Davao City Councilor Tek Ocampo, during the Aprubado sa Konseho media forum on Tuesday, rallied barangays to help protect the city’s watershed areas and the environment as a whole.
Ocampo emphasized that Bantay Bukid volunteers need help as they cannot fully and totally monitor illegal activities conducted inside protected and prohibited areas.
“Hangyo sa kaigsuunan nga nagpuyo sa bukid, mga barangay tabangan nato ang atong Bantay Bukid, nga mutabang og sugpo sa illegal settlers diha nga nagapanamastamas sa kinaiyahan. Gisugo mana namo kay kadako aning Davao City, dili namo basta basta matuyok tanan (We are asking for help from those living in far-flung areas, the barangays, to help our Bantay Bukid combat illegal settlers who are harming the environment. We have actually tasked them [to monitor] because with the huge expanse of land of Davao, we cannot easily monitor everything),” he said.
Ocampo called on every Dabawenyo to start helping or wake up one day with developments encroaching on watersheds, where the city’s water comes from.
Ocampo also added that the newly passed ordinance for the protection of the Panigan-Tamugan Watershed is an added level of protection to ensure that Davao City residents will have ample water supply in the near future.
During the forum, Ocampo said that his committee is open to becoming an avenue to intelligently and formally discuss the issues involving environmental protection for the benefit of the people. CIO
