Town councils formed to oversee Kalinga river, watershed projects

By Peter Balocnit

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources provincial office here has organized management councils in provincial towns to oversee protection of deteriorating watersheds and rivers.

The councils would oversee activities under coverage area of Integrated Natural Resources and Environment Management Project.

Severino Dalutag, provincial environment and natural resources officer, said sub-watershed councils serve as overseer on implementation of INREMP projects and activities including reforestation, regeneration, livelihood investment and small infrastructure projects.

Five  zones were created  where the municipalities of Tinglayan, Lubuagan and Pasil compose the “Surong” sub-watershed; Barlig-Tanudan for the Tanudan River basin; Tabuk for the main Chico; Saltan covering Balbalan and part of Pinukpuk; and Tuao sub-watershed covering  some parts of Pinukpuk and portion of Conner in Apayao.

According to Dalutag, before execution of any project,  the council shall assess project proposals to ensure they are the ones that emanated from needs of communities during consultations.

INREMP is a long-term multi-billion DENR project funded by foreign financial donors to rehabilitate Chico River and four other river basins in the country.

Dalutag said they are doing watershed characterization and vulnerability assessment in all the sub-zones to establish  geologic mapping of disaster prone areas and tagging of productive areas where people could engage on economic activities.