A PROPOSED ordinance declaring the Panigan-Tamugan watershed as a protected area is still at the committee level.
Councilor Tek Ocampo, committee on environment chair, said they are in the process of polishing and finalizing the draft of the proposed ordinance to be presented in the next reading.
It can be noted the said ordinance was proposed to the 20th City Council in 2022.
“This is an ordinance declaring the Panigan-Tamugan watershed as a protected area. Naa naman tay watershed ordinance but specific ni sya sa area in order to strengthen its policies,” Ocampo said during the Aprubado sa Konseho Media Forum on Feb. 13.
He declined to present the draft but shared the pertinent provisions of the ordinance, including limiting the number of people who can enter the area for leisure. However, he highlighted the stricter rules covering the construction of business establishments and residential houses within its boundaries.
Meanwhile, those who live immediately or inside the identified protected area are prohibited from making improvements to their structures. Residents raising livestock and animals will also be regulated to avoid contaminating the river, the primary source of drinking water for Davao City.
Regulations in the influx of people will also be defined in the ordinance, as the entry of visiting public is “inevitable.”
He reiterated that imposing fees on the visiting public will only give “license,” allowing them to dump their waste in the river. It will also regulate the hunting, destroying, disturbing, or possession of plants and animals without a permit from the watershed management council.
“Dili man pud 100% bawalan nato sila nga motan-aw didto pero dili sya pwede himoong resort on a commercial basis like what happened during the New Year,” he said.
It can be noted the barangay council of Carmen, Baguio District endorsed a resolution to the city council to impose a fee on visitors and swimmers in the protected Panigan river during the regular session on Jan. 25.
Ocampo said they will harmonize the ordinance with Republic Act 9147 and the new Comprehensive Land Use Plan to avoid redundancy.
Photo by Bing Gonzales
