Isabela watershed program launched

MANILA, Philippines – A project was recently launched to help farmer-residents in a mountainside community near the city of Ilagan, Isabela combat the effects of El Niño, a group of environmentalists said.

Gregg Yan, communications and media manager of World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), said that in partnership with Sun Life Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) through its “Abuan Integrated Watershed Management Project,” five concrete spring box water systems were built to distribute potable water to upland farming communities.

USAID financed the preparation of a water resources inventory, demographic survey, environmental impact review, plus construction supervision and management. Sun Life Foundation, for its part, financed the provision of cement and steel bars, while community residents donated gravel, sand, and their time and labor to build the spring boxes.

“Spring box systems are enclosed water containers built atop fissures, cracks or pores where water naturally seeps out. Over time, the boxes collect water while keeping out debris like rotting twigs and leaves. Water is then filtered and channeled down to communities for household activities like cooking, bathing, drinking or growing vegetables,” Yan explained.

During El Niño and other extreme weather events, spring boxes can help ensure that enough potable water is available for families that need it most. 

To augment the spring boxes, Sun Life also planted 15,169 mango, citrus and cacao seedlings. This agroforestry drive has enriched 69.45 hectares of once-barren grassland since 2012.

Agroforestry allows crops and trees to coexist, maximizing benefits. This increases land productivity, improves water recharge and minimizes erosion. Identified beneficiaries are from Sitio Pulang Lupa in Barangay Batong Labang.

“This is a unique approach to reforestation – allowing the balanced intercropping of trees, shrubs and crops to create more productive, profitable and sustainable plots. Since 2009, WWF and its allies have helped 466 Isabela farmers plant 70,786 fruit-bearing trees, which were chosen to provide farmers economic incentives to nurture saplings to maturity,” Yan said.

WWF said the move aims to reforest Isabela’s Abuan watershed – a once-verdant forest which has since been converted to endless sprawls of corn and rice. Shielding the eastern face of Luzon for 340 kilometers and spanning 359,486 hectares, the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park is both the Philippines’ longest mountain range and its largest protected area.

The Abuan Integrated Watershed Management Project pilots the Department of Science and Technology’s smarter agriculture program by enhancing the capacity of farmers to adapt to climate change.

By planting trees and protecting the watersheds of Ilagan, WWF, Sun Life and USAID are bolstering the capacity of Isabela’s farmers to deal with worsening climate change effects like El Niño.