DAVAO City Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo said the owner of a piggery allegedly responsible for discharging waste into the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed—causing the river water to turn black — will be summoned to a committee hearing to face investigation.
Ocampo, who chairs the City Council Committee on Environment, said both the piggery owner and the concerned barangay officials will be called to explain their side.
“We need to get the details and ask the owner of this piggery to explain. According to their statement, there was reportedly a leak — a crack in their septic tank — which caused the discharge,” Ocampo said in an interview on Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) on Monday, November 3, 2025.
However, Ocampo noted that based on statements from nearby residents, the piggery allegedly releases waste into the river from time to time—particularly during heavy rains or flooding.
The councilor emphasized that the alleged contamination poses a serious threat to the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, Davao City’s main source of drinking water.
Through a privilege speech, Ocampo said an investigation will determine why the piggery was allowed to operate within a protected area and how the discharge reached the river.
“We want to get to the bottom of this because this is a serious matter, even though the contamination happened just below the water extraction area,” he said.
Ocampo clarified that the affected section of the river—where the water turned black—is located downstream of the Davao Bulk Water Facility’s extraction point. Still, he stressed that it remains part of the protected watershed area and must be safeguarded from pollution.
He added that monitoring records show no previous instances of the Panigan-Tamugan River turning black or emitting a foul odor.
Possible sanctions
Depending on the outcome of the probe, Ocampo said the piggery could face suspension or closure if found to have violated environmental laws.
If the owner can prove that no laws were broken, they will be given an opportunity to rectify their lapses. However, if evidence shows that the establishment is operating within a prohibited zone, the city government will strictly enforce the law.
In his earlier privilege speech, Ocampo cited several possible violations, including:
Presidential Decree 1067 – Water Code of the Philippines, which allows the DENR to restrict activities in protected groundwater areas
Republic Act 9275 – Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, which prohibits discharging pollutants into waterways without a valid permit
City Ordinance 0310-07 – Davao City Watershed Code, which bans dumping harmful waste in watershed areas
City Ordinance 0742-25 – Panigan–Tamugan Sub-Watershed Ordinance, which prohibits disposal of waste that degrades water quality
River contamination incident
On October 21, 2025, Barangay Tamugan issued an advisory barring residents from bathing, washing, or using the river for domestic purposes after the water turned brownish to blackish and began emitting a foul odor the previous day. The contamination was allegedly traced to JML Lopez Farm.
Bantay Bukid volunteers later inspected the site and found that the incident affected both Barangay Tamugan and Barangay Gumalang. They documented the situation, collected water samples for analysis, and forwarded their report to the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) and the Watershed Management Council (WMC) for appropriate action.
Why Panigan-Tamugan river protection matters
The Panigan-Tamugan Watershed is not merely a scenic upland resource — it is Davao City’s current and future primary source of drinking water. The watershed covers approximately 13,975.47 hectares, linking the Panigan and Tamugan rivers, and has been described as “the largest source of the city’s water supply,” according to Idis.
A 2023 SunStar Davao article noted that the bulk-water facility development at Panigan-Tamugan underscores its role as a “lifeline for Dabawenyos, providing them with essential drinking water” and that efforts to rehabilitate the area have included tree planting, riparian protection, and flood-runoff control. This means that any waste discharge that degrades water quality here could directly impact the safety of drinking water, public health and long-term water security for tens of thousands of residents.
In addition to water-supply functions, the watershed provides a host of ecosystem services that help maintain environmental resilience and reduce hazards.
Watersheds like Panigan-Tamugan regulate flood-runoff, control erosion, maintain base-flow in rivers, support forest biodiversity and community well-being. For example, a Research Gate study on Davao City’s watershed management found that degraded watershed lands reduce the capacity of rivers to sustain quality and quantity of water, and increase risks of flooding and sedimentation. Consequently, allowing piggery waste or other effluent to enter this protected area is not just a regulatory violation — it undermines the very ecological and human-health services that the watershed is meant to secure. RGP