By Sonya Delgado
A stricter measure to protect Panigan-Tamugan Watershed, the city’s largest source of water, was approved by the 20th Davao City Council on the third and final reading.
The “Panigan-Tamugan Sub-Watershed Ordinance” seeks to improve and safeguard the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed.
The ordinance puts an added layer of regulations that will help protect the Panigan-Tamugan watershed aside from what is already provided under the Watershed Code.
The prohibited acts under the ordinance are land conversion to whatever classifications, including but not limited to hotels, resorts, tourism, and recreational activities; water drilling except those for the water system development conducted by the Davao City Water District and other water operators as authorized/permitted by the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) and other governing agencies; and the open burning and open dumping of solid waste materials as prohibited based on RA 9003 of 2000.
Also prohibited are aerial spraying of prohibited pesticides; use of motorized cutting equipment, except for safety, disaster response, and disaster prevention; exploitation of quarry resources and commercial sand and gravel resources that may affect the quality and quantity of the water; and the use of privy toilets or toilets without septic tanks to prevent the fecal coliform count.
Under the ordinance, no new settlement, whether residential or business, shall be allowed within the boundary of the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed Area, except within the Rural Settlement Areas.
The ordinance also provides regulation of existing households within the area such as expansion. Only repairs and maintenance would be allowed.
Violators of the provisions of the ordinance shall be fined P5,000 and or imprisonment not exceeding one (1) year or both, at the discretion of the court.
All activities within the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed shall be recorded and monitored by the Watershed Management Council, the Watershed Multipartite
Monitoring Team (WMMT) and Barangay Watershed Management Council (BWMC) pursuant to ORD. NO. 0310-07 or the Watershed Code, together with other concerned national and local agencies.
Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability Executive Director Atty. Mark T. Penalver, in a media interview, welcomed the development as the ordinance adds another layer of protection for the watershed and makes it a protected area.
“We have been clamoring for such declaration (watershed) because it is a very important resource where the drinking water of the city comes from and it is very important to have another cloak to cover it with more regulations to ensure the integrity of our watershed,” he said.