Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte lauded watershed stakeholders including forests guards for their active role in protecting the city’s watersheds.
In the mayor’s message read by City Administrator Zuleika Lopez on Wednesday’s opening of the 2016 Watershed Stakeholders Summit, Duterte thanked volunteer forest guards or Bantay Bukid and other stakeholders for their commitment, saying their presence is an indication that Dabawenyos are united in ensuring the protection, conservation and sustainable management of the city’s watersheds.
“Our watersheds are where we source our drinking water. The health of our watersheds determines the quality and the quantity of our water,” the message read.
Lopez assured stake-holders and volunteers that the Mayor Sara’s administration will continue to plan and implement programs and projects that will protect and pursue sustainable management of Davao City’s watershed.
The city government, she said, will also look into how they can provide appropriate incentives and assistance to volunteer forest guards.
It will be added in the 2017-2019 plans of the Davao City Watershed Council, Lopez added.
The two-day summit, which is attended by more or less 200 participants from local and national government agencies, environmental networks, non-government organizations, and civil society organizations, will end on August 25. (City Information Office)