DENR probe team fears destruction of Butuan watershed due to mining and logging
August 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under News and Updates, Taguibo Watershed
BUTUAN CITY- An investigating team led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is worried that the unabated ongoing small-scale mining, logging and road construction activities in the Taguibo watershed forest reserve in Anticala village here would destroy the city’s source of water supply.
In its initial investigation report, the team noted that the ongoing road rehabilitation and widening activities in Taguibo watershed area have no environmental compliance certificate, road right-of-way permit, and free and prior informed consent from the tribal holders of Certificate of Ancestral Domain Claim No.178. Small-scale manganese mining activities were earlier reported in hinterland areas in the boundaries of Barangay Anticala in Butuan and Barangay San Antonio in the neighboring municipality of Remedios T. Romualdez in Agusan del Norte. But Mayor Democrito Plaza
has denied that any individuals or groups have applied for mining operations in the area.
The investigating team led by Virgilio dela Cruz, DENR environment technical regional director, was dispatched to the area on May 26 to dig deeper on the alleged illegal activities such as mining, road construction and cutting of trees within Taguibo Watershed Forest Reserve in Anticala village. Records at the city’s Community Environment and Natural Resources Office show that a total of 8,879.61 board feet of illegally-cut lumbers suspected coming from the Taguibo watershed area were seized and now under the officer’s custody. Edilberto Buiser, the DENR regional executive director, has organized a multi-sectoral team composed of representatives from the National Commission of Indigenous People, Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau, Environment Management Bureau, National Economic and Development Authority, Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, the city government’s Environment and Natural Resources Office, the city mayor’s office and the Catholic-led Caraga Conference for Peace and Development (CCPD) in response to the complaint of the Butuan City Water District on the alleged illegal activities in the watershed area. Taguibo watershed is situated within the Sibagat Wawa Forest Reserve covered by Proclamation No. 308 dated September 3, 1954. It is also identified as one of the critical watershed areas in Caraga region.
The area, declared as forest reserve under Presidential ProclamationNo.1076 by former President Fidel V. Ramos on Sept. 4, 1997, is the major source of potable water distributed by the Butuan City Water District and of the irrigation facilities for the city’s farmlands. Sources added that the highest portion of the watershed forms part of the Mt. Hilong-hilong Range, the region’s highest peak at 2,012 meters above sea level. It said that the range is also one of the key biodiversity areas within the Eastern Mindanao Biodiversity Corridor (EMBC). Data at the DENR regional office shows that the Taguibo watershed covers a total area of 4,364 hectares for protection and conservation under the public domain of Butuan and municipalities of Remedios T. Romualdez and Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte. It is also within the six ancestral domain claims.
-Alden Pantaleon / MindaNews
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