A DAVAO City lawmaker said that his committee is already drafting an ordinance declaring the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed as a source water-protected area.
Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, chair of the committee on environment and natural resources, said they are currently polishing the ordinance and that, unlike the watershed ordinance, this one will strengthen the policies surrounding the water source.
“It will ensure nga kaning mga areas, especially sa mga boundaries, dili na siya masudlan unang-una ug mga business establishments, residential. It should be protected (It will ensure that the areas, especially along its boundaries, will not be encroached by business establishments and residential [houses]. It should be protected),” Ocampo said on Tuesday, February 13, 2024, during the Aprubado sa Konseho 20th City Council Media Forum at the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
Ocampo warned those who are planning to construct resorts along the watershed that their business permits will not be approved since the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) is strict in granting permits, particularly in protected areas.
He added that people living near the boundary of the river will no longer be allowed to bathe in the area and they need to make sure that their structure will not cause pollution to the watershed.
He also said that through the ordinance the influx of people going to the river will be regulated, especially those who want to use the area for recreational purposes.
“Dili nato siya pwede himuon nga resort basis like what happened during the New Year nga nagtapok ang mga tawo didto. Daghan kaayo basura, nagtapun-og, unya kanang sapaa tributary na siya sa Panigan-Tamugan River unya ang mga hugaw mudagayday didto, ganahan mo nga mao na atoang imnon? (It should not be made into a resort, like what happened during the New Year where people flocked there. Trash abound and were just left there and that river was a tributary of the Panigan-Tamugan River and all the waste will flow to our water source, you want to drink from that water?) he said.
Ocampo shared some of the highlights of the ordinance, stating that it will harmonize the CLUP. He also revealed that they will be injecting national laws to avoid redundancy with the watershed ordinance.
Similarly, Councilor Louie John Bonguyan, chair of the committee on energy and water and housing (Medium-End), said that the ordinance should be passed because Davao City has been utilizing the river for 13 to 15 years.
“It is better to pass this proposed ordinance so that ma-regulate nato itong mga tao nga naa ngadto sa taas (It is better to pass this proposed ordinance so that we can regulate the people in the highlands),” he said.
Bonguyan emphasized that with the ordinance, people would be aware that this is the area where our water providers are getting their supply of potable drinking water for the Dabawenyos. RGP
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