Water quality in two rivers now better managed

MANILA, Philippines – Two river systems with important cultural heritage value were classified as water quality management areas (WQMAs), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said.

 Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said the designation of two rivers into WQMAs would secure the integrity of these bodies of water.

 By virtue of two separate administrative orders signed by Paje on April 18, the Bued River System in Northern Luzon and the Naga River in Camarines Sur have been added to the list of WQMAs now numbering 23.

 Paje said that being WQMAs, the sustainable supply of water for areas the two rivers traverse is ensured, and will also “boost local tourism in Baguio and Naga known for their rich cultural and historical heritage.”

 “Ensuring the water quality of Naga River will help enhance the city as a tourist destination, since it is home of the Peñafrancia fluvial procession,” the environment chief said.

 He also noted that the preservation of Bued River will safeguard the image of Kennon Road, one of the vital roads that link Baguio City with the towns of Tuba and Itogon in Benguet province, which are major tourist destinations in the north.

 A major source of water for agriculture and aquaculture, Bued River runs through 25 barangays in Baguio and the municipalities of Itogon and Tuba before it drains toward Rosario town in La Union, and the towns of Sison, San Fabian, San Jacinto and Mangaldan in Pangasinan through the historic 30-km Kennon Road.

 According to Paje, the designation of Naga River as WQMA will pave the way for the proposed Naga River Watershed, which covers some 7,686 hectares of drainage area spanning 25 barangays in Naga City and two others in Pili town.

 Paje said the WQMA designation aims to beef up protection initiatives of the Naga River Development Council in support of the Naga River Revitalization Project.

 Under the Clean Water Act, the DENR, in coordination with the National Water Resources Board, is mandated to designate certain areas as WQMAs using appropriate physiographic units such as watershed, river basins, or water resource regions to effectively enforce its provisions and improve the water quality of water bodies.

 The law seeks to provide a decentralized management system for water quality protection and improvement of river systems.

 Likewise, the DENR is tasked to create a governing board for each WQMA, which is chaired by a regional director of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau. The governing board serves as a planning, monitoring and coordinating body. It also reviews the WQMA action plan prepared by the EMB.