BAGUIO CITY (PIA) – – The Cordillera may craft laws, rules and regulations that can further improve the protection and management of the region’s watersheds under an autonomous setup.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Cordillera Administrative Region (DENR – CAR) Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo stressed this during the recent Regional Development Council’s Watershed and Environmental Protection Committee Kapihan media forum, here.
Pablo outlined that the Cordillera is unique being the watershed cradle of the North. DENR – CAR data shows that there are 13 major watersheds/river basins covering around 1.to 2 million hectares of land across the region.
Aside from supplying water within the region, the watersheds also supply water to nearby Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley and even some parts of Central Luzon. The waters are primarily for irrigation and domestic use, and some as hydro power sources
Pablo reported that through comprehensive watershed protection and management plans and the implementation of the national greening program, the Cordillera watershed coverage is improving.
He explained that under an autonomous setup, the Cordillera as the protector of the watersheds/river basins can push for the payment of environmental users fee which can be used for funding more watershed protection projects.
We may push the payment for environmental services, as one of the objective of the autonomy, to promote equitable sharing of taxes from national n projects that utilize regional resources.
Pablo also outlined that with the land area of Cordillera composed of 85 percent forest land and only 15 percent Alienable and Disposable (A&D), under the national laws, there is problem on titling forest land or those with slope 18 degrees and above.
When the region become autonomous, appropriate policies and laws can be made to increase A&D lands that will respond to the need of the increasing population, and to address the concerns on forest boundary delineation and land conversion, he said.
With regional autonomy, we can look into areas that can be developed to improve and sustain our environment and vast natural resources, according to Pablo.
The Watershed and Environmental Protection Committee is a special committee of thr RDC – CAR given that Cordillera is the watershed cradle of the north.
Pablo reported in the said Kapihan media forum the accomplishments of the committee and updates from DENR – CAR including its advocacy on the continuing pursuit for regional autonomy.
Also in the said forum are Environment Management Bureau Director Ma. Victoria Cabrera, Mines and Geo-science Bureau Director Fay Apil and Chita Hidalgo of the Watershed and Water Resources Research and Development Center, who shared the accomplishments of their respective offices. **JDP/CCD-PIA CAR
