). Various Cycling organizations from Davao City and Region XI will also participate in this event. (#)
Group wants hydropower plant builder to observe watershed code
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 4 June) – Any action on a proposed power generation project should consider its effects on the city’s drinking water supply and environmental laws, an official of an environment group said. Mary Ann Fuentes, Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) executive director, said Monday the proposal of San Lorenzo Builders to construct a 140-megawatt run-of-river hydropower plant should follow the Watershed Code, which prohibits infrastructure in watersheds that serve as sources of drinking water. The plant will be built within the vicinity of the Tamugan River, according to Councilor Louie John Bonguyan, who heads the city council’s committee on energy. “I want to see the design. I want to see if the development will need to divert water to achieve a necessary elevation so that their turbines will work,” Fuentes said. She said the city should consider the effects of the project on drinking water supply along with its aim to help curb the energy shortage in Mindanao. “The developers will also have to contend with the zoning ordinance, which identifies the city’s water resource areas. If you remember, there were some property developments that were disapproved because they were planning to build within [watershed areas],” she added. Asked which alternative energy sources could be tapped to address the shortage, Fuentes said they are pushing for other sources like solar power. She said if this was not possible, hydropower plants should be built in water bodies that don’t serve as sources of drinking water. She said building a hydropower plant along Tamugan River could affect rehabilitation works along the water source, as well as past and present projects by the Davao City Water District. Last week, Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte told reporters the developers would have to convince the committee on energy about the technical details of the project. He added that stakeholders, such as environment groups, would be in the best position to understand and explain the technical details of projects such as hydropower plants. Bonguyan said more committee hearings will be scheduled on the concern raised by IDIS. According to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan for 2013-2022 prepared by the City Planning and Development Office, water-extractive activities should be regulated to prevent over-extraction. It also requires all structures built in water resource areas to have proper sanitation facilities especially for septage and wastewater, and prohibits “highly pollutive” activities. In an earlier presentation to the city council, San Lorenzo Builders president and chief executive officer Oscar Violago said the development site would include Gumalang to Lamanan in Calinan. The timeline includes a feasibility study that would begin this year and, if approved, commercial operations to begin in 2019 depending on the completion of the application process. The topography, hydrology, and geology studies would also begin this year. (MINDANEWS)
Statement of Support for the Passage of the No Mining Policy in Davao City
The Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) supports the City Council’s formulation of a No Mining Policy in Davao City to protect and sustainably manage the city’s watersheds and to ensure the food security of its citizens by protecting its remaining agricultural areas. That Davao is a city of watersheds cannot be denied. Previous terrain analysis studies conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region XI have identified eight major watersheds and several tributaries in the City’s jurisdiction. Such natural bounty has endowed the city with one of the world’s top sources of high quality drinking water and favored the development of agriculture, fisheries and eco-tourism industries. Recognizing its importance, City Mayor Duterte adopted the MGB study and later used the findings as basis to formulate, and eventually pass the Watershed Code in 2007 and its Implementing Rules and Regulations in 2008. Section 9 of the Code clearly states the prohibition of land conversion, mineral exploration, construction or maintenance of any kind of structure and conduct of any business enterprises in areas designated for conservation. Several national laws also uphold the importance of saving the integrity of our watersheds. Section 19 of the Republic Act 7942, also known as the Mining Act of 1995, mandates that old growth or virgin forests, proclaimed watershed forest reserves, wilderness areas, …as defined by law in areas expressly prohibited under the National Integrated Protected areas System (NIPAS), are closed to mining. Farm lands are also exempt from mining. In July 2012, President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III issued Executive Order 79 which explicitly prohibits mining in “prime agricultural lands, in addition to lands covered by RA No. 6657, or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988, as amended, including plantations and areas devoted to valuable crops, and strategic agriculture” and fisheries development zones ,refuges, and sanctuaries, declared as such by the Secretary of the Department of Agriculture.” That same EO also provides that the tourism development areas identified by the National Tourism Development Plan and, “other critical areas, island ecosystems, and impact areas of mining as determined by current and existing mapping technologies, that the DENR may hereafter identify pursuant to existing laws, rules, and regulations, such as, but not limited to, the NIPAS Act” are closed to mining. Davao’s City Development Plan also echoes similar development thrusts. To ensure the food security of Dabawenyos, its agricultural lands must be protected; to sustain its communities, its healthy watersheds must be maintained and preserved. Mining is a step backwards from all of these proactive strategies. It is a very resource extractive industry that lays waste to our forests, contaminating water sources with poisonous chemicals, and polluting coasts with silt and toxic tailings. The negative impact to our environment and our society are staggering and irreversible, and will stretch through generations. Davao City can push for a more sustainable development agenda without resorting to this destructive industry. The potential destruction brought about mining far outweighs its perceived economic contribution. We support the public declarations of former Mayor Sara Duterte and current Mayor Rodrigo Duterte opposing mining operations in the city . We therefore call on the City Council to fast track the passage of an ordinance declaring Davao City as a Mining Free Zone. (Submitted to the Sangguniang Panlungsod Committee on Environment Hearing on the proposed No Mining Ordinance in Davao City , September 20, 2013)