Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Sorsogon City Water District preserves watershed areas, assists slope agricultural farming


By Irma A. Guhit

SORSOGON CITY, Feb.21 (PIA) – "Our watershed areas need to be cared for, preserved and protected as these are the source of our sustainable water supply," Engr. Ronaldo G. Borbono, manager of the Sorsogon City Water District (SCWD) expressed during his regular meeting with employees and staff here and a call for awareness to the public to become appreciative of its importance.

According to Engr. Borbono, the watershed now being maintained by the SCWD are very well conserved  and protected by farmers themselves and  is now home to several endemic flora and fauna , and soon will  become one of the best features of their entity as tourism visitation sites.

He also expressed that regularly, employees conduct tree planting activities as their firm support to the governments' environmental thrusts and to articulate collectively the National Greening Program as trees preserves the sources of water.

Borbono said that Barangay San Jose of Bacon district is one of their watershed areas and now being developed to showcase their Slopping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) program, their banner project under the Project Water of Water District Assistance to Environment and Resources, highlighted in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program.

As an environmental preservation tool, the SALT project is also an alternative source of livelihood for people living in the slopes in the watershed and is taught contour farming according to Barbono.

SWD is assisting these farmers to adapt this kind of farming to abolish the practice of kaingin system or slash and burn that destroy the forest.

Prevalent livelihood practice in forests is the illegal cutting of trees made into charcoal and with this assistance, Borbono said that farmers will avoid this practice since they will now have a source of livelihood and the watershed will be preserved as they are also taught the importance of protecting the land from erosion due to incorrect upland farming practices. (PIA-SORSOGON)

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