Developing Partnership for Sustainable Watershed Management: Case of MT. ISAROG Watershed

1. Developing Partnership for Sustainable Watershed Management: Case of MT. ISAROG Watershed Cely S. Binoya, Ph.D. – CSSAC Vic Aniceto Rubio - MNWD

2. Topics • Introduction • Brief description of Mt. Isarog as Watershed • Partnership development for SWM • Accomplishments • Benefits of partnership • Sustainability mechanism • Learning points

3. Introduction • Why sustainable watershed management for Mt. Isarog? • there were 81 park occupants undertaking intensive agricultural cultivation in the area • 47 are actually living in the park • Threatens biodiversity and water safety

4. Program Vision Sustainable Watershed Management through Partnership and People Empowerment.

5. Program Goals • Protect Mt. Isarog Natural Park • Generate safe and sufficient water for the constituents • Holistic program implementation following the Integrated Area Management Approach • Develop strong complementation, supplementation and coordination among partner institutions

6. Objective of Watershed Management (Florece, 2002) • Promote use of natural resources within the watershed for economically productive purposes thru: • Improved rainwater management • Improved standard of living • Improved maintenance, enhancement and protection of the areas • Improved care and management of natural resources within the watershed

7. Guiding Principles in Watershed Management (Florece, 2002) • Holistic, integrated and multiple – use management • Multi-sectoral and interdisciplinary planning • Adoption of sustainability criteria • Participatory and equitable participation • Efficiency in resource allocation

8. Brief Description of Mt. Isarog as Watershed • Proclaimed National Park in 1938 • It has an area of 10,112.35 has, height - 1,966 m above sea level, has many rivers, waterfalls, and endemic flora and fauna • Main source of potable water for Naga City and 11 other municipalities surrounding Mt. Isarog.

9. Partnership Development • Why partnership development? • The realization that no single institution can ably respond to the challenge of managing a watershed in a sustainable manner. • The need for a multi-disciplinary but holistic approach to watershed management. • Sharing and supplementation of resources • Complementation of activities

10. Processes for Partnership Development • Stewardship agreement between DENR and MNWD for 317 has in the Anayan and Rumangrap Springs watershed area (1993), with a combined output of 225 lps. • Tripartite agreement among MNWD, Rotary Club of Naga City and Plan Int’l. Bicol (1993) for SWM Program.

11. Partnership Development Process • Involving CSSAC, through its Development Foundation Inc. (CSSAC-DFI) in benchmarking study and institutional development. The college served as the coordinating office of the program (1994-1997) • The partners came up with an Integrated Area Development Plan (IADP)

12. 7 Components of the IADP • Institution building and community organizing • Relocation of park settlers • Community development and strengthening thru cooperativism • Alternative livelihood development • Forest and watershed protection and management, including nursery establishment • Research and development • Community service

13. Accomplishments • On Institution Building and Community Development (task of CSSAC, NGO, MNWD) • Conducted series of meetings, consultations, and conscientization among park settlers to make them realize the problem • Action planning • Community organizing and institution building: formation of the Rotary Village Corps

14. Trainings on Institution Building • Values formation • Working with others • Team building • Leadership • Community management • Project management • Farm project planning, monitoring and evaluation

15. Relocation of Park Settlers • Objectives: to uproot them and to stop agricultural activities in the park • Partners bought 1.2 has as relocation area and prepared land use plan • Provided housing units (34) • Other facilities: chapel, day care center (and teacher), multi-purpose building, staff house, sports area & communal garden • Provided water and electrical facilities

16. Community Development and Strengthening thru Cooperativism • Organized into cooperative in 1997 • Registered with the CDA as Rotary Village Corps Forest Development Cooperative • Initial CBU was Php 13,000.00 used for economic activities • Provided training and other services by CDA and MCDC

17. Alternative Livelihood Development • The coop was provided with food processing equipment by PIB and RCN for their agricultural crops • There is continuing agricultural production and processing activities • Livelihood projects: bio-intensive gardens, swine and poultry, buy and sell of agri-products • Livelihood trainings provided by CSSAC and DA

18. Continuing Education • MOA for continuing education program entered into by CSSAC Ext. Division, MNWD, RCN and RVCFDC • The project is under the Cooperative Assistance Program of CSSAC • Free trainings on various sustainable agricultural technologies provided on site • Scholarship to the CSSAC DSVT program • Continuing values development for effective watershed management

19. Partners in Continuing Education Activities • CSSAC • DA-LGU, DA- Region • CARE Philippines • Plan Int’l. Bicol • MNWD • DENR

20. Forest and Watershed Protection and Management • Nursery establishment as source of planting materials • Reforestation / tree planting • Established and developed the catchment area • Converted the site to an Ecological Park • Training for Bantay Bundok / Forest Guards by the DENR

21. Research and Development • CSSAC conducted research in the area on “Community Response to Development Interventions: Case of RVCFDC” as a learning activity in Rural Sociology • Training Needs Assessment • Community Profiling of the RVC as a prelude to student internship • Techno-demo cum research

22. Community Service • The RVCFDC is a favorite venue of service – oriented institutions in Naga City and Camarines Sur on the ff. activities: • Gift giving (Ateneo and USI) • Installation of Solar Home Lighting System (RC of Isarog - CSSAC) • Sports and Medical Mission (RCN, PIB, and MNWD)

23. Benefits of Partnership • For the Partners: Complementation of activities, resource sharing • For CSSAC: RVCFDC served as internship site and social laboratory of Rural Sociology, Community Organizing and Cooperative Management courses • For the Community: Continuing education activities, more economic activities and better farm productivity

24. Sustainability Mechanism • Formation of the Multi-Agency Watershed Management Committee composed of the ff. institutions: • DENR • MNWD • Plan Int’l. Bicol • CSSAC • LGU • CARE Philippines and others, as needed

25. Learning Points • On Partnership Development: • For the academe, establish track record on RDE • With Academic Program offering as anchorage of RDE projects in Watershed Areas • With an organized Development Foundation for budget infusion from external sources

26. Learning Points • On Partnership Development: • Academe must have institutionalized Extension Program for community / cooperative assistance • Establish strong coordination among partner institutions • No competition among the partner institutions.

27. Learning Points • On Program Implementation: • Constant dialogue between and among coop members and partners • Continuing assessment of needs for relevance and responsiveness • An IADP was very useful in pursuing development interventions in an area

28. Learning Points • RDE should be conducted regularly by partner academe to assess quality of development, identify emerging needs and problems for relevance and responsiveness • Watershed management and forest protection should be made integral part of PAM program.

29. Thank You for Listening!!!