Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) program coordinator Lemuel Manalo said he is expecting more forest guards or Bantay Bukid volunteers will be needed once the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed ordinance is implemented.
The City Council of Davao on Tuesday passed on second reading an ordinance declaring the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed as a source water-protected area.
Councilor Temujin “Tek” Ocampo, chair of the Committee on Environment of the City Council of Davao and proponent of the ordinance, said the ordinance aims to limit human activities in the area.
“With this ordinance mas kinahanglan nato ug daghan Bantay Bukid and one of the watershed management practices naa gyud ta’y ratio of forest guards per hectare. It should be nga naay 10 forest guards in one-hectare ug kana ang gina follow nato,” Manalo told the media.
Currently, there are only 200 forest guards or Bantay Bukid volunteers monitoring the more than 14,600 hectares of Panigan-Tamugan Watershed.
“As of now dili pa ingon ana kataas ang number of forest guards especially in this type of watershed na siya watershed reserve. We need to have an increase of forest guards in these areas to protect especially Mt. Tipolog kay dako pa man gud kaayo ning Panigan-Tamugan Watershed its more than 14,600 hectares including all of the land covers,” Manalo said.
The ordinance seeks to declare the watershed and its territorial boundary as a source water-protected area, ensuring its preservation as a critical resource for the city’s water supply.
The proposed measure also aims to establish strict regulations to prevent activities and encroachment that could harm the watershed’s ecological integrity.
IDIS said these include restrictions on land use, resource extraction, and other potentially detrimental practices within the designated protected area.
“The ordinance aligns with the city’s broader efforts to strengthen environmental conservation and secure sustainable water sources for future generations,” IDIS said.
“We need to tighten up the protection measures of the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed because it is our drinking source. Current nato siya na source of drinking water and ang supply is coming from Panigan-Tamugan Watershed. That is why one of the protected mechanisms na objective of this ordinance is to control the population and control the settlement areas because dinha gikan ang atong tubig,” Manalo said.
IDIS has been lobbying for a stand-alone policy for the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed. Hence the organization collaborated with Ocampo, Watershed Management Council, Obu-Manuvu Tribal Council, and Bantay Bukid volunteers and its stakeholders in the formulation of the policy.
IDIS contributed technical watershed inputs, framing the land use limitations and prohibited activities and most especially recommending an increased funding and budget intended to improve conservation, public awareness, and community-based monitoring systems.
Meanwhile, retired Judge Jesus Quitain, who is also among the supporters of the said ordinance, lauded IDIS for its efforts in the crafting of the ordinance.
“Ang haligi nito ay ang IDIS for technical matters. Ikaduha si Datu Enad siya ang Datu ng source ng water na ginainom natin. Pasalamat ta kay ang mga konsehal supportive,” Quitain said.
