Mindanao river basin master plan gets inter-regional support

Three Mindanao-based regional development councils endorsed the implementation of the Mindanao River Basin (MRB) master plan, pushing for the creation of an institution that will manage, rehabilitate, and develop the river basin and its resources.

 

The Regional Development Councils of Regions X and XII as well as the Regional Economic Development and Planning Board (REDPB) of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) submitted separate resolutions endorsing the master plan and pushing for the creation of the MRB Management Council. 

 

Resolution No. 4, Series of 2014, Resolution No. 81, Series of 2013, and ARMM REDPB Resolution No. 06 were passed by the development councils of Regions X, XII and ARMM, respectively. 

 

Luwalhati Antonio, chair of the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA), said the resolutions passed will "concretize efforts to come up with sustainable but environmentally-sound solutions to the recurring problems within the river basin," highlighting the perennial flooding of the towns and provinces in the area.

 

She added that the MRB master plan stemmed from a two-year study conducted from 2010-2012  by Woodfields Consultants Inc., with the support of the Departments of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Interior and Local Governments, as well as the National Irrigation Administration, and the Office of Civil Defense. The study sought for the long-term rehabilitation and development of the river basin.

 

The DENR-River Basin Coordinating Office (DENR-RBCO) commissioned the study, while MinDA, through MindaNOW! Nurturing Our Waters Program facilitated for the approval and endorsement of the master plan by the regional development councils.

 

With a total catchment area of 21,503 square kilometers, spanning multiple regions and provinces, the MRB is the second largest river basin in the country encompassing large areas of the three regions in Central Mindanao. 

 

Due to its wide stretch, the creation of the MRB management council is also recommended in the master plan to coordinate and provide directions on the effective and efficient management and development of the river basin and its resources. 

 

The proposed river basin council will be composed of representatives from the concerned provincial and local government units, national government agencies, river basin and LGU alliances, non-government organizations and the private sector.

 

Marcia Isip, executive director of the DENR-RBCO, said "a multi-stakeholder and collaborative approach" in the implementation of sustainable solutions is the ideal set-up that will ensure that all efforts and initiatives to rehabilitate and develop the MRB are well-coordinated and with a cohesiveness of objectives.

 

In 2013, P6.97 billion worth of flood control projects within the MRB were included in DPWH’s 2014 budget, providing long-term solutions to flooding in areas around the Rio Grande de Mindanao and its tributaries. The projects, which are in their pre-construction phase, are designed to mitigate recurring flooding within the river basin.

 

Through these projects, MRB advocates are hopeful that not only problems concerning flooding will be solved but also help accelerate socioeconomic growth and development in the area. – Janelle Cosino/VS, GMA News