UPLB – INREM conducts successful focus group discussions and stakeholder consultations in Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City for the DOST PCAAARD- funded project “Assessment of Payment for Water Ecosystem initiatives towards the development of a Philippine PES Control” last May 2023.

               Project Leader Dr. Juan M. Pulhin and Project Staff Dr. Asa Jose U. Sajise lead the fruitful discussions with the stakeholders of the Mt. Kitanglad Range Natural Park (MKRNP) in Bukidnon. It was attended by representatives from the DENR PENRO Bukidnon, Protected Area Superintendent of the MKRNP, the Kitanglad Guard Volunteers, and Bukidnon Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO). Their experiences reflect the upland communities of interests living near the water source.

In Cagayan de Oro City, the interests and experiences of the lowland communities took center stage. Present during the hybrid discussion are the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental, Cagayan de Oro Water District, Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Council, Samdhana Institute, the DENR Regional Office – Northern Mindanao, and the Cagayan de Oro Bulk Inc. This PES-like scheme is said to be undocumented in existing literature and the consultation provided an in-depth analysis of their context.

The project team paid courtesy visits to the Office of the Provincial Administrator of Misamis Oriental and the DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer – Bukidnon to discuss the project objectives and the benefits of PES to the communities in the area. They were also afforded a tour privilege of the water treatment facility of the Rio Verde Water Consortium Inc who source their water from Mt. Kitanglad. The mountain range can be seen from the facility on a clear and bright day, a symbolic convergence of the interconnectedness of a PES scheme.

The P-WES project is implemented by UPLB-INREM and these activities were conducted in partnership with the DENR-PENRO Bukidnon, the Provincial Government of Misamis Oriental, and the Cagayan de Oro River Basin Management Office.