Bantay Kalikasan is ten years old!

July 31, 2008 – Officials from Bantay Kalikasan rejoiced to their 10th anniversary at La Mesa Eco Park from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 n.n.

Marlo Mendoza, Bantay Kalikasan’s Program Director, explained the need to safeguard the environment. He stressed that people must focus on taking care the environment instead of “gaining gold” alone.

The celebration occurred together with signing of Memorandum of Agreement which includes the following agendas: Honda Philippines, Inc.'s donation of four motorcycles, Genetron Marketing, Inc. as the new partner treater of Bantay Langis project, and a portion from the proceeds from Shutterbugs’ sold photos as well as Star Paper’s sold office supplies items going to BK projects’ sustainability.

Filled with wonderful photos of underwater sceneries created by award-winning photographers Carlos Munda, Jeffrey de Guzman and Edvin Eng, photo exhibit of Shutterbugs kicked off through ribbon cutting spearheaded by Mendoza of Bantay Kalikasan and Ikezoe of Honda Philippines, Inc.

Kazuhiko Ikezoe (President, Honda Philippines, Inc.), Atty. Teresita H. Tan (Director, Honda Foundation), Genovevo Sebastian (President, Genetron International Marketing), Winston Chua (Senior Product Manager, Star Paper Corporation), Marlo Mendoza (Program Director, Bantay Kalikasan), John Paul Balayon (Operations Manager, Bantay Kalikasan), Engr. Gerry Geronimo Sañez (Chief Hazardous Waste Management Section of DENR-EMB) and Carlos Munda (Underwater Photographer, Shutterbugs) signed and agreed on the said memorandum.

BK Adboard members Suky Lammoglia and Raqui Garcia were also present during the said anniversary along with other donor companies’ representatives.

Bantay Kalikasan participated in the first Philippine International Flora and Fauna Garden Expo (PIFGEX 2008) on July 18-20, 2008 at the World Trade Center Metro Manila.

RPN Flora and Fauna Inc organized the said event in cooperation with ICE Inc as the official event manager. DENR Secretary Lito Atienza and Las Piñas Congresswoman Cynthia Villar were the guest speakers. Atienza witnessed the booth presentation of Bantay Kalikasan and was amazed to see the big improvement of La Mesa Forest from a denuded land back to life again.

BK was given a booth to showcase its different projects to the visitors. Other booths also presented creative exhibits such as Avilon Zoo, Earth Garden, Pagcor and other companies, which were present during the event. World Trade Center turned into jungle as animals and plants in wildlife were all gathered in there.

Filipino Inventors also partook in the event. They demonstrated their innovative self-made gadgets to the guests. Cookers with no LPG required, electricity-saving appliances, herbal medicines that can cure diseases, organic food and herbal beauty products are some of the innovations that Filipino Inventors offered to the guests during the exhibit.

Most of the visitors of the exhibit are students from different schools and the elders. The visitors were amazed by the significant transformation of La Mesa and wanted to be familiar with other projects of Bantay Kalikasan. In effect, they got all the brochures of BK’s projects (La Mesa, Eco Park packages, Bantay Baterya, Bantay Langis and H2hope.) Most of them were eager to find out the activities done by Bantay Baterya and Bantay Langis.

Isabela Governor Grace Padaca and Sergio Osmeña III were some of the many personalities who attended the Flora and Fauna exhibit.

The organizers were happy for the positive response of the public due to advertisements done by Bantay Kalikasan. With this, they will have the exhibit next year and they are expecting Bantay Kalikasan to be in attendance.

Another housing project in the La Mesa Dam watershed could contaminate the water Metro Manila uses.

The existence of the 58-hectare project came up during a meeting Tuesday of the Save La Mesa Dam coalition.

While the first project provides housing for the rank and file employees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, the second one is for MWSS executives, according Mar Canonigo, associate director of the Sinag ng Bayan, a member of the coalition.

Canonigo said the three-hectare village for MWSS executives, located less than a kilometer from the reservoir, could also pose danger to the water stored there.

Other possible threats

"The rank and file housing project is located 1.2 kilometers from the reservoir, farther than the executive housing. If we want to stop the housing for the employees, we also have to protest against other possible threats," Canonigo said.

He said he will leave the coalition if it does not include the executive village in the protest.

Canonigo said he saw the construction of at least 54 executive houses, two of which are owned by a MWSS representative of the Government Corporate Council and a Commission on Audit resident auditor.

John Paul Balayon, operation manager of ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Bantay Kalikasan, admitted the existence of the executive housing within the watershed, but he dismissed fears that it could endanger the water supply.

Balayon explained that the housing area is downstream of the watershed, meaning the wastewater that will come from the houses will not flow toward the reservoir even though it is situated closer than the rank and file housing.

The 58-hectare housing project for the rank and file employees is located upstream, he said, so all the wastewater from the houses will drain to the reservoir and contaminate the water supply.

He based his claim on the study of the UP National Hydraulic Research Center, commissioned by the MWSS, which warned of the negative effects of the housing projects on the source of potable water for Metro Manila’s 12 million residents.

The center’s director, Professor Leonardo Liongson, said the project would contaminate the reservoir through runoff and ground-water seepage.

The executive housing, Balayon said, also has an Environment Compliance Certificate, but Canonigo noted that the ECC could easily be bought from government agencies that issue it, particularly the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Laguna Lake Development Authority.

The housing project is part of the 1968 collective bargaining agreement between the MWSS and two of its labor unions—Kaisahan at Kapatiran ng Nawasa and the Balara Employees’ Association.

The Supreme Court has ruled with finality that the agreement is valid. Jefferson Antiporda

Administrator Orlando Hondrade of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) admitted on Tuesday the existence of a housing complex for the water agency’s top executives within the La Mesa watershed at a Senate committee hearing.

Sen. Pia Cayetano, chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, had called an investigation to determine the veracity of reports that MWSS executives had built their own houses in the watershed, which environmentalists fear could contaminate the 700-hectare reservoir, the source of potable water for the 12 million Metro Manila residents.

To a question posed by the senator, Hondrade replied most MWSS top executives and their families had already moved to the houses in the three-hectare executive village. He also said he owned one of the 54 houses but hastened to add that it had a floor area of only 60 square meters.

"It was originally a 30-square-meter house, but I extended it to have a receiving room, just one room," he said.

The existence of the MWSS executive village came to light when Marianito Canonigo of Sinag, a nongovernment organization, one of the founding members of Save La Mesa Dam coalition, broke the news.

The Save La Mesa Dam Coalition had opposed the proposed 58-hectare housing project for the 1,411 MWSS rank-and-file employees.

In the Senate hearing Hondrade owned up to the possibility of human waste leaching into the reservoir from the houses if their construction is allowed to proceed. He assured the committee, however, that measures are in place to ensure that household waste, including sewage, does not drain untreated into the reservoir.

The measures, according to Honrade, include the construction of the P46 million waste-treatment plant, where household water is treated before it is allowed to empty into the reservoir.

Asked by Cayetano if the MWSS employees and retirees have that kind of money, Honrade replied that the water agency has stipulated the inclusion of the treatment plant in the contract awarded to the company that would build the houses.

Contamination a distinct possibility

He was forced to acknowledge the danger after Virgilio Basa, an expert from the National Mapping and Resources Authority of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, informed the committee that contamination was a distinct possibility. Both the proposed and existing housing projects, he noted, are located above the man-made lake.

Jaime Jose Fernandez, project director of Bantay Kalikasan, questioned the effectiveness of a waste-treatment plant. No conceivable measure, he said, can be adopted to prevent contamination. In support of this view, he cited the study made by the National Hydraulic Research Center of the University of the Philippines’ College of Engineering.

"It (La Mesa Dam watershed) is the only remaining forest of its size in Metro Manila," Fernandez said. "We hope the government would declare it a protected area."

A tract of land or body of water classified as protected is off limits to man-made structures, including residential houses.

The 700-hectare lake, replenished all year round from Angat Dam in Bulacan, is the source of potable water for the 13 million residents of Metro Manila and 8 million inhabitants of Cavite and parts of Rizal province.

Relocation the best solution

To a suggestion from Cayetano, Genaro Bautista, president of the Kaisahan at Kapatiran ng mga Manggagawa at Kawani ng Nawasa, said he would ask the MWSS employees and retirees if they would consent to relocate their housing site outside the watershed.

Cayetano said relocation seemed to be the best solution to the problem. She noted there have been assurances that contamination could be prevented, but there is no point risking it.

For his part, Canonigo said the government should remove the houses in the MWSS executive village. He said the site is within a one-kilometer radius from the reservoir. The proposed housing for ordinary employees is three kilometers away.

"Fairness requires the removal of the houses if we don’t allow the development of a housing project for ordinary employees in the same watershed," Canonigo said.

La Mesa covers 2,700 hectares, of which 2,000 are classified as forestland.

By RONNIE CALUMPITA, The Manila Times Reporter

Call it the power of prayers, or just a normal weather occurrence, but I’m sure we’re all glad and happy that the rains are back. While rains in excess cause as much destruction, we’re only thankful that it would help avert the far more serious consequences of the long dry spell in our country.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) earlier predicted the dry spell in Metro Manila and western Luzon is expected to continue through this month. However, Pagasa forecasts that the rainy season would hopefully normalize by September.

Two to three typhoons are expected to hit the country this month, Pagasa added. So far, only two typhoons have entered the Philippines or 25 percent of the average from January to July this year per record of Pagasa. According to the weather bureau, an average of 20 tropical cyclones visit the Philippines each year.

But Pagasa experts explained that it would take at least a month of rain every day to bring back the water level in Angat dam within the comfort zone. Such a month’s volume of rainfall would just be to refill the Angat reservoir to a safe level that would ensure we have potable water supply in Metro Manila until summer months next year.

Actually, the long dry season in Luzon is seriously affecting the water reservoir at the Angat dam in Bulacan more than any of the water impounding structures in the region. What makes the low water level situation in Angat critical is the fact that it is where more than 12 million households in Metro Manila and suburbs get their potable drinking water from the taps.

Of this total, the Ayala-owned Manila Water Company serves 5.5 million consumers who live in Marikina City and other areas in the eastern Metro Manila. The other concessionaire, the Maynilad Water provides for those living in Manila, Paranaque City and the rest of western Metro Manila. Fortunately for those living in the eastern serviced areas, the Manila Water has La Mesa Dam in Quezon City as alternative source of water.

In the case of Angat dam, Metro Manila consumers have to compete for their water supply with two major users of this depleted resource. These are the state-owned National Power Corp. (NAPOCOR), which uses the upstream reservoir to power their hydroelectric plants, and the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) for the downstream irrigation of rice and other farmlands in Bulacan.

From what I gathered, authorities from the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) have sounded out possible water crisis as early as three months ago. The water level at Angat dam started dropping very, very fast after NAPOCOR shifted to the use of their hydroelectric plants to offset power supply reduction after its coal-fired plants ran out of coal.

The bright boys at NAPOCOR conveniently forgot to provide for a year’s worth of inventory fuel supply for their coal-fired plants. NAPOCOR, it would be recalled, made the controversial emergency purchase of their coal supply paid at a much higher price. This triggered accusations that certain people at NAPOCOR made a lot of money out of these higher mark-up prices of coal by creating this artificial power supply shortage.

Under existing rules and laws, I was told, there is supposed to be a coordination scheme among the MWSS, the NAPOCOR and the NIA with the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) as the government agency tasked to supervise the allocation of water use among these three big users at Angat dam. But this has not been strictly enforced apparently. How would you explain now why NAPOCOR got to make greater use of water from Angat dam which has contributed to this looming water crisis? Newly appointed Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, who headed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources before going to his new Cabinet post, would have his hands full in dealing with these bright boys at NAPOCOR.

For the past few days, we have heard Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap sounding out the possible use of emergency powers by President Arroyo if only to allow the government to buy rice stocks from abroad in case of a supply shortage of this Filipino staple food that may develop because of this drought. Obviously, the government is inclined to pay the stiff price of allocating water for NAPOCOR and the drinking water needs of Metro Manila folks and just to write off the losses of Bulacan rice farmers.

Picking up from the Malacañang Palace sound off, several pro-administration lawmakers have proposed to give the President limited emergency powers to deal with the looming drought that has been blamed for the power and water shortages and the consequent increase in the prices of basic goods and services. But lo, and behold! President Arroyo never uttered a word about her seeking from Congress any emergency powers to address the feared water problem when she convened the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) at the Palace Tuesday.

In her opening statement at the LEDAC meeting, the Chief Executive told her Cabinet and the lawmakers present that the prevailing water and power shortages due to the dry spell “deliver a wake-up call for our generation to urgently embark upon a determined, well-planned-and-funded wide-ranging strategic initiative” to conserve and preserve our country’s natural resources without the country’s development being stymied. “This is the direction the whole world will eventually have to go. It is our competitive advantage to race ahead in this inevitable imperative to maximize the growth we generate for every drop of water and spark of energy we use,” the President pointed out. I hope her motherhood statements provided enough “wake-up” call to those in slumber during the LEDAC meeting.

Non-government organizations (NGOs) and environmentalists banded together and insisted for the immediate declaration of the La Mesa Dam watershed as reservation are to prevent government employees from putting up a housing project in the endangered area.
Officials of concerned government agencies, leaders of homeowners associations living around the reservoir, heads of NGOs and ordinary citizens attended the public hearing conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on issues surrounding the water reservoir located in Quezon City.
The concerned citizens unanimously registered their support to the proposal, which would ensure the La Mesa’s protection and conservation.
Among those who firmly pushed for the proclamation of the La Mesa Watershed as watershed reservation were Bantay Kalikasan, Zero Waste Society, Recycling Movement of the Philippines, Abaka, Conservation International, and Philippine Inventors Society of the Philippines.
Employees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) are planning to establish a housing project that would cover 56 hectares of the watershed that is the main source of water of the whole population of Metro Manila.
The MWSS plan triggered a public outcry opposing the conversion of a portion of the watershed into a residential area that could contaminate the water reservoir.
"The La Mesa watershed should be proclaimed as a watershed reservation as it is a vital source of water supply for Metro Manila residents," asserted Ranulfo Feliciano, president of the Environmental Engineers of the Philippines.
La Mesa Dam is considered as the only "water recharge facility" in Metro Manila that covers approximately 2, 700 hectares. Within the watershed is a 179-hectare man-made reservoir that provides for the 4-billion liter daily water requirement of some 12 million residents in the metropolis.
The row involving the La Mesa watershed and MWSS housing project prompted a Senate inquiry where clamor to declare the La Mesa as watershed reservation surfaced.
Meanwhile, a group of scientists and researchers presented to the DENR last month a study they conducted on water security, including the reservoir’s water quantity and quality.
The study revealed that human activity in the watershed and its immediate vicinity could adversely affect the quantity and quality of the water in the La Mesa watershed.
Genaro Bautista, president of the MWSS employees union, maintained that there is no need to proclaim the La Mesa watershed as a reservation because there are available and practiced technologies that can address the impact of human activities on the water reservoir.
"The public inquiry on the issue is open to all stakeholders. We assure the public that we will consider all points of view regarding the proposal to declare the La Mesa Watershed a watershed reservation," said Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes.
"The conduct of the public hearing is necessary in order for us to arrive at the best decision on how best to utilize the watershed," he added.
DENR Undersecretary Manuel Gerochi, who presided during the public inquiry Wednesday, said they might conduct more public hearings to provide opportunity to those who failed to attend the first session.
He said that all relevant documents on the proposal to declare La Mesa Watershed as a watershed reservation would be posted on the webpage of the DENR so that all interested parties may air their views on the matter.

BY KATHERINE ADRANEDA
The Philippine Star

Environmental watchdog Bantay Kalikasan has topped the five-million mark for its signature campaign against the proposed housing project inside the La Mesa Watershed in Quezon City, ABS-CBN News reported Wednesday.

Gina Lopez, managing director for ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. (AFI) said signatures for the campaign have totalled 5,044,000 so far.

“We wanted to hit five million because that was the number we hit to try to get the Clean Air Act passed,” said Lopez.

Lopez said that their primary objective is to have the watershed declared as a protected area. She said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under Secretary Angelo Reyes is assisting their endeavor by conducting a study.

“Angie (Reyes) is really good. In fact, he's doing a study now which is to have the scientific basis for whether it should be declared or not,” Lopez added.

She said the effort has had a tremendous educational value as they have been going to schools to explain the importance of the watershed.

The watershed is one of the three supplying water to some 12 million people in Metro Manila. With its declaration as a protected zone, the plan to construct a housing project in the area would be prevented.

Aside from the signature campaign, Bantay Kalikasan is also pushing for the popularization of the La Mesa Eco-Park to sustain the watershed.

The group will continue with the campaign this year as they feel that they are getting closer to attaining their goal of saving the watershed.

“I hope so. I would like to say that this is one of the New Year's wishes of five million people - that we save our drinking water and I hope the government will listen to that. Just protect our drinking water. That's all we want,” said Lopez.

AFI is the social welfare and civic arm of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

Korina Sanchez, Peter Musngi and other DZMM hosts and ABS-CBN executives led more than 2,000 runners in the "9th DZMM Takbo Para sa Kalikasan" held Sunday morning at the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, Manila, ABS-CBN reported.
The scheduled 10 kilometer long fun run was held for the benefit of the La Mesa watershed and other primary sources of drinking water for Metro Manila.
Specifically, ABS-CBN Foundation, targeted the planting of more trees at the watershed, the last such jungle inside Metro Manila.
Of the 6-8 year olds who joined the 3-kilometer leg, Joshua Recaplanca won in the boys category while Michelle De Vera won in the female category. In the 5-kilometer leg, Abraham Bacarte Jr. won in the boys category and Emma Mangago won in the female category.
Rene Herrera and Mercedita Manipol were king and queen of the 10 kilometer fun run.
Those who attended the fun run i8ncluded Miss Philippines-Air Ginger Conejero, Miss Philippines-Eco Tourism Reena Sarmiento, reelectionist Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, radio anchor Cory Quirino, newscaster Pinky Webb, DZMM radio host and ABS-CBN television host Korina Sanchez, ABS-CBN Sports head Peter Musngi, ANC sportscaster Gretchen Fullido, Sen. Pia Cayetano, DZMM manager Angelo Palmones, Sen. Alfredo Lim, and radio host Ariel Ureta.
The full list of winners are:
10 kilometer – male 1st Rene Herrera
2nd Aldwin Bulevar
3rd Reynaldo delos Reyes
10 kilometer – female 1st Mercedita Manipol
2nd Aileen Tolentino
5 kilometer – male 1st Abraham Bacarse Jr.
2nd Wilber Ducusin
3rd Ben Alejandrino
5 kilometer – female 1st Emma Mangago
2nd Me Ann Barcena
3 kilometer – male (6-8 yrs old) 1st Joshua Ricafranca
2nd Norman Apolinar
3rd Jerome Almojuela
 
 
 
 
3 kilometer – female (6-8 yrs old) 1st Michelle de Vera
2nd Richelle Purisima
3rd Ivanna Pascua
3 kilometer – male (10-12 yrs old) 1st Raymond Sabordo
2nd Juniel Sarbida
3rd Franklin Evangelista
3 kilometer – female (10-12 yrs old) 1st Evangeline Villegas
2nd Danica Mariano
3rd Rubina Tabia
The "Takbo para sa Kalikasan" (Run for the Environment) is an annual event held by DZMM and last 2006 was conducted on February 11, 2006 also at the Quirino Grandstand, where more than 2,600 registered runners took to the streets at exactly 6:00 a.m.
As in the past years, DZMM’s "8th Takbo Para Sa Kalikasan’s" beneficiary was the La Mesa Watershed and its continued rehabilitation.

There were no surprises in the ninth DZMM Takbo Para Sa Kalikasan 10K run Sunday at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
Two-time Olympian Eduardo Buenavista of Sultan Kudarat topped the men’s division while Mercedita Manipol-Fetalvero of Romblon captured her eighth title in this annual advocate race for the rehabilitation of the La Mesa Watershed.
Buenavista trailed last year’s winner Rene Herrera in the early part of the race but took over the lead for good three kilometers into the race.
After topping the inaugural race nine years ago, Buenavista missed the next seven stagings of the DZMM race but more than made up for it by winning Sunday’s race with a clocking of 31 minutes and six seconds. He pocketed P10,000 for the win.
Bernardo Desamito Jr. (31:46) placed second and took home P6,000. Herrera (32:29) settled for third place and the P4,000 purse.
The distaff side was a no-contest in favor of Fetalvero, who has not lost a 10K race on Philippine soil since 1998. She, however, failed to join the DZMM race two years ago.
Fetalvero, who already has five first place trophies in various races this year, finished Sunday’s race in 36:25. Her nearest rivals were Ailene Tolentino, who crossed the finish line three minutes and 24 seconds behind, and Emma Magango, who was four minutes and five seconds behind.

The Philippine Star

Environmentalists on Tuesday warned the public about the contamination of Metro Manila’s source of water if the housing project within a portion of La Mesa Watershed is allowed to proceed.
The proposed site for the housing project covers an area of 59 hectares.
A group that calls itself "Save the La Mesa," a coalition of organizations and individuals, wants the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to stop the project.
The La Mesa Watershed, straddling the cities of Quezon, Caloocan and Marikina and the province of Rizal, has a total land area of 2,700 hectares. Of that total, 2,000 hectares are classified as forest land.
A man-made lake occupies the remaining 700 hectares.
The housing project forms a part of the 1968 collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the MWSS and two of its labor unions—Kaisahan at Kapatiran ng mga Manggagawa sa NAWASA and Balara Employees and Laborers’ Association.
Under the CBA the MWSS sold the 59-hectare portion of the watershed to the unions, for P5.50 a square meter, or a total amount of P3.19 million.
In March 2006 the property was raffled off and awarded to 1,411 union members, and a deed of absolute sale was executed in favor of each raffle winner.
The UP National Hydraulic Research Center, after a study commissioned by the MWSS itself, warned of the negative effects of the housing project on the only source of potable water for Metro Manila’s 12 million residents.
Professor Leonardo Liongson, director of the UP-NHRC, said that in no case should development of any kind be made within the watershed, because it would be dangerous. A housing project, he added, would contaminate the reservoir through rainfall-induced runoff and ground-water seepage.
Court rules legality of the sale
Unfortunately, the Supreme Court has upheld the legality of the sale, and thus the housing project could proceed without any legal impediment.
Sen. Maria Ana Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal on Tuesday filed a bill seeking an investigation into the sale. In an interview with the media, Madrigal warned that the housing project, if allowed to proceed, will destroy the last remaining forest cover of Metro Manila.
Gina Lopez, managing director of Bantay Kalikasan, despite the Supreme Court ruling, refused to give up the fight. She called on the legally declared lot owners to consider an alternative site in Antipolo for their housing project. Jefferson Antiporda and Ronnie E. Calumpita

A broad alliance of forest preservation groups  questioned the inclusion of the “subject to private rights” clause in President Arroyo’s proclamation of the La Mesa as a protected watershed.

The Save the La Mesa Coalition, a merging of environment conservation and re-forestation advocates, found the proclamation of President Arroyo confusing and expressed its “strongest objection” to the statement.

It raised an alarm over the peril that the phrase could cause on the few remaining watersheds across the country.

“The President’s declaration is meaningless for us,” said Marlo Mendoza, acting program director of Bantay Kalikasan, an environment group at the forefront of greening the La Mesa watershed.

“Declaring a watershed as protected reservation but with exception dilutes the very purpose of the declaration; it poses harm to the ultimate goal (of preserving the watershed),” he added.

The coalition reiterated that the proposed housing project in the 58-hectare portion of the La Mesa watershed by employees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) should not be allowed because such construction would endanger the safety of the water reservoir.

Citing a number of studies, Mendoza insisted that the project, as it will be located in an area higher than the La Mesa Dam, would render water waste runoff and would result in the pollution of the ground water.

Mendoza noted that even putting up a treatment facility to purportedly address water pollution issues is not a guarantee since the facility will become impractical as it would coast at least P100 million, while its maintenance will cost at least P100,000 per year.

“We feel the highest office in the land should take on all measures to ensure the safety and conservation of our natural resources – and matters of collective interest should always be placed above the interests of a few,” the Save the La Mesa Coalition said in a statement.

“We are not against the housing rights of 1,400 people,” it also said.  “(But) efforts should be taken to find an alternative housing site for them.”

The Save the La Mesa Coalition said they would not hesitate to exercise all available legal remedies, including the filing of a class action suit.

By KATHERINE ADRANEDA
The Philippine Star

Environmental watchdog Bantay Kalikasan has topped the five-million mark for its signature campaign against the proposed housing project inside the La Mesa Watershed in Quezon City, ABS-CBN News reported Wednesday.

Gina Lopez, managing director for ABS-CBN Foundation, Inc. (AFI) said signatures for the campaign have totalled 5,044,000 so far.

“We wanted to hit five million because that was the number we hit to try to get the Clean Air Act passed,” said Lopez.

Lopez said that their primary objective is to have the watershed declared as a protected area. She said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources under Secretary Angelo Reyes is assisting their endeavor by conducting a study.

“Angie (Reyes) is really good. In fact, he's doing a study now which is to have the scientific basis for whether it should be declared or not,” Lopez added.

She said the effort has had a tremendous educational value as they have been going to schools to explain the importance of the watershed.

The watershed is one of the three supplying water to some 12 million people in Metro Manila. With its declaration as a protected zone, the plan to construct a housing project in the area would be prevented.

Aside from the signature campaign, Bantay Kalikasan is also pushing for the popularization of the La Mesa Eco-Park to sustain the watershed.

The group will continue with the campaign this year as they feel that they are getting closer to attaining their goal of saving the watershed.

“I hope so. I would like to say that this is one of the New Year's wishes of five million people - that we save our drinking water and I hope the government will listen to that. Just protect our drinking water. That's all we want,” said Lopez.

AFI is the social welfare and civic arm of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

Sen. Jamby Madrigal wants to pass a law declaring the La Mesa Dam a “strict protection zone” to protect the source of potable water for some 12 million Metro Manila residents.

However, she first passed a resolution to inquire, in aid of legislation, whether President Arroyo’s declaration of La Mesa as a protected watershed “subject to private rights” could prejudice or impinge on any appropriate legislative measures that should be adopted “to protect and conserve the dam from adverse intervention” by the public or private” sector.

Madrigal said in her resolution that such a clause might also pave the way for the construction of a controversial housing project of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) for its 1,411 employees.

Under Senate Resolution No. 35, Madrigal said it is imperative that water resources like La Mesa must be free of polluting elements that could constitute a threat to human health.

“The passage of a law declaring La Mesa watershed a ‘strict protection zone’ will put finis to any controversy involving La Mesa and will allay the fears of Metro Manila residents that they will soon be drinking contaminated water because of the construction of a housing project on the current proposed site,” the resolution stated.

Meanwhile, in Resolution No. 41, Sen. Loren Legarda also said it was necessary to determine “whether there is a need to enact a law declaring La Mesa watershed a protected area and what would be the effects of the same to said private rights.”

The 2,700-hectare La Mesa watershed reservation straddles the boundaries of Quezon City, Caloocan City and Rizal province and which includes a man-made 700-hectare lake.

It is considered the last forest of its size in Metro Manila, with 2,000 hectares of forest lands comprising a variety of ecosystems that provide sanctuary to many indigenous plant and animal species.

According to an initial Protected Area Sustainability Assessment of the area, these species include endemic ones that are now critically endangered and vulnerable.

Mrs. Arroyo made the declaration of the La Mesa watershed as a protected area last July 18 under the National Integrated Protected Areas Systems Law or Republic Act No. 7586, “subject to private rights.”

The provision sparked much controversy in the light of the MWSS’ proposed housing project covering 58 hectares.

Madrigal said in her resolution that the MWSS itself commissioned in 2003 the National Hydraulic Research Center of the University of the Philippines-College of Engineering to undertake a study on the effects of the proposed housing project on the La Mesa watershed.

She said the study itself concluded that it would be in the best interest of the MWSS and the general public that “the 58 hectares of the La Mesa watershed area being proposed for the MWSS housing project shall remain a protected watershed area.”

“The official findings of the study stated that there is no way that the proposed housing units can be allowed inside the watershed since existing mitigating measures or technologies are not sufficient to arrest their adverse impact,” Madrigal’s resolution stated.

“Most notable of these problems is the potential contamination of the water from the reservoir due to soil erosion caused by rainfall-induced runoff from the top of the soil’s layer. Groundwater seepage and movement of pollutants from potential spill areas inside the proposed housing area into the watershed areas leading to the reservoir can further contaminate water used by the public,” it added.

The UP-NHRC study further cited the huge costs of employing such mitigating measures – around P50 million with an annual operation cost of almost P18 million and an annual depreciation cost at almost P2 million.

By AUREA CALICA
The Philippine Star

A broad alliance of forest preservation groups  questioned the inclusion of the “subject to private rights” clause in President Arroyo’s proclamation of the La Mesa as a protected watershed.

The Save the La Mesa Coalition, a merging of environment conservation and re-forestation advocates, found the proclamation of President Arroyo confusing and expressed its “strongest objection” to the statement.

It raised an alarm over the peril that the phrase could cause on the few remaining watersheds across the country.

“The President’s declaration is meaningless for us,” said Marlo Mendoza, acting program director of Bantay Kalikasan, an environment group at the forefront of greening the La Mesa watershed.

“Declaring a watershed as protected reservation but with exception dilutes the very purpose of the declaration; it poses harm to the ultimate goal (of preserving the watershed),” he added.

The coalition reiterated that the proposed housing project in the 58-hectare portion of the La Mesa watershed by employees of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) should not be allowed because such construction would endanger the safety of the water reservoir.

Citing a number of studies, Mendoza insisted that the project, as it will be located in an area higher than the La Mesa Dam, would render water waste runoff and would result in the pollution of the ground water.

Mendoza noted that even putting up a treatment facility to purportedly address water pollution issues is not a guarantee since the facility will become impractical as it would coast at least P100 million, while its maintenance will cost at least P100,000 per year.

“We feel the highest office in the land should take on all measures to ensure the safety and conservation of our natural resources – and matters of collective interest should always be placed above the interests of a few,” the Save the La Mesa Coalition said in a statement.

“We are not against the housing rights of 1,400 people,” it also said.  “(But) efforts should be taken to find an alternative housing site for them.”

The Save the La Mesa Coalition said they would not hesitate to exercise all available legal remedies, including the filing of a class action suit.

By KATHERINE ADRANEDA
The Philippine Star

A troubling fact has come to our attention: an increasing number of large-scale tree monocrops are receiving Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification throughout the world.

Among the plantations recently given a "green" stamp of approval are Shell's plantations in Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay; SAPPI's, MONDI's and SAFCOL's in South Africa; Klabin's and V&M Florestal's in Brazil; Perum Perhutani's in Indonesia; Fletcher Challenge's in New Zealand/Aotearoa and many others. If this trend continues, many more tree monocultures will also be guaranteed "sustainable" by the FSC, an organization which enjoys great credibility among the public.

The FSC was created as a result of increased awareness by consumers about their role in forest destruction, resulting from successful NGO campaigns, particularly regarding unsustainable logging practices in the tropics. When consumers began to ask their suppliers for certified wood, a number of NGOs decided to promote a process which could give them the choice of a "green" product. The NGOs came up with a number of principles and criteria that they insisted should be met before an FSC certificate was granted.

Nine of those principles are focused on forests and one on plantations (number 10). We believe that it is this decision -- to allow large-scale monoculture plantations to be certified along with other forestry operations -- which lies at the root of the current disturbing trend. People throughout the world are increasingly aware that plantations are not forests. Numerous local communities and organizations have documented the impacts of large-scale plantations and opposed them because of their social and environmental impacts. The plantations in question have resulted either in deforestation or in the degradation of other ecosystems, particularly grasslands and wetlands. On the ground reality is showing that large-scale tree monocultures -- no matter how many mitigation measures are implemented -- inevitably result in large-scale impacts on water, soils, flora, fauna and people because of their sheer scale.

Even if one accepts -- which we don't -- that plantations are forests, the fact is that Principle 10 is so weak that most plantations -- with the exception of those in areas marked by land conflict -- can be declared "sustainable" and given FSC certification.

We do not pretend to challenge the FSC and even less to question our NGO friends involved in it. What we do request is for them to revisit the whole issue of plantation certification, to take into account the plentiful existing documentation regarding the basic unsustainability of the plantation forestry model and either to exclude plantations from FSC certification altogether or to modify substantially Principle 10.

Forest NewsWatch is a specialized independent media service delivering critical information to decision-makers in the field of forest and paper sustainability. It is a unique service in this increasingly important and complex subject matter for the forest and paper sector. Sustainability is indeed seen by many CEOs and other corporate officers not only as a prerequisite for corporations to maintain their social license to operate, but also as a key strategic issue directly affecting the bottom line of their business. Forest NewsWatch provides quality information that not only helps corporate officers to stay tuned with leading-edge developments but that can also lead to actionable decision-making.