The Maasin watershed rehabilitation -the MIWD experience
Background The Maasin watershed was declared a watershed reservation by then Gov. Leonard Wood on February 12, 1923. It covers an area of 6,702 hectares, which stretches from the foothills of the Maasin dam in Barangay Daja to the mountain range bordering the provinces of Iloilo and Antique. The area is equivalent to 30% of the municipal land area and has an elevation of 100 -1,500 meters above sea level. It was declared by the Philippine government as a critical watershed. The Maasin critical watershed is the source of drinking water of Iloilo City and the neighboring towns. Water flows from the dam from the Tigum River where the water supply of Metro Iloilo Water District issues. A study in 1991 showed that only eight percent (8%) of its forest remained. Its vegetative cover was only 30%. The rest was simply bald. This condition has caused the tributary streams and creeks which constitute the Tigum River to dry up during summer. During rainy season, soil erosion and heavy siltation in the river make the water turbid. The wanton destruction of forests, including that perpetrated in the watershed area, is not only disturbing the delicate ecological balance, but is actually placing the safety, welfare and future of the citizenry in total jeopardy.
	MIWD Initiative The Board and the management took cognizance of the deteriorating state of the watershed that has contributed a lot flashfloods, soil erosion and water scarcity. This prompted them to initiate activities for the reforestation of the watershed. The MIWD reforestation project began on the last quarter of 1985 with Atty. Luzel Demasuay, former chairman of the Board, spearheading the activity. Located on the eastern portion of the Maasin critical watershed, the 400-hectare site adopted by MIWD for planting was about 80% hilly. The area, adjacent to Barangays Santa Rita, Abay, Nagba, Bolo and Daja, was 100% denuded even before the creation of MIWD in 1978 and the start of its reforestation program. Barangay residents had been farming the area and various crops were planted even inside the watershed. As a community-based scheme program, the MIWD reforestation project utilized the farmers in the whole area declared by MIWD as planting site. They were organized, and information dissemination as well as reforestation seminar were conducted among the residents of the adjacent barangays. MIWD nursery was at the same time established for seedling production. Seeds of mahogany, narra, teak wood, acacia, gemelina and molave coming from the West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University and Cabatuan and Janiuay National Comprehensive High Schools were collected and prepared for seedlings. Tree-planting at the watershed went into full-swing in 1986. Farmers an occupants within the declared planting site were hired as tree planters. Occupants were only allowed to plant bamboos in-between trees as substitute for rice, corn, tobacco and other crops usually planted in the area. Seedlings were planted at distances of 4” x 4” and 5” x 5”. Plowing within the declared planting site was strictly prohibited in order to avoid soil erosion. A mini dam, on the other hand, was constructed about 100 meters from the river junction that would impound water, thus, helping improve vegetation on both sides of the creek bank.
In support of the program, MIWD employees also got involved with the activity by holding tree-planting at the watershed every anniversary. Thinking that the activity was not enough, the Board even initiated the holding of a series of meetings with other government and non-government agencies and press conference with the members of the media industry to talk on the state of the watershed and the possible solutions to it. In 1992, the Board, under the chairmanship of Johnny de la Fuente, invited the different heads of government regional offices, including then Iloilo City Mayor Mansueto Malabor and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor for a meeting on watershed rehabilitation and development. After a couple of meetings, MIWD turned over the chairmanship to the Iloilo provincial government. By that time, the Department of Environment of Natural and Resources was reorganized and vested with the power on the jurisdiction, supervision and control over all forest lands including watershed reservations by virtue of Executive Order No. 192 issued in 1987. Its functions were devolved upon the local government units of the province and/or municipality. Task Force on Maasin Rehabilitation and Development and the Iloilo Watershed Management Council With the creation of the Task Force under the chairmanship of Gov. Defensor, MIWD became a member. Its activity in the watershed ceased, too, since the 400-hectare site it adopted was already fully planted and other stakeholders started to come in to share in the rehabilitation. In 2000, the watershed management in the province was institutionalized with the passage of Provincial Ordinance No. 2000-041 creating the Iloilo Watershed Management Council (IWMC) whose functions involved overseeing watershed management, provision of legislative support, policy setting, direction for service delivery, monitoring and resource generation. It is composed of the heads of offices of various government and non-government organizations and the local chief executives of the LGUs with the Provincial Governor as the chairperson and the Regional Director of the DENR as the Vice-Chairperson. The General Manager of MIWD is also one of the members while the undersigned is a member of the Technical Working Group of IWMC. Under the Council are the different river boards such as the Tigum-Aganan, the Magapa-Suage, the Jalaur and the Sibalom-Baguingin Watershed Management Boards. MIWD is a member of the Tigum-Aganan Watershed Management Board (TAWMB) since its source of water supply thrives on the Tigum River. This is presently chaired by Mayor Juanito Alipao of the municipality of Alimodian. MIWD is represented by its General Manager, while the Technical Working Group represented by the undersigned, too. However, most of the time, the attendance in the Board meeting is being delegated to the undersigned. Lately, the undersigned has recommended to the management the appointment of two technical people from the Operations Department who will become members of the sectoral committees identified by the TAWMB based on the organizational structure framed by the Clean Water Act for Water Quality Management Area (QWMA). Engr. Mary Jeanne Villagracia will sit in the Water Quality Monitoring Committee while Engr. Thadeus Divinagracia will be a member of the Forest Rehabilitation and Natural Regeneration. The undersigned has belong to the Information and Education Campaign Committee. Financial assistance for the watershed Many are asking about MIWD’s share in watershed reforestation. Being the major beneficiary of the watershed, does it provide any financial assistance to the municipality of Maasin or the province? For the record, since 1998, MIWD has been paying the municipality of Maasin one percent (1%) for the beneficial use of water from its gross income, aside from the real property tax. MIWD pays LGU Maasin for the utilization and extraction of water as cited in Chapter II, Section 289-294 of the Local Government Code (RA 7160). One percent of its gross income was paid to the municipality starting 1992 to the present. Payment, however, was distributed to the following where the natural resources are located as stated in Section 292, RA 7160, Allocation of Share: province - 20% component city/municipality - 45% barangay - 35% The 35% share of the barangay is being distributed to 51 barangays in Maasin. According to LGU Maasin, the share of the municipality goes to the general fund used in the acquisition of heavy equipment for road maintenance and other activities in the maintenance and protection of the watershed. Relative to this sharing, IWMC has been inquiring whether the municipality has remitted the 20% share of the province to the provincial treasurer. If it does not, can MIWD find ways to have the share of the province paid directly to the LGU concerned? This can still be used by the Council in all its watershed undertakings. In 1999, MIWD, through a Memorandum of Agreement with the DENR gave one million pesos as donation/aid for the improvement, maintenance and protection of Maasin watershed. Contract signing was done on September 1999 between former General Manager Moises Molen, Jr. and DENR Secretary Cerilles. The aid, however, was stopped because DENR, Region 6 has not been able to comply with the conditions stated in the MOA, among them, are the submission of its program of work and financial plan for development efforts on a yearly basis and the submission of periodic monitoring and accomplishment reports. Should there be any financial assistance from MIWD in the future, it will be up for the Board to decide on the matter.

The Maasin watershed rehabilitation -the MIWD experience

Background

The Maasin watershed was declared a watershed reservation by then Gov. Leonard Wood on February 12, 1923. It covers an area of 6,702 hectares, which stretches from the foothills of the Maasin dam in Barangay Daja to the mountain range bordering the provinces of Iloilo and Antique. The area is equivalent to 30% of the municipal land area and has an elevation of 100 -1,500 meters above sea level. It was declared by the Philippine government as a critical watershed.

The Maasin critical watershed is the source of drinking water of Iloilo City and the neighboring towns. Water flows from the dam from the Tigum River where the water supply of Metro Iloilo Water District issues.

A study in 1991 showed that only eight percent (8%) of its forest remained. Its vegetative cover was only 30%. The rest was simply bald. This condition has caused the tributary streams and creeks which constitute the Tigum River to dry up during summer. During rainy season, soil erosion and heavy siltation in the river make the water turbid.

The wanton destruction of forests, including that perpetrated in the watershed area, is not only disturbing the delicate ecological balance, but is actually placing the safety, welfare and future of the citizenry in total jeopardy.

MIWD Initiative

The Board and the management took cognizance of the deteriorating state of the watershed that has contributed a lot flashfloods, soil erosion and water scarcity. This prompted them to initiate activities for the reforestation of the watershed.

The MIWD reforestation project began on the last quarter of 1985 with Atty. Luzel Demasuay, former chairman of the Board, spearheading the activity. Located on the eastern portion of the Maasin critical watershed, the 400-hectare site adopted by MIWD for planting was about 80% hilly. The area, adjacent to Barangays Santa Rita, Abay, Nagba, Bolo and Daja, was 100% denuded even before the creation of MIWD in 1978 and the start of its reforestation program. Barangay residents had been farming the area and various crops were planted even inside the watershed.

As a community-based scheme program, the MIWD reforestation project utilized the farmers in the whole area declared by MIWD as planting site. They were organized, and information dissemination as well as reforestation seminar were conducted among the residents of the adjacent barangays.

MIWD nursery was at the same time established for seedling production. Seeds of mahogany, narra, teak wood, acacia, gemelina and molave coming from the West Visayas State University, Central Philippine University and Cabatuan and Janiuay National Comprehensive High Schools were collected and prepared for seedlings.

Tree-planting at the watershed went into full-swing in 1986. Farmers an occupants within the declared planting site were hired as tree planters. Occupants were only allowed to plant bamboos in-between trees as substitute for rice, corn, tobacco and other crops usually planted in the area. Seedlings were planted at distances of 4” x 4” and 5” x 5”. Plowing within the declared planting site was strictly prohibited in order to avoid soil erosion. A mini dam, on the other hand, was constructed about 100 meters from the river junction that would impound water, thus, helping improve vegetation on both sides of the creek bank.

In support of the program, MIWD employees also got involved with the activity by holding tree-planting at the watershed every anniversary.

Thinking that the activity was not enough, the Board even initiated the holding of a series of meetings with other government and non-government agencies and press conference with the members of the media industry to talk on the state of the watershed and the possible solutions to it.

In 1992, the Board, under the chairmanship of Johnny de la Fuente, invited the different heads of government regional offices, including then Iloilo City Mayor Mansueto Malabor and Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor for a meeting on watershed rehabilitation and development.

After a couple of meetings, MIWD turned over the chairmanship to the Iloilo provincial government. By that time, the Department of Environment of Natural and Resources was reorganized and vested with the power on the jurisdiction, supervision and control over all forest lands including watershed reservations by virtue of Executive Order No. 192 issued in 1987. Its functions were devolved upon the local government units of the province and/or municipality.

Task Force on Maasin Rehabilitation and Development and the Iloilo Watershed Management Council

With the creation of the Task Force under the chairmanship of Gov. Defensor, MIWD became a member. Its activity in the watershed ceased, too, since the 400-hectare site it adopted was already fully planted and other stakeholders started to come in to share in the rehabilitation.

In 2000, the watershed management in the province was institutionalized with the passage of Provincial Ordinance No. 2000-041 creating the Iloilo Watershed Management Council (IWMC) whose functions involved overseeing watershed management, provision of legislative support, policy setting, direction for service delivery, monitoring and resource generation.

It is composed of the heads of offices of various government and non-government organizations and the local chief executives of the LGUs with the Provincial Governor as the chairperson and the Regional Director of the DENR as the Vice-Chairperson. The General Manager of MIWD is also one of the members while the undersigned is a member of the Technical Working Group of IWMC.

Under the Council are the different river boards such as the Tigum-Aganan, the Magapa-Suage, the Jalaur and the Sibalom-Baguingin Watershed Management Boards. MIWD is a member of the Tigum-Aganan Watershed Management Board (TAWMB) since its source of water supply thrives on the Tigum River. This is presently chaired by Mayor Juanito Alipao of the municipality of Alimodian. MIWD is represented by its General Manager, while the Technical Working Group represented by the undersigned, too. However, most of the time, the attendance in the Board meeting is being delegated to the undersigned.

Lately, the undersigned has recommended to the management the appointment of two technical people from the Operations Department who will become members of the sectoral committees identified by the TAWMB based on the organizational structure framed by the Clean Water Act for Water Quality Management Area (QWMA). Engr. Mary Jeanne Villagracia will sit in the Water Quality Monitoring Committee while Engr. Thadeus Divinagracia will be a member of the Forest Rehabilitation and Natural Regeneration. The undersigned has belong to the Information and Education Campaign Committee.

Financial assistance for the watershed

Many are asking about MIWD’s share in watershed reforestation. Being the major beneficiary of the watershed, does it provide any financial assistance to the municipality of Maasin or the province?

For the record, since 1998, MIWD has been paying the municipality of Maasin one percent (1%) for the beneficial use of water from its gross income, aside from the real property tax. MIWD pays LGU Maasin for the utilization and extraction of water as cited in Chapter II, Section 289-294 of the Local Government Code (RA 7160). One percent of its gross income was paid to the municipality starting 1992 to the present. Payment, however, was distributed to the following where the natural resources are located as stated in Section 292, RA 7160, Allocation of Share:

province - 20%
component city/municipality - 45%
barangay - 35%

The 35% share of the barangay is being distributed to 51 barangays in Maasin. According to LGU Maasin, the share of the municipality goes to the general fund used in the acquisition of heavy equipment for road maintenance and other activities in the maintenance and protection of the watershed.

Relative to this sharing, IWMC has been inquiring whether the municipality has remitted the 20% share of the province to the provincial treasurer. If it does not, can MIWD find ways to have the share of the province paid directly to the LGU concerned? This can still be used by the Council in all its watershed undertakings.

In 1999, MIWD, through a Memorandum of Agreement with the DENR gave one million pesos as donation/aid for the improvement, maintenance and protection of Maasin watershed. Contract signing was done on September 1999 between former General Manager Moises Molen, Jr. and DENR Secretary Cerilles.

The aid, however, was stopped because DENR, Region 6 has not been able to comply with the conditions stated in the MOA, among them, are the submission of its program of work and financial plan for development efforts on a yearly basis and the submission of periodic monitoring and accomplishment reports.

Should there be any financial assistance from MIWD in the future, it will be up for the Board to decide on the matter.