DENR assures sustainability of Dagupan-Sinocalan river system
A GOVERNING board that will oversee water quality management along the Dagupan-Sinocalan river system is expected to be organized soon to ensure the sustainability of this shared natural resource.
Joel Salvador, Region I Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), urged the mayors of Dagupan and Urdaneta cities and the towns of Sta. Barbara, Calasiao, Binmaley, Mangaldan, San Fabian to support the creation of the board, which will handle a Water Quality Management Area (WQMA).
Salvador met with the mayors of the concerned cities and towns during a meeting last week organized by Dagupan Mayor Benjamin Lim.
“The WQMA is a tool for the protection and management of the river system and the economic activity in Dagupan whose main source of livelihood comes from the river, requiring water quality that is suitable for fish propagation or the class C status of our rivers,” said Salvador.
“We need to involve the upstream source because hindi lang ang economic activity that is taking place in Dagupan ang apektado kundi maging ang mga adjoining areas ay maapektuhan if we are not going to manage our river properly,” he added.
The creation of the WQMA is in accordance with Republic Act 9275, also known as The Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.
Salvador explained that under the law, the DENR, in coordination with National Water Resources Board (NWRB), is mandated to designate certain areas as water quality management areas using appropriate physiographic units such as watershed, river basins or water resources regions.
The management area will be governed by a board composed of representatives of mayors and governors of member local government units (LGUs), and representatives of relevant national government agencies, duly registered non-governmental organization, water utility sector, and business sector.
The DENR representative will chair the board.
The governing board will also be tasked with formulating strategies to coordinate policies necessary for the effective implementation of the Clean Water Act.
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