Friday, September 29, 2006 Protecting our future By Barbara Carla R. Quiero
DAVAO City has pioneered countless of programs, ordinances or policies that have earned the city the respect of other cities, provinces and of the country.
It is not only the first city to ban the use of firecrackers and smoking, and to develop a Women Development Code, it is also the first city to localize the national Water Code by approving its own Water Code.
City Councilor Pilar C. Braga, who authored the Davao City Water Code said, the management of water resources, through the code is necessary in ensuring the viability and sustainability of a very crucial resource, which is water and its sources.
Braga said it took the city about 10 years to approve the water code because it could affect interests of big business establishments that make much use of water such as softdrink companies and establishments that sells bottled waters.
The ordinance was approved last February 2001. It is anchored on Presidential Code 1067 or the Philippine Water Code of 1976. However, it was not implemented due to the absence of its Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR). The IRR will carry the provisions of the code.
But, just last July, the city government has completed the drafting of the code's IRR.
City Administrator Wendel E. Avisado, who chairs the committee that prepard the IRR, said it is now being reviewed by the City Legal Office before it will be presented to City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte for final his approval.
Braga said the IRR has gone through series of deliberations involving non-government organizations (NGO) and other stakeholders.
The IRR was prepared by the joint executive-legislative committee earlier formed by Mayor Duterte, chaired by Avisado, composed of city executives, legislators, and NGO representatives.
She said the committee will meet with the officials of the National Water Resource Board (NWRB) in Manila for the signing of a memorandum of agreement in connection with the provisions of the IRR.
The committee is composed of Braga, City Administrator Wendel E. Avisado, Councilor Jesus Zozobrado, Councilor Ricardo Cabling, representative from the Davao City Water District (DCWD), and NGOs.
"This is a law that will conserve and protect our waters in the city," Braga said in an interview.
She added that the code will address major threats to the quality and quantity of water sources in the city. It is also a response to the growing public's clamor to preserve the water resources of the city.
"We really need to do something to protect our water and its resources not only for today's generation, but, as well as sa future generations," Braga said.
With the IRR, a Water Resource Management Council is formed.
The council is an inter-departmental body, headed by the mayor. It is the lead coordinating, implementing and monitoring agency for any activity of the city government in the management, conservation, utilization and development of the city's water resources.
"The Council will be chaired by the mayor. The members will be representatives from the DCWD, City Health Office, City Engineer's Office, and some NGOs," she said.
To fund the Council's operation and function, an initial amount of P3 million shall be allocated as mobilization funds. The money will be sourced from the General Fund of the city's annual budget.
Some key provisions of the code include the identification and declaration of areas within the city as water resource areas, including water recharge areas, rivers, springs and acquifers, protecting them from being exploited.
In the IRR, Calinan to Dacudao, Calinan to Malagos and Sirawan are declared protected water resource.
Drilling of free flowing wells in water resource areas is prohibited, including massive land activities that could affect the utilization and protection of water resources.
Sanitary landfill, cemetery and underground oil storage tanks are also not allowed in identified water resource areas.
No person is also allowed to engage in the business of drilling or operating wells, whether test wells or production wells, without first registering as well driller or operator with the Council.
DCWD official spokesperson Romel M. Amoguis said 98 percent of the water extracted by DCWD is from groundwater and 2 percent comes from surface water, thus the need to promote programs that will protect the aquifers, watersheds, rivers, streams and creeks.
He said the groundwater is dependent on two watersheds, the 235-hectare Malagos watershed in Calinan and 38,000-hectare Mt. Talomo-Lipadas watershed located within the foot slopes of Mt. Apo Natural Park.
Amoguis said they still cannot comment or give any statement on the IRR since it is still being reviewed.
He, however, said that the DCWD even before the Water Code has been approved few years back have already implemented programs that will protect and preserve the water resources.
Amoguis said the DCWD through its Environment protection and Watershed Protection Division (EWPD) has been working closely with the people's organizations (POs) that serve as watchdogs in the uplands, making sure that watersheds are protected.
Among the POs organized by DCWD include the Dalion Plantation Watershed Association (Dapliwata), Lipadas Watershed Association (Lipwata), Malagos Watershed Bufferzone Residents Organization(Maburo), Obo-Manobo Ancestral Domain Muti-Purpose Cooperative (OMAD-MPC) and four others.
"Isa man gyud na sa among mga programs nga dapat pangalagaan gyud nato atong mga watersheds (One of our programs is to preserve our watersheds). If we protect our watersheds, we also protect our aquifers," Amoguis said in an interview.
Other than the organization of PO's that will serve as watchdogs, Amoguis said the DCWD also conduct tree-planting activities in Malagos to help the government preserve and protect the water resources.
Amoguis said the city's water can be considered as one of the best in the world since it is comparable to bottled mineral water containing minerals such as calcium.
He said it is only proper to preserve and protect its sources to maintain the quality of the water.
Councilor Leonardo R. Avila III, who chairs the City Council's committee on environment and natural resources, said if there is a time to create or implement laws that will protect the natural resources, it will be now.
"The mayor has already said na all laws related to the environment, now is the time to implement it, priority gyud na karon (it is a priority)," he disclosed.
He said the city government of Davao has a strong sense of responsibility that's why it leads the way in environment protection.
