“A watershed is a watershed is a watershed.”
– The late Environment Secretary Paz L. Lopez
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Last November 27, the 2025 Watershed Stakeholder Summit was held at the Grand Menseng Hotel. The theme was “Together for Growth: Working Together Toward a Secure, Clean, and Sustainable Water Supply for the Generations.”
Acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte graced the summit and talked about watershed protection which, according to Maya Padillo’s report, “remains one of the city’s most urgent environmental priorities.”
This was what Duterte said, as quoted by Padillo: “As frontliners and advocates of environmental stewardship, we are entrusted with the duty to safeguard these vital resources, bolster our ongoing watershed management initiatives, and pursue long-term, evidence-based solutions that ensure resiliency and sustainability for years to come.”
Occasionally, the largest city in the country by land area faces challenges related to water: there may be an excess of water or a complete lack of it. Both scenarios are linked to the degradation of watershed regions.
Most Filipinos are familiar with the concept of a watershed. Some individuals perceive it as a forested region, abundant with trees. In reality, watersheds are defined as land areas that channel rainwater to a single point, such as a stream, lake, or wetland, along with all the groundwater beneath.
Larger watersheds encompass numerous smaller ones. The classification depends on the outflow point; all land that directs water to this outflow point constitutes the watershed for that specific location.
Davao City has eight watershed areas, including the Talomo-Lipadas watershed located in Toril District. “These watersheds are natural reservoirs for the pristine potable water that has been certified as one of the world’s cleanest drinking waters,” said the environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS).
It must be recalled that in August 2021, the Davao City Council passed the Ordinance Regulating Recreational Activities within the Watershed Areas of Davao City for the Protection, Conservation, and Preservation of the Natural Environment.
Section 3 (c) of Ordinance No. 0310-07 acknowledged watershed areas as recharge areas for the city’s aquifers which are essential sources of potable drinking water for the city’s population. As such, “it is imperative to safeguard, preserve, and effectively manage them to ensure the continued and full enjoyment of the present and future generations.”
Watersheds constitute about 75% of the total land area of the country. It has a total of 119 proclaimed and 154 priority watersheds with a total land area of 1,376,455.10 hectares and 11,690,695.00 hectares, respectively.
“The areas of proclaimed watersheds range from 20 to 180,460 hectares while the area of priority watersheds ranges from 365 to 837,149 hectares,” said Leila C. America, a research specialist of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).
Studies conducted by the Laguna-based Philippine Council for Agriculture, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCAARRD) showed that most watershed areas in the country are now devoid of their forest cover. As a result, accelerated soil erosion, flash flooding, and drought have become more prevalent causing much destruction.
“Watersheds provide vital resources, which include soil, water, forest range, wildlife, and minerals. Water is a key watershed resource that can be used for power generation, agriculture, industry, domestic, drinking and others,” America said.
There lies the reason why we need to protect and save our watersheds.
Many of our watersheds, however, have been devoid of their forest cover. “As a result, accelerated soil erosion, flash flooding, and drought have become more prevalent causing much destruction,” America said.
Consequently, one of the reasons the city center frequently experiences flooding during heavy rainfall is due to the degradation of the watershed regions located in the upper part of the city.
Like most cities in the country, Davao City is also affected by deforestation. In 2020, the city experienced a loss of 398 hectares of its natural forest cover, as reported by the Global Forest Watch.
“Davao City should ensure the protection of its existing forestland and expand these areas to achieve the ideal rate of 30% forestland versus the total land area,” said the document disseminated during the Green Agenda 2022. “Reforestation programs should utilize diversified indigenous tree species. It should also ensure to avoid illegal activities that will affect the integrity of these forests.”
Aside from providing water, trees also help minimize the impact of climate change. “Forests produce large amounts of oxygen and absorb large amounts of carbon dioxide, helping cool the Earth,” the agenda explained. “They provide us with important products including food, medicine, shelter and warmth.”
The agenda believed the Davao City Water Code “is crucial in protecting the city’s freshwater resources – groundwater from aquifers and surface water.” But they lamented the said water code has never been implemented for the past six years due to the absence of implementing rules and regulations.
“Davao is a bustling city with a population of around 1.7 million,” the agenda noted. “With its growing population, the demand for clean and accessible water supply also increases, such that policies protecting the integrity and availability of water supply are crucial.”
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