SEVERAL plantations, hog-raising and poultry farms and other agricultural companies operating without
business permits and necessary clearances from the Davao City Mayor’s Office and other regulatory agencies are targeted for closure early next year.
This was discussed by members of Davao City’s Watershed Management Council headed by City Administrator Zuleika T. Lopez, WMC vice chairman of Mayor Sara D. Carpio.
The discussion done during the last two WMC monthly meetings centered on the operation of at least six poultry farms in the hinterland barangays of Calinan and Baguio districts within the watershed areas found to have several violations of laws and ordinances.
The poultry farms were inspected by the WMC’s Watershed Multi-partite Monitoring Team (WMMT) after some government offices, including the office of then Presidential Assistant Christopher Lawrence “Bong’ Go, received complaints from residents about the illegal operation and questionable practices of the poultry farms.
Th WMMT reported back to the WMC confirming the questionable operation of the poultry farms in barangay Lacson in Calinan District and Tawan-Tawan in Baguio District both within the delineated watershed areas sought to be protected under duly-approved laws and ordinances.
Some of the most common violations of the poultry farms, which are reportedly capitalized in the hundreds of millions of pesos, are lack of mayor’s permit, no locational clearance, no water treatment facilities and no business permits.
Some WMC members feared that the unchecked violations of the poultry farms might even adversely affect the water supply taken from the Davao City Bulk Water System now being built by the Apo Agua Infrastructura , Inc. partnership of Aboitiz Equity Ventures and JV Angeles Construction Company, Inc. at the cost of P10 billion.
In a discussion among Forester Christopher Asibal, Curtis Lazarraga of the City Health Office, retired Judge Jesus Quitain and Ms Chinkie Pelino-Golle and other members of the WMC, it was suggested that the barangay captains of all 42 barangays within the identified watershed area be called to a meeting to discuss their vital role in the enforcement of the watershed ordinance.
This was decided after it was observed that many barangay captains are not very enthusiastic in doing their share in the implementation of the watershed ordinance.
