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Friday, January 21, 2005
Antalan: Watersheds
By Roger P. Antalan
Dateline Igacos
"Talicud island has been suffering from lack of water. Last year, the Barangay of Cogon hit a deep well with amply supply of water. Recently, the city was able to source out a big supply of water from Baga cave."
WATERSHEDS are areas of land that serve as natural catchments system for rainwater. Watersheds are hill forest areas that are nature's own system of managing the collection, retention and flow of rainwater. Their rivers and springs and underground streams are sources of drinking water collected in reservoirs.
Needless to say, watersheds are of great ecological and economic importance. The proper retention and controlled flow of water in the natural watersheds are also vital in preventing flash floods. And investors always ask if there is enough water supply before they come in.
In Igacos, the Island Garden City of Samal, we have the following watershed areas: three in the district of Babak, four in the district of Samal, and four in the district of Kaputian.
Coming out as surface waters, there are nine springs in Babak, 17 springs in Samal, and 21 springs in Kaputian. In the whole island, there are only two big rivers - Benoling River in Peñaplata and Tagbaobo River in Kaputian. Benoling River, only 1 km long, is heavily mineral (carbonates) in content. There is need for a filtration reservoir - for its full use. The other river is at the back of the island.
Knowing the importance of the watersheds, we are continuously planting trees in the watershed areas. The priority project of planting three million trees up to 2006 is ongoing. Disturbance to watersheds can be caused by cutting trees, illegal logging, land clearance and construction activities.
We have been working on the road network. In one instance when a hill was cleared and leveled for an important road, the water supply from nearby stopped to a trickle.
Another interesting development happened when a landowner refused to share water from a spring with his neighbors, the spring completely dried up! Another sitio celebrates every year in thanksgiving at the spring that has provided the residents with water throughout the years. Like the lumads, they believe in the good spirits in nature that protect and maintain their water supply. There is no harm praying to the Magbabaya to reveal more water sources.
Talicud island has been suffering from lack of water. Last year, the Barangay of Cogon hit a deep well with amply supply of water. Recently, the city was able to source out a big supply of water from Baga cave. Almost a kilometer down inside the cave is a spring that could supply almost all the island. Out of the 70 or more caves in Igacos at least 10 are estimated to have underground rivers that do not come out in the open but flow directly to the sea.
These are happy findings for the island reputed to be suffering from lack of water supply. We must continue planting trees at the watershed areas, prevent clearings around these areas, and initiate activities among farmers to prevent soil erosion, e.g. SALT (Slopping Agricultural Land Technology).
In the past, we, in Igacos, had wanted very much to build the bridge across not only for easy access to Davao City but also to be able to source out water from the rich water supply of Davao City. Now we watch with concern the issues and problems confronting Davao City's watersheds.
NGOs and concerned citizens of Davao City are worried about the increasing demand due to increasing population and economic activities; unregulated water extractions (drilling of free flowing wells; deforestation; conversion to agricultural uses, logging, mining); improper cultivation and using of inappropriate crops in agricultural areas (no soil and water conservation measures, tillage within slopes); unregulated quarrying; excessive of hazardous farm chemicals; and large scale plantations (encroaching upland watersheds).
Davao City and Igacos has a Big Brother-Small Brother arrangement. We are interested in how Davao City handles the problem confronting its watersheds. As we develop, we maybe confronted with the same problems in a small way. The campaign for clean water and healthy watersheds must go on. Water is life. It is all about our lives. For Davao bisaya stories.Click here.
(January 21, 2005 issue)
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