posted by ANGELINE VALENCIA | 3:00 a.m. August 15, 2009

In pursuit of Green Bohol, the provincial government signed a memorandum of agreement with ABS-CBN Foundation, Incorporated (AFI)-Bantay Kalikasan and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to implement a five-year program that will rehabilitate/reforest, protect, and manage Abatan and Loboc watersheds.

This came in an effort to address environmental, social, and economic problems in the province.

The provincial government, through the Bohol Integrated Water Resources Management Board (BIWRMB) that the governor heads, forged the partnership to implement a program that will “ensure the diversity, stability, functionality, and productivity of its natural capital to achieve sustained power generation, agricultural productivity, nature tourism, and industrial development that redound to social and economic well-being of the people in the Province of Bohol”.

Part of its role is to prepare P4.5 million as counterpart fund for the preparation of the Bohol Watershed Management Framework Plan, and based on the MOA, other sources of funds shall be tapped, in case the total estimated cost for the framework plan preparation exceeds the said amount.

In a ceremony at the Loboc Children’s Palace on August 14, Governor Erico Aumentado, AFI Managing Director Regina Paz Lopez, and DENR Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. signed the MOA in the presence of Vice-Governor Julius Caesar Herrera, DENR-7 Regional Executive Director Leonardo Sibaluca, Save the La Mesa Watershed Project Manager Valerio Mendoza of AFI, and GTZ Water and Sanitation Program Director Hanns-Berd Kuchta, and before a crowd of over 200 stakeholders and media.

To signify concurrence, Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan, as chairman of Loboc Watershed Management Council, and Catigbian Mayor Roberto Salinas, as chairman of Abatan River Development Management Council, also signed the MOA.

The Loboc Watershed Management Council and the Abatan River Development Management Council- -both coordinating their init.atives with BIWRMB- -were organized by the provincial government to emphasize the importance and urgency of conserving and rehabilitating the watersheds in Bohol in cooperation with non-government organizations.

The Bantay Kalikasan rehabilitation program here will cover 30,000 hectares of watershed- -19,000 hectares in the Loboc watershed and 11,000 hectares in Abatan watershed.

According to the governor, it should have been over 56,000 hectares, but Atienza had included the 26,000-hectare Wahig-Inabanga watershed in the ADB-funded reforestation and rehabilitation program.

During the occasion, Aumentado also presented a plaque to Atienza as adopted son of Bohol for his sustained support to Bohol’s environmental projects.

Atienza said the unity of Bohol officials in the campaign on environment protection and preservation inspired him to pour his support on what has been a noble cause.

For her part, Lopez, in her statement of commitment, vowed to support the environment protection and preservation programs in the province, as she expressed appreciation to the efforts of the local officials in sustaining ecological balance that has been Bohol’s major asset in eco-tourism.

Through the MOA, AFI- -a media-based non-stock, non-profit environmental organization holding office at Mother Ignacia St., Quezon City- -“signified willingness to support and contribute to the reforestation and forest protection efforts and program presently undertaken in the watersheds”.

The MOA tasks AFI “to take the lead in the formulation of the Bohol Watershed Management Framework Plan, which shall be completed within a period of eight months from the signing of the MOA, in coordination with the existing watershed management councils in the Province of Bohol, stakeholders and NGOs, and shall be submitted to the BIWRMB for approval and adoption”.

The MOA also specifies that framework plan shall include the following project components- -reforestation program, community organizing and livelihood development including marketing of commodities, development of a sustainable nature tourism program for the provincial government, species re-introduction and bio-diversity program to be implemented in the three watersheds involved, and environmental education campaign, among others.

Other project components are nature trails, nature tourism and other activities relevant to the framework plan; security arrangement in the watershed areas; soil conservation measures and practices in the microwatersheds; and organization and strengthening of the Watershed Management Councils;

With its media resources and partners AFI shall assist in the strengthening of the watershed management councils and closely coordinate with them as lead implementing organization in undertaking the framework plan.

The MOA allows a supplemental agreement, later, when it’s based on the mutual consent of the parties.

It shall also take charge in setting up a project management office and hire competent and experienced professional, technical, site and other staff necessary to implement the framework plan for the duration of the MOA’s effectivity; and be solely responsible for the control and supervision of the employees.

AFI shall also establish formal linkages with groups or individuals who are interested to help in attaining the project’s objectives.

The MOA also prohibits the use of any pesticide, fungicide chemicals or any obnoxious substances in any planting activity which may compromise water quality for human consumption; and the construction of any permanent or temporary structure; and other activities that will pose harm to the watershed.

AFI also agreed to share the responsibility with the provincial government, DENR, BIWRMB and the Watershed Management Councils in preventing squatting in the project area and in ensuring that squatters and informal settlers already relocated shall not return.

It must also be observed that “all structures to be constructed within the watershed areas should be in accordance with the approved framework plan”.

“In case of any ambiguity on the project components, proposals or plans or other requirements of the agreement, AFI must, before proceeding, consult the BIWRMB for final resolutions,” as stated in the MOA.

The MOA also limits AFI activities to reforestation and development programs and those specified in the framework plan;
AFI shall also submit an annual status or accomplishment report on the program and its components to other signatories of the MOA not later than every January 31 of the year following the year of report; and special status, incident, or accomplishment report thereon more often than once a year or as the need arises.

With the assistance of AFI and in partnership with proper government and private agencies like the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Housing Authority (NHA), Department of National Defense (DND), and other concerned local government units, the provincial government takes charge of the relocation of all squatters and informal settlers inside the watershed areas including the provision of opportunities for resettlement, as resources may allow.

“Together with AFI, [the provincial government] shall be responsible for all matters concerning security of the two Watershed Areas. Details of such security arrangements including the construction and maintenance of security lookout towers on each of the watersheds shall be provided in the framework plan,” the MOA stated.

The province shall also monitor and conduct periodic visitations to the watershed areas, through the BIWRMB, to help ensure proper implementation of the framework plan and facilitate institutional coordination.

It shall also be primarily responsible, but with the assistance from AFI, “in mobilizing and securing financial and logistical resources” to implement the framework plan; and assist DENR in conducting physical surveys in the three watersheds “to define appropriate sites for agroforestry and livelihood development to help poverty reduction and minimize the destructive farming systems of upland dwellers and/or informal settlers”.

For its part, DENR shall be responsible in prosecuting persons “committing any act or omission in the Watershed Areas that constitutes a criminal offense”.

DENR shall also assist the provincial government and AFI in conducting socio-economic surveys in the two watersheds and undertake the ground boundary delineation of the watershed divides and prepare its technical descriptions.

It shall also assist the provincial government and AFI in undertaking community organizing in the two watersheds and adjacent settlement areas; in conducting Information, Education, and Communication campaigns in target communities; in relocating upland dwellers who may have encroached into sensitive areas causing degradation and pollution in the Watershed Areas; in designating sites for nature tourism and other non-extractive income-generating activities in the watersheds; in updating vegetation and land use data and information and finalizing maps with appropriate scales showing the physical information; and in installing hydrological monitoring stations along waterways to measure the coefficient of changes in soil and water movements through time in the watersheds areas.

The DENR will lead the physical surveys.

The Loboc Watershed Management Council and Abatan River Development Management Council shall closely coordinate with AFI in the implementing the Bohol Watershed Resource Management Framework Plan; and in mobilizing their respective members and stakeholders in pursuance of the objectives of the Framework Plan.

It shall also assist the provincial government, AFI and DENR in raising fund to implement the Bohol Watershed Resource Management Framework Plan.

The BIWRMB shall act as the main decision body on matters concerning the implementation of the Bohol Watershed Resource Management Framework Plan.

It needs to coordinate with the provincial government, AFI and DENR in concurring with decisions relating to the two watershed areas

Also under the MOA, it shall undertake policy and operational intervention with various government agencies as required and takes charge of the stewardship and control of the Environment Trust Fund;

The DND, DILG, the LGUs having jurisdiction over the three watershed areas, the state colleges or universities and other academic institutions may be invited to sit in the BIWRMB-EXECOM on a per-session basis, considering the relevance of their functions to the project.

The MOA also provides that “all funds and financial resources used for the general operation and development of the Abatan and Loboc Watersheds indicated in the Bohol Watershed Resource Management Framework Plan shall be placed in an Environmental Trust Fund (ETF)”- -a conduit of funding for the implementation of the framework plan, under direct stewardship and control of the BIWRMB.

“The BIWRMB will authorize AFI to be responsible for the management and coordination of fund-raising activities as a civic and non-profit undertaking to augment and in support of the implementation of the Bohol Watershed Management Framework Plan,” the MOA stated.

The ETF will also be the source of funding for the operations and maintenance costs of the Project Management Office and the Bohol Watershed Management Project-related costs of AFI.

The MOA also allows AFI “to expand its assistance and coordination of fund-raising activities for the ETF and expansion of the Bohol Watershed Management Framework Plan to cover the other watershed areas in the province”.