Tigum-Aganan pilot model site for water quality management

The Tigum-Aganan Watershed River System has been chosen as pilot model for the implementation of the Clean Water Act which provides for the creation of a Water Quality Management Area WQMA).

In a workshop conducted for the members of the Watershed governing board last April 20-21, 3005, Atty. James Kho, PADCO/US-AEP Consultant, said that Tigum-Aganan gets the distinction of being the first river system in the country to be oriented on the implementation of the WQMA.

He further said that said workshop will enable the participants to prepare the draft WQMA status report and action plan and map out the mechanics of implementation, after knowing the status of the watersheds in the lowland, upland and urban areas presented by Alimodian Mayor Juanito Alipao, Engr. Noel Hechanova, Iloilo City ENRO, and Mr. Teodoro Olivares of Oton.

The Tihum-Aganan WQMA covers the municipalities of Alimodian, Maasin, Sta. Barbara, Pavia, San Miguel, Cabatuan, Leon, Oton, Iloilo City as per watershed management area identified in a provincial ordinance. The Clean water Act stipulates that the WQMA shall have similar hydrological, hydrogeological, meteorological or geographic conditions which affect the physicochemicals, biological and bacteriological  reactions and diffusions of pollutants in water bodies.

As provided in the Act, the management area shall be governed by a governing board composed of representatives of mayors and governors of member LGUs, and representatives of relevant national government agencies, duly registered nongovernmental organization, water utility sector and business sector.

The present Tigum-Aganan Board is composed of the DENR Reginal executive director, Iloilo Governor, Mayors of the 9 member municipalities mentioned above, National government agencies like the Department of Agriculture, Philippine Information Agency, NEDA, Philippine national Police, National Irrigation administration, Public Works and Highways, Department of Education, civil/private society, particularly the Kahublagan sang Panimalay Foundation (KSPFI), academe, business club and the metro Iloilo Water district.

In the wake of the many adverse reactions on the implementation of the Clean water Act, which is costly and demanding for the LGUs the creation of the WQMA, according to the DENR, can put in place a body that shall formulate strategies to coordinate programs and activities and resolve conflicts as deemed important in the implementation of the Act.

The Tigum-Aganan Plan, which is one of the expected output of the workshop, is seen to integrate water supply issues with water use and waste water concerns. The other outputs are the WQMA status report and the LGU compliance scheme.

Jessica Calfoforo-Salas of the Kahublagan sang Panimalay and Co-chair of the Technical Working Group of the Iloilo Watershed Management Council, said that with the selection of the Tigum-Aganan as pilot model of the WQMA implementation, bigger responsibilities are up ahead, for the river system to show to other areas what it can do to rehabilitate and sustain growth of watershed in its area. PIA/ESS