P26-M reforestation planned for Ifugao as dam water source

LAGAWE, Ifugao — The provincial government here through the Provincial Agriculture Office proposed a P26-million reforestation project to the National Power Corp. to maintain watershed areas here which provide water to Magat Dam, one of the power plants supplying electricity to Northern Luzon.

Dubbed “Magat Sub-Watershed Management,” the proposed P25.82 million project would cover Barangays Bolog and Hucab in the municipality of Kiangan and Barangays Caba, Luta and Banga in Lagawe town.

The local government believes that the project will improve and stir a positive impact in the rural economy of the said barangays and will increase per capita income of project beneficiary households as well as the income of the two municipalities since there will be a need to hire workers locally.

Approximately 4,400 people living within the watershed in said municipalities will directly benefit from the project.

The general population of the province will also benefit indirectly through better watershed management that will provide sustainable water sources for domestic, commercial and industrial use.

Among the programs proposed are watershed rehabilitation, community development, infrastructure development/improvement, acquisition and maintenance of tools and equipment/vehicles, and project audit and evaluation.

Watershed rehabilitation shall comprise of seedling production, vegetative or regreening measures and structural methods. These are the major thrusts of the government which will be concerned with protecting and rehabilitating critical watershed areas like the Magat watershed. The total number of seedlings to be planted is 412,120 seedlings.

Community development consists of programs on indigenous peoples which involve the preservation of indigenous ‘muyung’ system in watershed management which shall include the inventory/socio economic profiling and environmental scanning of muyung areas, formation and operation of muyung council and a manpower complement of a Community Relations Officer.

Community development also involves information education campaign programs and livelihood trainings for all the communities and all stakeholders involved, covering all issues related to the watershed will be another equally important activity.