THE City Government of Davao is targeting to expand the coverage of the Bantay Bukid or Forest Guards up to the Second District of the city next year to further ensure the protection and sustainable management of watersheds as well as the environment in the area.
At present, forest guards are only organized in District 3.
Retired Navy Captain Voltaire Engracia, head of the Bantay Bukid under the Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC), said in an interview on Tuesday, November 21, during the Panagtagbo, a gathering of Bantay Bukid Volunteers in Davao City Recreational Center (DCRC), that the expansion of the Bantay Bukid project is already in the pipeline and approved by Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
“The whole Davao City has eight watersheds so sa ngayon sa third district palang ang coverage ng Bantay Bukid. We are going in expanding to the second district until macover talaga namin lahat kasi we have to preserve it for the future generation,” he said.
He said the Bantay Bukid started in 2012. It has since grown as more and more volunteers joined. These are deputized volunteers in Davao City who will monitor violations and laws pertaining to watershed are being followed.
Engracia said they have provided these volunteers the copy of the Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) to equip them with the necessary knowledge on the laws pertaining to the Watershed Code of the city so they could immediately coordinate with the city government in case there are violations committed by individuals or companies within the watersheds.
With these developments, he is expecting that the implementation of existing laws protecting the watershed would be more effective.
Chinkie Pelino-Golle, Interface Development Interventions (Idis) executive director, expressed her gratitude to the city government especially to Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio for supporting the forest guards through the allocation of funds for their incentives and uniform to capacitate them.
Aside from the watershed code implementation, these volunteers will also conduct biodiversity monitoring, river monitoring and assist in early warning and disaster response.
“We are happy in Idis because we’ve been lobbying this to the local government and local agencies to partner local communities because it is not enough that only the government will secure our forest and we need the help of the local communities and Bantay Bukid volunteers,” she said.
As to their record, there are now 232 volunteers in District 3 monitoring Talomo-Lipadas Watershed, Tanigan-Tamugan Watershed, and the large area in Mt. Apo.
Idis, in partnership with the PSSCC, Philippine Eagle Foundation, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Watershed Management Council, are assigned in the training of these forest guards.