BANTAY Bukid and Bantay Tubig Volunteers (BBTV) continue to strengthen Davao City’s environmental and watershed protection initiatives in 2025 through various activities and community-driven projects.
BBTV is a community-based volunteer force that serves as forest rangers tasked with safeguarding the city’s hinterlands, including its river systems and other vital natural resources.
The City Government of Davao, through the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) has helped establish and support the Bantay Bukid program, including the provision of incentives to its volunteers.
During the 2025 Watershed Stakeholder Summit held on November 27, 2025, PSSO Assistant Operations Officer MSgt. Reynante B. Vallejo, PCG (Ret.) said that the BBTV was able to report 15 incidents involving alleged violations of environmental laws. These included illegal tree cutting, water pollution, treasure hunting, illegal entry, and construction without permits.
The volunteers also carried out 293 environmental activities such as nursery establishment, tree planting and tree growing, as well as brushing and clearing of weeds to aid forest regeneration.
Under watershed protection, the group completed 196 activities, including monitoring of critical watershed areas, cleanup drives, and brand audits—a process that involves counting and documenting brands found in collected plastic waste to identify companies contributing to pollution.
Biodiversity conservation remained its priority, with 242 monitoring activities conducted. These included bird sighting documentation, wildlife and key species monitoring, and dismantling of animal traps.
A total of 309 active Bantay Bukid Volunteers are currently deployed across six districts—Baguio (140), Marilog (54), Paquibato (39), Toril (31), Calinan (28), and Tugbok (17)—ensuring strong community presence in upland and forested areas.
Vallejo announced that in 2026 the program will expand its capacity-building initiatives through orientations on Section 77 of Presidential Decree 705 (Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines) and paralegal training on environmental legal frameworks for both Bantay Bukid and Bantay Tubig Volunteers.
Through its dedicated volunteers and committed partners, Davao City continues to reinforce its leadership in environmental stewardship—protecting forests, watersheds, and biodiversity for future generations. CIO