Thursday, September 15, 2005
Sienes: DCWD's adopt-a-site project
By Cris G. Sienes
Different Strokes
"The two watersheds are now being threatened by expanding vegetable farms, creeping banana and pineapple plantations, illegal logging and other deleterious undertakings."
FIRST things first. Since we will be talking about a watershed, let us first try to understand what a watershed really is. If we go by the definition of the DCWD, a watershed is a basin-like geographical structure bounded by surrounding ridges. It has a network of stream tributaries leading to a common mouth or drainage channel. It is a combination of components such as soil, water, terrain, vegetative cover, and associate animal life. A watershed plays a very critical role in ensuring and abundant supply of round water.
In Davao City the main source of water supply is ground water. Hence, the city depends largely on two watersheds--the Malagos watershed in Calinan, and the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed. The two watersheds are now being threatened by expanding vegetable farms, creeping banana and pineapple plantations, illegal logging and other deleterious undertakings. A portion of the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed, for instance, some 530 hectares inside the Mt. Apo Natural Park, has already been denuded.
To rehabilitate the denuded portion of the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed and ensure a steady supply of water for the city is the raison d'etre of the Adopt-A-Site project of the DCWD.
For the success of the project, the DCWD needs adopters, individuals or companies that are willing to go out of their way to adopt a site for tree planting purposes to rehabilitate and preserve the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed. The project will enable all responsible sectors of our society to take active part in saving not only the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed, but also the Malagos watershed in Calinan.
An individual or company that takes part in the Adopt-A-Site project has the following responsibilities: to donaate P6,000 to the DCWD yearly for five years for adopting at least a hectare of the denuded portion of the Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed, as well as to inform the DCWD a month ahead of all the programs and activities that an adopter wants to undertake in the project area.
For its part, the DCWD will include the name of the adopter in its roster of adopters in the watershed area, assist the adopters in visiting the project area, provide the adopter with progress reports, and include the name of the adopter in appertaining publications in recognition of the adopter's role as its partner in the rehabilitation of the watershed.
This question will surely be asked: Where will the P6,000 that an adopter will donate to the DCWD yearly for five years go? It will be spent for the first year for seedlings, preparation and maintenance of the tree plantation, and administrative costs. The total cost for the first year activities is actually P8,600.
For the second to fifth year part of the donated P6,000 will go to maintenance, replanting, fertilization and administrative costs. The total cost for these activities each year is actually P6,000. Multiply this by four years and the total cost for five years, including the first year, will come up to a whopping P32,600. The DCWD will shoulder the rest of the monetary requirements.
After five years the DCWD will continue to monitor the trees planted, fruit or forest trees, and ensure their protection and preservation. The Adopt-A-Site project of the DCWD is a noble undertaking, which seeks to rehabilitate, protect and preserve our watersheds to ensure a steady supply of water for all city residents. We call on individuals and companies that can afford to take part in the project.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, we hear, has adopted a hectare or two. Others who have pledged to take part in the project are: Del Monte Fresh Produce (Phils.), 2 hectares; Eduardo A. Bangayan, one hectare; Elpidio O. Barcelona III, one hectare; Emcor, Inc., 2 hectares for five years; Land Bank, one hectare for five years; Lira Realty Corp., one hectare; Pat G. Montemayor, one hectare; PNP, one hectare; Purita J. Calizo, one hectare; Nest Farms, Inc., two hectares; Jhaymarts Industries, one hectare; San Miguel Corporation, one hectare; Retail Distribution Networks, Inc., one hectare; Agnes S. Togon / Didit S. Herrera, Soroptimists International Philippines, one hectare; Soroptimists International of Metro Davao, one hectare; Tesoro's Printing Press, one hectare; Rizal Memorial Colleges, one hectare, and Women Employees of DCWD, one hectare.
What about you? Stand up and be counted. Join the Adopt-A-Site project and help ensure a steady supply of water for the city. For details, contact ECD-Environment and Watershed Protection Division, DCWD, JP Laurel Avenue, Davao City, Tel. No. 221-9400; (082) 226-4885 (fax).
Point to ponder: "Trees are more upright than men." (From a Story told in a Chinese Garden, Book of Make-Believe)
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (September 15, 2005 issue)
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