WATERSHEDS of Panigan-Tamugan and Talomo-Lipadas are facing worrisome environmental concerns, an advocacy group revealed.
Euro Generics International Philippines (Egip) Foundation, in a letter to Councilor Pilar Braga, said “intruders” have been taking out wood in the north eastern part of Sitio Kalatong in Barangay Carmen, Baguio District, which is considered as an ancestral domain.
Egip said encroachments were seen on March 2014, which burnt around 200 hectares of second growth rainforest and established illegal structures. The incident, once again, took place in August 2018.
The group said the intruded area is a watershed and potable water source for Davao City and declared a key biodiversity area.
Some of the proofs Egip cited included Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) photos and videos on environmental destruction the intruders caused in Kalatong, the ocular inspection conducted by the forest guards and barangay captains in Carmen from March 8 to 9 (also last year), and the survey on the tree species and the amount of cut and burnt forest trees from July 8, 2019 by the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro).
They also noted it took more than a year since the recent encroachment before the joint forces of Cenro, the Philippine National Police (PNP), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were able to demolish the illegal structures, and remove the intruders in the area last November 23, 2019.
“However, the intruders were reported to have returned on December 2 (2019) and continued to take out woods in the area,” Egip said.
The group cited the recent dismissal of case filed by Cenro against the intruders before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The area, which is a community of the Obu-Manuvu, had been supported by Egip since 2011.
At present, DENR has trained and accredited 36 forest guards, 23 of them are paid an allowance by the Davao City government to monitor and protect the area.
Egip, based on the decision made by the Davao City Watershed Management Council (WMC), the destroyed 200-hectare forest in Kalatong “shall be replanted with native forest trees”.
Recommendation
Braga, in her privilege speech on Tuesday, January 7, said the environmental group is recommending to create a task force against environmental crimes.
The councilor said the task force could be composed of the WMC, Cenro, PNP, AFP, National Indigenous Peoples, and the academe.
“It should be able to respond immediately on reports on environmental crimes and take immediate action concering apprehending the culprits, assessing environmental damage, and preparing for their restoration,” Braga said, reading Egip’s recommendation.
The group also recommended to increase the compensation of the payment for environmental services (PES).
Also, Egip recommends the watershed areas to proclaimed as Local Conservation Areas by the city government.
Braga referred the proposal to Councilor Diosdado Mahipus, committee chair on environment.
Panigan-Tamugan watershed is the source of the Davao City Bulk Water Supply Project, a joint project of the Davao City Water District and the Apo Agua Infrastructura Inc. that is expected to provide around 300 million liters of water to the consumers once it will fully operates in the first quarter of 2021.