Farmers protest taking of waters by Church

By Gina Dizon

SAGADA, Mountain Province - Pumayew (rice field farmers), gardeners and concerned villagers of this tourist town are protesting the taking of the Kentaagen spring waters here at the Poblacion by the Anglican Church.

In a petition forwarded to Bishop Brent Alawas of the Diocese of Northern Philippines, rector Fr Prinzel Balitog of the Church of St Mary the Virgin in Sagada and vestry senior warden Evangeline Aguilan, some 200 pumayew of Lasig and Mangitong ricefields urged the EDNP to stop installing water pipes from the source to where it shall lead.

An already built 2-inch intake tank has already been installed where pipes would be connected.

Waters from Kentaagen are set to be directed to St Joseph Guest House and Restaurant , St Theodore’s Hospital, and St Mary’s School.

Petitioners claimed the waters of Kentaagen are traditionally used in irrigating the ricefields of Penged to Mangitong where a number of ricefields are located.
Inan Agwiking, a pumayew of Mangitong said the waters should flow to where it naturally flows.

Some church parishioners asked for a half- inch pipe instead of the already installed two-inch tube, following a consultation June 12.