Watershed education: The greatest challenge of Tigum-Aganan
With Tigum-Aganan chosen as a pilot area for the Clean Water Act, the eminent question to be asked is: What and who pollutes the water? Where are they?
If we see clear water, is it clean? I was talking to Ana, a young housewife. I asked her how she contributes to clean river water. Ana quickly answered, "I don't throw my garbage into the river nor in the street canals." This simple answer reflects the answer of many citizens who are aware of the issue and would like to contribute to the effort of clean water. I could have asked further if Ana knew where her garbage ended. But I suppose it was too much. The town has an open dump site and the garbage trucks are very efficient in collecting garbage. What many citizens do not know is that the same garbage from Ana's household contributes leachate that goes directly to our water table.
The farmers I met last week during a field visit had a different answer to the question of how they keep the water clean. I asked the same question and a farmer answered, "Our water is clean because we have less garbage and less waste to throw. You seldom see plastic in the farm." Yes farmers consume less and whatever little food waste is left, are fed to the animals. Other solid wastes are recycled in the household out of need.
Berting has two hectares of farmland near his house and he uses several kilos of chemical fertilizer and pesticide, otherwise, he could not produce much for his family. He also tills a portion of his farm for corn and tomatoes and he does not use farm bunds. Rain comes and the tender st4ems of the plants are not soaked in water although more soil is carried away.
Experts say that water pollution is non-point-source, meaning, one cannot point a finger clearly to a polluter. Who, then, could stop water pollution? How could we teach farmers and housekeepers help keep improve water quality? These are the questions the members of the TAWMB are asking. This is the main issue that TAWMB focused its efforts on since it started as part of the Iloilo Watershed Management Council. Information, education campaign became a major program of TAWMB since its inception.
The establishment of Barangay Information Centers or BIC in 1999, for environmental education, as absorbed by DILG function when Gabay sa Mamamayan Action Center (GMAC) was established in August 2002, a new government facility with the same function and purpose. BIC Congresses were well attended. The last was held in Alimodian in July, 2005. Barangays from all over the Tigum-Aganan Watershed presented their respective people's initiatives for environmental protection. The Ugat sang Tubig Radio program which started in 1998 supported the creation of BICs, and the local government councils including the TAWMB. TAWMB supported Ugat sang Tubig. During the program's early assessments, 70 BICs were organized by the barangay officials themselves and about 600 people's initiatives were recorded. These included tree planting on riverbanks, roadsides, private areas or farms, parks, hillsides and timberlands, cultivation of backyard or communal gardens; riverbank protection which includes construction of vegetative and concrete erosion control measures and creation of river watch groups; solid waste management which includes household segregation and composting; practice of sustainable agriculture and environment friendly livelihood projects.
The education campaign of TAWMB became the precursor of awareness of the watershed citizens even before the Solid Waste Law and the Clean Water Act were passed in 2001 and 2004 respectively.
The TAWMB organization, signed by the local government units in 2001, also became the precursor of watershed organization structure. The River Basin Control Office which is now mandated to organize river basins and watersheds in the country was only established in March, 2007.
The first chairperson of Tigum-Aganan Watershed Board (2001-2003). Mayor Mariano Malones, then, and now Board Member in the province of Iloilo, earns the credit for meeting the odds of establishing a new organization. The second chairperson, Mayor Juanito Alipao (2003-2006) championed the BICs. The new chairperson Dr. Jessica Salas occupied the position for less than a year and has introduced Rainwater harvesting.
The accomplishments of TAWMB is attributed to its members who are ably and well represented in the Board. These are the municipalities of Alimodian, Cabatuan, Maasin, pavia, San Miguel, Sta. Barbara, and Oton, City of Iloilo, Central Philippine University, Metro Iloilo Water District, National Irrigation Administration, Philippine Information Agency, Iloilo Province Irrigators' Association, Kahublagan sang Panimaly Foundation and Katilingban sang mga Pumuluyo sa Watershed-Maasin.