1st Watershed stakeholders' assembly slated

To further boost the implementation of the Clean Water Act in Iloilo province,  the Iloilo Watershed Management Council Council (IWMC) and the Provincial Board will convene the 1st Watershed Stakeholders Assembly on April 19, 2005 , at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol conference room.

Leading the organizers for the event are the Kahublagan Sang Panimalay Foundation, the PENRO, Provincial Planning and Development Office and the Philippine Information Agency-Iloilo.

The Stakeholders' Assembly will be the first to be held in Western Visayas as the various sectors have become keenly aware of the importance of watersheds as vital sources of water for domestic, agricultural and industrial water requirements.

The highlight of the assembly will be the presentation of the State of the Watersheds Address (SOWA), to be given by Mayor Raul Banas for the lowland coastal area, Mayor Jerry Trenas for the lowland urban,  Mayor Rolando Distura for lowland midstream and Mayor Juanito Alipao, for the upstream.

About 150 participants representing stakeholders from government, non-government organizations, socio-civic groups including religious sector.  academe and business, are expected to attend the assembly, to tackle issues affecting water situation in Panay island.  A panel of reactors from academe, business, media and science and technology institutions will sit to surface issues and resolutions.

The results of the assembly will be taken in as inputs to the planning workshop which will be spearheaded by the team from the United States – Asia environmental Program (USAEP) for the implementation of the Water Quality Management Area, piloted by the Tigum-Anan and the Sibalom-Baguingin Watershed Management Boards, in the province of Iloilo .  (PIA/ESS)