“COLLECTIVE action and partnership have always been at the forefront in assuring positive impact of various initiatives, particularly in the protection, conservation and rehabilitation of watersheds.”
This was underscored by National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) Undersecretary Roderick Planta during the site visit for the Partnership for Water and Economic Resilience (P4Water) project at Barangay Ilijan in Bago City yesterday, March 22.
The P4Water is one of the watershed conservation projects of Coca-Cola Foundation Philippines Inc. in partnership with the United States Agency for International Development (Usaid), Federation of Multisectoral Alliance for Development (Muad) - Negros, and Provincial Government of Negros Occidental.
It’s a four-year partnership that aims to provide safe water access to underserved communities in Negros Occidental through watershed conservation initiatives.
Citing the baseline assessment conducted by the Usaid Safe Water project, Planta said Negros occidental has a lot of catching up to do to provide safe water and safely-managed sanitation services for every Negrense.
Compounding this issue, he said, is the current state of the watershed in the province which is threatened by deforestation and climate change effects.
“The Neda commends the P4Water project of Coca Cola Foundation and its partners for demonstrating collective action and partnership on addressing the issues on diminishing water supply and continued degradation of forest, particularly in Bago River and Malogo River Watersheds,” Planta said.
The Neda official noted that activities like capacity building of project partners, protection of natural springs and forest, and promotion of sustainable livelihood help improve the quality of life of the people in the upstream communities and ensure the protection of crucial water resources which many communities depend on.
As he recognized such a partnership, Planta reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to champion the goal of universal access to safe water and sanitation services integrated with sustainable water resource management.
Yesterday’s project site visit coincided with the celebration of World Water Day and marked the first year of the P4Water project implementation in Bago City. Officials and representatives of different partner-organizations along with the residents in the community also planted trees in the area.
Usaid Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn said watersheds are critical for sustaining clean drinking water and livelihood for many families.
On this occasion of World Water Day, global attention is focused on diminished water sources, particularly from groundwater, which is a major concern in the country, Washburn said.
Over half of the 110 million Philippine population depend on ground water for drinking water, he said, adding that in Negros Occidental, 90 percent of the water delivered to cities are sourced from ground water.
“Usaid through Safe Water is heling Negros Occidental in its initiative to build a water-secure future by developing hydrological studies that provide evidence and scientific data to inform the province long term water security plan,” the mission director said.
Washburn recognized the contribution of the city and provincial governments, the “generosity” of Coca Cola and hardwork of Muad - Negros for the initial gains of the P4Water project which for them has fostered synergy among these groups.
“It is invigorating to walk across the field and see firsthand our partnership and action, as well as address the watershed and livelihood concern of the communities in the barangay,’ he said, adding that "Usaid is proud to be part of this initiative that advances the protection, conservation and rehabilitation of watersheds, including here in Bago City.”
Reaffirming the firm’s commitment to providing clean and safe water to the country’s vulnerable communities, Coca Cola Foundation Philippines Inc. president Ma. Cecilia Alcantara stressed that “water is so important to all of us, water is life.”
In fact, water is a flagship program of the company. With its Agos program, its aim is to make water flowing for life, for communities, Alcantara said.
“Here in Negros, we have our biggest water initiative, we have 60 community water systems mostly using ram pump technology for very undersreved communties mostly in the upland,” she said, adding that “this bigger project will not just provide water to communities but will ensure water security for the Negros Island.”
For his part, Bago City Mayor Nicholas Yulo, who was also present at the activity, said this is an important project that everyone needs to support as water means life and water resources sources may soon deplete.
“Most of our water resources come from here. We have several springs in this barangay alone,” Yulo said, as he thanked the residents at the upland “for preserving the natural resources and for giving us water at the lowland.”
Coca-Cola Philippines president Tony del Rosario, in a statement, said “water is essential for life, for nature and for every community. As a beverage company, Coca-Cola also depends on water to operate our business.”
“This is why responsible water management remains a top priority for us at Coca-Cola. Our continuing partnership with Usaid, Muad-Negros, and the local government is a step toward our vision of a world where there is water security for our business, communities, and the environment where we operate, source ingredients, and touch people’s lives,” he added.
In response, Rodel Cadigal, of the United Ilijan Agricultural Workers for Sustainable Development, said the project has helped them improve their livelihood by protecting the forest through one, planting seedlings in the nursery.
“We are happy to be part of the effort to ensure that we have supply of water through the protection and conservation of the watershed in the city,” he said, adding that “we were also equipped with the knowledge on how to save and implement new agriculture practices and technologies.”*