BONTOC, MOUNTAIN PROVINCE – Twenty seven ( 27) Peoples Organizations (POs) forwarded a declaration of commitment of community-managed watershed protection projects in implementing their partnership agreements with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Mountain Province during the PO assessment here May 18.
This, as the 27 POs also received a percentage of their contract payments totalling P9.7 million for their three year partnership with the Integrated Natural Resources and Environmental Management Project (INREMP)-DENR.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources (PENR) Officer Geoffrey Sidchogan said the POs’ forest protection partnership with INREMP-DENR is significant in supporting the sustainability of the watershed cradling the Chico river basin.
INREMP aims to manage the upper river basins and component watersheds to support poverty reduction, watershed management, biodiversity conservation and climate change policy objectives with emphasis on developing capacities of the local governments, institutions and upland communities as development partners.
As contained in their work plans in their partnership with INREMP, a special project of DENR, POs shall do nursery establishment, transplanting of seedlings, protection and maintenance of their plantation sites.
INREMP is a seven year program with DENR implemented in four major watershed basins in the country entered into forest protection contracts on agroforestry, assisted natural regeneration (ANR) and reforestation with POs since 2015. One is the Chico River Basin in the Cordillera where irrigation water flows from its headwaters in Bauko, Mountain Province to Tabuk, Kalinga towards the Cagayan river.
The Chico river’s tributaries in Mountain Province are Malitep and Amlosong in Sagada, Kalawitan and Bayudan in Sabangan, Lingoy in Barlig; and Balitian, Aguyo, Maligcong, and Dokligan in Bontoc.
Following community consultations done 2014 and 2015, INREMP Mountain Province accommodated initial 33 POs in 2015 and registered 27 organizations more in 2016.
In said PO assessment, the 27 POs forwarded that their partnership with INREMP shall be community managed. PO participants identified individual members, elders, barangay officials and the contracted PO to refer to the community.
POs in their contracted forestry works with INREMP-DENR were endorsed by the community through barangay resolution and plantation sites identified and approved by the community in previous consultations.
Most of the plantation sites for reforestation and ANR in Bontoc, Sabangan, Bauko, Sadanga and Barlig, and Bontoc are communal-owned except in Sagada. Agroforestation sites are either clan or personally owned.
In said PO gathering, representatives from Tutukan, Bontoc said that the identification of a plantation site should be communal, a watershed, and approved by the community.
The PO representatives forwarded that the community shall support the project in transplanting seedlings, maintain forest protection through ring weeding, strip brushing and fireline construction during and after the duration of the three-year project.
The 2016 POS who availed of their contract payments are from Bontoc, namely: Angpaen Livelihood Organization Favuyan Women’s Association, The New Generation of Upper Babaey Association, Association of Cow Raisers in the Upper west, Dalican Agroforestry Organization, Bayyo Kakapuyan Farmers Association, Lukkat Irrigators Association, Doddo Talubin Farmers, Tufeng Riverside Association, Zumayngan Indigenous Farmers and Development Workers Association, Chagchag Farmers Association, Kaublan Organization, Sangan Irrigators Association, KALIPI- Alab Proper and Agasil Irrigators Association.
From Sadanga are Kayyaa Women’s Farmers Organization, Bumawe Rural Improvement Club, Barangay Sacasacan Ugnash Women’s Association, Yuamma Demang Farmers and Irrigators Association; Siblaw Taraw Latang Organization, Halfway Sun Farmers Association and Maccalana Amiyan Association from Barlig; Yanganot Bloomers Association and Guesang Farmers Organization from Sagada; Ginolot Producer- Farmers Association and Capinitan CARP ISF Association from Sabangan; and Poblacion Abatan Tricycle Operators and Drivers Association from Bauko.
The said 27 POs already established their nursery sites and grew their seedlings ready for planting this rainy season.
Earlier, 33 POs registered their partnership with the INREMP-DENR-Mountain Province in 2015 and currently are in the maintenance and protection status of their plantation sites. They shall be receiving their plantation accomplishment payments very soon.
INREMP is a seven year $1.54 billion program with the Philippine Government and implemented by DENR. It is funded by a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and grants from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Global Environmental Facility (GEF), and Climate Change Fund (CCF).
INREMP is now in its fourth year and projected to end by 2020. The program is implemented in four major watershed river basins in the county namely Chico river basin in the Cordillera, Wahig-Inabanga River Basin in Bohol; Bukidnon Upper River Basins in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental; and Lake Lanao basin covering the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Lanao del Sur.
Covering an area of 405,894 hectares, watersheds covered in the Cordillera within the Chico river Basin are Bauko, Bontoc, Sagada, Sabangan, Bontoc, Barlig, Sadanga in Mountain Province; Lubuagan, Tabuk, Balbalan, Pasil, Pinukpuk, Rizal, Tanudan,and Tinglayan in Kalinga ; Conner, Tuao, Kabugao,in Apayao; and Banaue, Hungduan in Ifugao all covering 273 barangays.
Two watershed management councils chaired by Bauko Mayor Abraham Akilit and Bontoc mayor Franklin Odsey are mandated to provide guidance and formulate policies in the implementation of the project. Said WMCs are composed of LGU representatives and contracted POS. **Gina Dizon
