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By Ma. Ester L. Espina, Correspondent
BACOLOD CITY: The concept of one-island,
one-region, has never materialized but this has not stopped the two
provinces in Negros Island to continue collaborating on various
programs that aims to protect and preserve the island’s natural
resources.
The most recent is the creation of the Negros
Island Integrated Water Resources Management Council that was inked
between Gov. Isidro Zayco of Negros Occidental and Gov. Emilio
Macias 2nd of Negros Oriental at the Provincial Capitol on Thursday.
Both governors believe that this collaboration
is needed since the two provinces share common waterways.
“We always presume and assume that water will
always be there but if we don’t start caring and properly utilize
our water, time will come when we will be looking for clean, potable
water,” Macias said.
The memorandum of agreement both governors
signed will pave the way for the creation of the council that will
“serve as the apex and policy advisory body” that will craft
plans and implement programs to protect, rehabilitate and develop
water, land and related resources” which the provinces share,
particularly the Ilog-Hilabangan River Basin.
The common river basin of Ilog-Hilabangan that
has an area of 362,000 hectares covers the towns and cities of
Kabankalan, Ilog, Cauayan, Candoni, and Himamaylan in Negros
Occidental, and Bayawan, Tanjay, Bais, Mabinay, Bindoy, Ayungon,
Tayasan and Jimalalud in Negros Oriental.
The officials say the said river basin is facing
numerous environmental problems such as “forest denudation,
saltwater intrusion, river pollution, water scarcity,
high-prevalence of water-borne and environment-related diseases, and
fish kills among others.”
“The umbrella council will address these
problems as one, a big step from previous interventions where
efforts are done in an uncoordinated manner due to administrative
limitations caused by political division.”
“It is imperative that the two provinces act
together by establishing enabling mechanisms and institutional
support and define areas of complementation, collaboration, to
protect, rehabilitate and develop water, land and related resources
shared in the Ilog-Hilbangan River Basin,” the agreement states.
Vice Gov. Jose Baldado of Negros Oriental said
even without a comprehensive study, “Just by going around, we can
see a lot of problems including water contamination and
sanitation.”
“We don’t take charge of our resources, we
are only discharging and not interested in re-charging, but this
will change now,” Baldado said.
He added that they would replicate the
integrated water resource management program piloted in Bohol and
Negros Oriental through the cooperation and funding support of the
German foundation.
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