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BUTUAN CITY, Sep. 23 (PIA) - Agusan del Norte First District Representative Lawrence “Law” Fortun raised the issue of the fast and continuous deterioration of the Taguibo Watershed during a hearing for the 2014 budget of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and pushed for the watershed’s substantial coverage in the National Greening Program for the year 2014.
During the pre-plenary hearing for the department’s budget, the Rep. Fortun brought to their attention the alarming state of the watershed and asserted the urgency of serious, concrete and immediate initiatives to address the same.
During the pre-plenary hearing for the department’s budget, the Rep. Fortun brought to their attention the alarming state of the watershed and asserted the urgency of serious, concrete and immediate initiatives to address the same.
“Mr. Secretary, the Taguibo Watershed has an area of more or less 4,400 hectares. Of these 4,400 hectares or so, only about a thousand hectares are left with forest cover. And this watershed is our only source of potable water in the City of Butuan. This is already extremely alarming. Something serious, concrete and immediate has to be done to address this ominous situation,” Fortun said during the hearing.
The Agusan solon pushed for the substantial coverage of the Taguibo Watershed in the National Greening Program for 2014 in light of its current condition. The DENR originally targeted 170 hectares in the watershed for inclusion in the National Greening Program for 2014. With the representation of Fortun, however, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje made a commitment during the hearing to substantially increase the area to be covered.
Fortun went the extra mile of ensuring the certainty of the commitment by writing him a letter reiterating the concern immediately after the hearing and in time for the plenary deliberations on the DENR’s 2014 budget which was to take place the following day.
The Agusan solon obtained a clear and categorical commitment for an initial reforestation of 500 hectares in the watershed area under the NGP for 2014, about triple the original target of the department. “This is just the initial for 2014. We will vigorously push for more,” Fortun said.
It can be recalled that Rep. Fortun, during his stint as Vice Mayor in the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Butuan City, principally authored the Butuan City Watershed Code, a landmark legislation for the conservation, preservation, protection and rehabilitation of the Taguibo Watershed. (FEA/Eldie N. David/PIA-Caraga)
The Agusan solon pushed for the substantial coverage of the Taguibo Watershed in the National Greening Program for 2014 in light of its current condition. The DENR originally targeted 170 hectares in the watershed for inclusion in the National Greening Program for 2014. With the representation of Fortun, however, DENR Secretary Ramon Paje made a commitment during the hearing to substantially increase the area to be covered.
Fortun went the extra mile of ensuring the certainty of the commitment by writing him a letter reiterating the concern immediately after the hearing and in time for the plenary deliberations on the DENR’s 2014 budget which was to take place the following day.
The Agusan solon obtained a clear and categorical commitment for an initial reforestation of 500 hectares in the watershed area under the NGP for 2014, about triple the original target of the department. “This is just the initial for 2014. We will vigorously push for more,” Fortun said.
It can be recalled that Rep. Fortun, during his stint as Vice Mayor in the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Butuan City, principally authored the Butuan City Watershed Code, a landmark legislation for the conservation, preservation, protection and rehabilitation of the Taguibo Watershed. (FEA/Eldie N. David/PIA-Caraga)
