THE Watershed and Water Resources Research Development and Extension Center (WWRRDEC) called on strengthening the preservation of existing watersheds in Baguio City to ensure the good quality of water for residents.
In the weekly Talakayan sa Environment Code radio forum of the Baguio Regreening Movement, Dado Estigoy, science research specialist of the 31-hectare WWRRDEC in Loakan, Baguio City, said water resources in the city are harvested from the underground water aquifer, which is needed to be sustained and protected.
"Definitely, we have to sustain and protect the watershed for us to have continuous resources of water in our city. It is very important that this should be relayed to the people that we have to protect and conserve our watershed for us to have a sustainable resource of water," Estigoy said.
Baguio has three existing forest reserves and eight watershed areas servicing the water needs of the city.
"There are three forest reserves and eight watersheds within the city. These are John Hay forest reserve under Proclamation 198, having an area of 273.73 hectares; Crystal Cave watershed reserve under Proclamation number 16, having an area of 4.73 hectares; and the third watershed reserve, which is Santo Tomas forest reserve under Proclamation 581, having 22.11 hectares," Estigoy added.
He also identified the existing watersheds in the city with proclamation and allotted land area.
"The Buyog watershed under proclamation 93 with 91.93 hectares, Busol watershed under proclamation 15 with 112 hectares, Camp 8 watershed under proclamation 107 with 14.36 hectares, Lucnab watershed under proclamation 178 with 5.98 hectares, Forest Park 1,2 and 3 under proclamation 10 with 67.94 hectares, Pucsusan watershed under special reserve 190 series of 1995 with only 8,400 square meters, Guisad-Surong watershed under land reserve of only 1,250 square meters, while the last watershed is at Puliwes with an unidentified total area," Estigoy added.
WWRRDEC covers Ilocos, Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, and Cordillera.