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    Managing the Naga City River:

    Where to Go From Here

    Naga City, Bicol

    Cathy Pas

    School of Community and Regional Plann

    University of British Colum

    Directed St

    July 5, 20

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    i

    Acknowledgements

    This report would not have been possible without the generosity and

    support of Willy Prilles and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) of

    Naga City. It was an immense pleasure to meet and spend time with all of you.

    In gathering data for this project the following people were a great help:

    Oscar Orozco (CENRO), Jesus P. Bongalonta (CENRO), Rolly Campillos (UPAO),

    Miles Arroyo (UDHB), Melchor Estrella Llantero (CENRO), Erlinda V. Bailey

    (CENRO), Badette Rocco (LIGF), Atty Ojastro (City of Naga), Dada De La Rosa

    (NCPC), and Ramon Antonio (Barangay Dinaga Captain). Without their insight

    and knowledge this project would not have been possible. Thank you all so

    much for your time and words of wisdom.

    And finally, thank you Dr. Nora Angeles. Thank you for conceptualizing a

    studio course in Naga City and for making this opportunity in mutual learning

    possible. Being a Filipino-Canadian, this has been a very special and memorable

    experience. For this I am especially grateful.

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    ii

    Biography

    Cathy Pasionis a School of Community and Regional Planning graduate student

    at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Cathy also holds

    both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Civil and Environmental

    Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Cathy has worked as

    an environmental consultant in the remediation of contaminated sites and as a

    researcher in the clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnance from

    contaminated lands. She hopes to use her technical and planning skills to

    continue to work with communities in the future.

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    iii

    Executive Summary

    The Naga City River is an important physical and cultural feature for the

    city of Naga. Not only does the river serve a vital role in the citys ecosystems,

    but it is also the site of the Bicol regions most prestigious religious ceremony,

    the Peafracia fluvial procession.

    The importance of the river is evident, but the rivers water quality

    remains below desired standards and is unfit for human uses such as bathing.

    The city of Naga has made many concerted efforts to manage the river in the

    past, including the development of the Naga City River Watershed Strategic

    Management Plan in 1997. Much important progress has been made as a result.

    This is evident from the marked improvement in water quality from its initial

    state, the enactment of relevant ordinances and legislation, the establishment

    of city departments dedicated to environmental issues, and the participation of

    citizens groups in river management. These advances are substantial;

    however, ten years have passed and many of the objectives initially stated in

    this plan remain at a standstill. Naga City is in need of a renewed plan to help

    rebuild momentum towards the rivers revitalization.

    Based on a review of existing policies, ordinances and visioning

    documents, and through stakeholder interviews, a series of recommendations

    were made for the City of Naga to consider in the future management of the

    Naga City River. These recommendations are informed by the principles of

    sustainable development and look to foster the objectives initially stated

    within the Strategic Watershed Management Plan developed in 1997. In

    summary the recommendations include the following:

    !

    Assess the extent of progress on the Strategic Management Plan to date

    and determine the costs and funding required to carry out the initial

    objectives.

    ! Make future plans incremental, with assessed incremental costs, so that

    the city can put money forward for the first steps within the plan,

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    iv

    thereby showing local initiative to Nagueos and outside potential

    funders.

    ! Consider public private partnerships in the development of the proposed

    riverwalk.

    !

    Conduct campaigning on sustainability principles to foster the

    understanding of the relationship between acquiring basic needs and

    livelihoods, and caring for the Naga City River.

    !

    Consider transportation and land use in the resettlement of illegal river

    dwellers. Ensure their accessibility to the river and to their livelihoods.

    ! Improve the enforcement of regulations through the following: increase

    the number of deputized personnel, create a culture of caring for the

    river, encourage barangay level support, foster knowledge of applicable

    national legislation, and aggregate market vendors along the riverwalk

    and deputize them to enforce ordinances pertaining to the river.

    ! Take advantage of political will in the local government to push forward

    environmental initiatives and river management goals.

    !

    Take a holistic approach that considers sustainable development

    principles in all future planning for river management. Consider the role

    of the river in fostering the environmental, social, and economic well-

    being for all Nagueos, both now and in the future.

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    v

    Table of Contents

    1. Introduction________________________________________________________ 1

    2. Problem Context ____________________________________________________ 2

    2.1. Stakeholders __________________________________________________________ 3

    2.2. Interviews _____________________________________Error! Bookmark not defined.

    2.3. Policy Context_________________________________________________________ 6

    2.3.1. Policy Documents __________________________________________________________6

    2.3.2. Legislation________________________________________________________________9

    3. Guiding Principles Sustainable Development __________________________ 13

    4. Key Findings ______________________________________________________ 15

    5. Recommendations __________________________________________________ 25

    Bibliography__________________________________________________________ 31

    Tables _______________________________________________________________ 33

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 1

    1.Introduction

    Naga City is a medium-sized

    city, with a population of

    approximately 150 000, in the province

    of Bicol, Philippines. Through its

    centre runs the Naga City River, which

    originates in the foothills of Mt. Isarog

    to the north and flows into the Bicol

    River to the south. The Naga City River

    is an important physical and cultural

    feature for the city. Not only does the

    river serve a vital role in the citys

    ecosystems, but it is also the site of

    the Bicol regions most prestigious

    religious ceremony, the Peafrancia

    fluvial procession, an attraction to

    hundreds of thousands of people every

    year.Although the importance of the Naga

    City River is evident, through time, the

    river has served as an outlet for many

    forms of pollution and is unfit for

    human uses, such as bathing and

    swimming. The need to address these

    water quality issues has been

    recognized and efforts have been

    made in its revitalization. The

    highlight of these efforts took place in

    1997, where with the support of

    USAID, a comprehensive strategic

    management plan was developed to

    revitalize the Naga River. Since that

    time, important progress has been

    made; however, ten years have passed

    and many of the objectives initially

    stated in this plan remain at a

    standstill. The initial momentum felt

    when the management plan was first

    developed has faded. Naga City is in

    need of a renewed plan to help rebuild

    momentum towards the rivers

    revitalization.

    As identified in the visioning

    workshops and planning that led to the

    Naga City River Watershed Strategic

    Management Plan of 1997, the

    revitalization of the Naga River would

    be beneficial to Naga City on many

    fronts. Cleaning the river anddevelopment of the riverfront could

    potentially benefit tourism and spur

    economic development. Caring for the

    quality of water in the river and the

    delicate ecosystems it supports

    contributes to environmental

    sustainability and recognizes the

    importance of the river to future

    generations of Nagueos. Finally, the

    seasonal flooding of the Naga River

    and the erosion of its riverbanks are a

    continual concern for the city.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 2

    Attention to the development of the

    river will help alleviate these threats.

    All of these benefits that would result

    from comprehensive river management

    are in line with the citys objectives to

    meet the UN Millennium Development

    Goals for 2015 (UN Millennium

    Development Goals, 2007).

    The following report reviews the

    management of Naga River in Naga

    City to date. Within the research

    interviews were conducted with

    stakeholders and organizations

    identified as critical to the rivers

    management. Existing policies and

    visioning documents were also

    reviewed. Based on a synthesis and

    analysis of this information, some

    suggestions or recommendations forNaga City and its approach to river

    management are provided.

    2.Problem Context

    Past planning efforts in the city

    of Naga have clearly demonstrated the

    objective to manage their river in a

    comprehensive way that integrates

    social, economic and environmental

    sustainability. The positive results of

    these planning efforts are many. For

    instance, relevant ordinances have

    been established. As well, the Naga

    River Council was initiated in 1993.

    And, most significantly, the Strategic

    Management Plan for the Naga River

    Watershed was developed in 1997. All

    of these developments clearly indicate

    a motivation and concerted effort

    towards managing the Naga River.However, ten years after the plan was

    first initiated, many of the objectives

    that were established are unmet and

    much work remains.

    The following is a brief overview

    of the progress that has been made in

    the comprehensive management of the

    Naga City River. The stakeholders

    identified, and the existing legislation

    and policy documents are presented.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 3

    2.1. Method: Interviews

    The stakeholder interviews

    conducted during the period June 12th

    to 15

    th

    , 2007 are listed in Table 1. Asshown, in addition to members or

    representatives from the organizations

    discussed above, interviews were also

    conducted with Attorney Miles Arroyo,

    Chairperson of the Urban Development

    and Housing Board (UDHB), and

    Attorney Angel R. Ojastro III, the Naga

    City Legal Officer.

    These interviews provided

    critical insights into the state of river

    management practices in Naga City. A

    setback in this research is the lack of

    interviews with those who live along

    the riverbanks of the river. Although

    these interviews were not conducted,

    interviews with Dada de Le Rosa of the

    NCPC and Rolly Campillos of UPAO

    helped to illuminate some of the needs

    and concerns of these very important

    stakeholders.

    It should be noted that

    consultations with these dwellers wereconducted during the development of

    the Strategic Management Plan of 1997

    and can be found in this report (City of

    Naga, 1997).

    2.2. Stakeholders

    The management of the Naga

    River is important to all Nagueos andcitizens of the Metro Naga Region.

    There is a large range of stakeholders

    who are affected by management

    plans for the Naga River. For instance,

    those living on the riverbanks, both

    landowners and those who do not own

    land but who have made the riverbank

    their home, are largely affected by

    decisions made regarding the river. As

    well, business owners and market

    vendors would also be affected by the

    rivers development as this could

    potentially increase the economic

    vitality of the city by developing

    commercial/retail areas and spurring

    tourism. The rivers management

    impacts the city environmentally,

    economically, and socially. All

    Nagueos are stakeholders in the

    rivers management.

    Many organizations that have

    actively worked on revitalizing theriver are also stakeholders and are

    critical to the success of a river

    management plan. These include the

    City Environment and Natural

    Resources Office (CENRO),

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 4

    City Planning and Development Office

    (CPDO), Urban Poor Affairs Office

    (UPAO), Ladies in Green Foundation

    (LIGF), Naga City Peoples Council

    (NCPC), barangay leaders and their

    councils and associations, the Urban

    Development and Housing Board

    (UDHB) and the Naga City River Patrol.

    A brief description of these

    organizations follows.

    Naga City Planning and Development

    Office (CPDO)

    It is the role of the City Planning

    and Development Office to both

    facilitate and map the comprehensive

    management of the Naga River. CPDO

    also manages land use throughout the

    city of Naga, in the Naga Riverwatershed and most significantly CPDO

    manages the lands immediately

    adjacent to the river. The

    management of these lands will largely

    determine the future of the river and

    its uses.

    City Environment and Natural

    Resources Office (CENRO)

    CENRO is the executive

    department of the City Government of

    Naga that is primarily responsible for

    the care and maintenance of the river.

    CENRO was initially created as a task

    force in 1997 as a result of the

    Strategic Watershed Management Plan

    of 1997. CENRO was then

    institutionalized in July 1999. At

    present this office monitors the quality

    of water within the river as per the

    Department of Environment and

    Resource (DENR) requirements. As

    well, CENRO provides input on

    different technical forms of

    intervention that are necessary to

    improve and sustain an acceptable

    quality of water in the river. For

    example, recommendations for water

    treatment or management of septic

    tanks are made by CENRO. In

    coordination with barangay captainsand the Philippine National Police

    (PNP), CENRO enforces the city

    ordinances that guide waste

    management, littering, and uses of the

    river.

    Department of Environment and

    Natural Resources (DENR)

    DENR is the national level

    department that manages

    environmental issues and water bodies

    throughout the Philippines. For

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 5

    instance, the DENR requires the

    monitoring of water quality within the

    Naga River as per the Clean Water Act

    guidelines (national legislation). This

    monitoring is devolved to CENRO for

    implementation.

    Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO)

    The Urban Poor Affairs Office is

    a department within the City of Naga

    government, which facilitates the

    resettling of urban poor within the City

    of Naga. Through the Citys Kaantabay

    sa Kauswagan program UPAO locates

    housing and resettlement areas for

    those who have lived on public lands

    for a period greater than five years.

    This program secures tenurial rights

    for urban poor beneficiaries. It is themandate of UPAO to find

    resettlements that ensure the

    livelihoods of those who are relocated.

    UPAO has successfully facilitated the

    resettlement of many urban poor

    within Naga, including some of those

    who had initially settled along the

    riverbank.

    Naga City Peoples Council (NCPC)

    In 1995, the Naga City

    Government enacted the City

    Ordinance No. 95-092, An Ordinance

    Initiating a System for Partnership in

    Local Governance between the City

    Government and the People of Naga

    otherwise known as the Empowerment

    Ordinance of Naga City. The ordinance

    recognized the Naga City Peoples

    Council, and gave them the task to

    reform service delivery to make it

    more responsive to the needs of the

    people. Through the ordinance, the

    Council has the power to send

    representatives to all government

    committees, councils, boards and task

    forces. They participate in the

    deliberation and evaluation of

    government projects and activities.

    The cleanup of the Naga River

    was identified as one of three priorityareas for action through the Naga

    City Participatory Planning Initiatives,

    initiatives brought about through

    multi-sectoral project planning. Under

    this initiative the Naga City River

    Watershed Strategic Management Plan

    of 1997 (discussed further in Section

    2.3.1) was developed based on inputs

    from stakeholders who had approved

    the plan themselves through a

    Stakeholder Congress.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 6

    Ladies in Green Foundation (LIGF)

    The Ladies in Green Foundation,

    Inc. is a non-governmental

    organization that has been actively

    involved in the management of the

    Naga River. LIGF was formed in

    January 1999 and initially consisted of

    the wives of City officials and female

    Chiefs and Department Heads of the

    City Government. Since then,membership has now grown to over

    1,000. LIGF first formed with the main

    purpose of supporting the City

    governments environmental programs

    with the specific mandate to look at

    the rehabilitation and preservation of

    the Naga River. LIGF is a member of

    the Naga Citys People Council (NCPC)

    and works in partnership with CENRO.

    River Patrol

    The Naga City River Patrol is run

    through the Barangay Dinaga, situated

    in the heart of the central business

    district (CBDI). With the use of a

    powerboat, the river patrol traverses

    the river, enforcing all applicable

    ordinances and helps clean up trash

    and debris in the river. Barangay

    Dinaga is the only barangay that is

    equipped with such a powerboat;

    however, all barangay captains are

    deputized in enforcing the ordinances

    that prohibit littering and the dumping

    of wastes in the river.

    2.3. Policy Context

    2.3.1. Policy Documents

    The Naga City River Watershed

    Strategic Management Plan 1997

    The Naga City River Watershed

    Strategic Management Plan for the

    Naga River was completed in 1997. Its

    objectives include improving the water

    quality within the Naga River,

    preserving the critical watershed lands

    around its headwaters on Mt. Isarog,

    and developing the river within a 10

    year timeframe to prevent floods,

    encourage tourism, and preserve the

    rivers cultural value. The Plan was

    developed as part of the Philippine

    governments Governance and Local

    Democracy (GOLD) Project, which was

    assisted by the United States Agency

    for International Development (USAID).

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 7

    The project was implemented by the

    Associates in Rural Development Inc.

    (ARD), the authors of this plan.

    Reforestation of the Naga River

    watershed, building Naga River

    revetments, dredging the river, and

    the rivers beautification, were

    identified as the number one priorities

    for the city during the GOLD Project

    Action Priorities Planning Workshop

    held June 17-18, 1996. Present during

    this meeting were local executives,

    members of the Sanggunian Bayan,

    members of the Local Development

    Councils and Special Bodies, appointed

    Officials, selected officers from the

    national government agencies, and

    representatives from the non-

    governmental and private sectors.An extensive process of

    visioning workshops and stakeholder

    consultations were conducted for the

    Strategic Watershed Management Plan.

    A multi-sectoral workshop took place

    in September of 1996 where the

    following objectives for the Naga River

    were articulated:

    ! To prevent floods,

    !

    To make the river clean and

    safe,

    ! To optimize tourism value; and

    !

    To preserve the cultural value

    of the river.

    The following strategies were

    articulated:

    ! River park development

    ! Physical rehabilitation of the

    river

    !

    Sustained pollution prevention

    and control by households and

    institutions

    ! Restoration and maintenance of

    watershed vegetative cover.

    This plan set objectives with a

    ten-year timeline for completion. Ten

    years have passed and many of these

    objectives remain unattained. For

    instance, the river park remains

    undeveloped, barring a small portion

    in the CBDI in front of the AristocratHotel. This small portion of the river

    park is built on private land and was

    donated to the city by Pedro Lee, the

    owner of the Aristocrat Hotel (Barry,

    2007). Some reasons for the delayed

    progress in meeting the objectives of

    this plan are discussed in Section 3.0.

    Although some of the objectives

    of the Management Plan are at a

    standstill, it should be recognized that

    the work done for this plan was

    extensive and provides a sound basis to

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 8

    continue progressing towards the

    identified objectives. As well, it is of

    great benefit that it was within the

    development of this plan that much of

    the framework for people participation

    within Naga City, and in the rivers

    development, was initiated (i.e. the

    creation of CENRO and involvement of

    the NCPC etc.)

    State of the City Report 2006 /

    Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

    The City of Naga has included in

    its mandate, as stated within the State

    of the City Report for 2006, the

    objectives to meet the United Nations

    Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

    These goals, which were agreed uponby nations across the globe and leading

    development institutions, are to meet

    the needs of the worlds poorest

    people by the target date of 2015. The

    goals range from promoting gender

    equality and the empowerment of

    women, to eradicating extreme

    poverty and hunger. One of the goals

    is ensuring environmental

    sustainability, which, according to

    United Nations, entails the following:

    !

    Integrating the principles of

    sustainable development into

    country policies and programs;

    reverse loss of environmental

    resources.

    ! Reducing by half the proportion

    of people without sustainable

    access to safe drinking water.

    !

    Achieving significant

    improvement in lives of at least

    100 million slum dwellers by

    2020.

    The City of Naga is using the

    MDGs as a framework to combat local

    poverty with the intent of attaining

    growth with equity. As stated, they

    hope to address the many aspects of

    poverty, including hunger, diseases,

    illiteracy, environmental degradation,and discrimination against women.

    Within their Executive Legislative

    Agenda for the period of 2007-2010,

    the City set objectives with the

    intention of meeting the UN

    Millennium goals prior to 2015. Naga

    Citys 2015 vision is encompassed in

    Maogmang Ciudadano sa Maogmang

    Lugar Happy citizens in a happy

    place. This vision will be pursued

    through five key strategies: (a) re-

    engineering Naga (b) reducing poverty

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 9

    incidence (c) improving access to

    quality basic services (d) enhancing

    the quality of life through livable

    communities; and (e) promoting good

    governance and responsible

    citizenship. Re-engineering Naga

    looks to preparing Naga for future

    natural disasters, like typhoon Reming,

    the most recent typhoon that hit Naga

    City in 2006. This strategy includes

    plans to develop and manage the Naga

    River to prevent future flooding.

    Enhancing the quality of life through

    livable communities looks to creating

    a clean and beautify Naga City. The

    strategy is to intensify investment in

    urban aesthetics in order to make Naga

    more attractive to visitors and

    residents and water quality in theNaga River is to be better managed.

    From these visioning documents

    it appears that the visions for the Naga

    River remain in line with those stated

    in the Strategic Management Plan of

    1997. The comprehensive river

    management proposed in the Strategic

    Management Plan, is seen as a vital

    part of meeting the Millennium

    Development Goals by 2015 in these

    other documents.

    2.3.2. Legislation

    National Legislation pertaining to

    the Naga RiverThere are already a variety of

    legal, regulatory and administrative

    documents that relate to

    environmental conservation and

    management in the Philippines as a

    whole. These include various

    Commonwealth Acts, Republic Acts,

    and Presidential Decrees.

    Environmental management,

    conservation and development in the

    Philippines, are administered at the

    national level by the DENR. Within the

    DENR are several bureaus, including

    the Environmental Management Bureau

    (EMB), the Forest Management Board

    (FMB), and the Land Management

    Bureau (LMB).

    With respect to the

    management of water bodies in the

    Philippines and the management of the

    Naga River, DENR administers the

    Republic Act 9275 also known as thePhilippine Clean Water Act of 2004. In

    accordance with this act, the DENR has

    prepared a Water Quality Management

    Framework by which local government

    units (LGUs) are to monitor and sustain

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 10

    an adequate level of water quality in

    their water bodies. This framework

    provides the guidelines for LGUs to: a)

    monitor water quality b) conduct

    emergency response c) assess and

    monitor compliance and d) coordinate

    with other government agencies and

    civil society and the concerned sectors

    in the implementation of measures to

    prevent and control water pollution.

    It should be noted that

    Presidential Decree 953 requires all

    owners of lands adjoining a river or

    creek to plant trees at least five

    meters from the edge of such bodies of

    water (Ojastro, 2007). This would help

    preserve the water quality within the

    river and creeks as the trees and

    plants would help remediate and filterpolluted groundwater and surface

    water entering the river. As well, this

    would help preserve lives of people

    living along these bodies of water

    especially now that flooding and

    stronger typhoons are becoming more

    common.

    Much of the national legislation,

    like the Presidential Decree 953, is not

    abided by on the local level within

    many Philippine communities. This is

    also the case in Naga City. Some

    possible reasons for this are discussed

    further in Section 4.0.

    City Ordinances pertaining to the

    Naga River

    A series of city ordinances have

    been created to limit the amount of

    pollution entering the Naga River and

    to preserve the Naga River Watershed.

    The following is a summary of those

    ordinances pertaining to the

    management of the Naga River.

    Ordinance No. 86-019

    Ordinance No. 86-019 was

    established to amend 383, S. 1971

    which prohibits littering in the city of

    Naga. Within this ordinance littering inthe Naga River and its creek beds is

    established as a criminal offence.

    Ordinance No. 93-013

    Ordinance No. 93-103 was

    enacted on February 24, 1993. Its

    major role was to establish the Naga

    River Council, thereby defining the

    Councils powers, responsibilities, and

    source of funding for its operations.

    The intended role of the council was

    to conduct an environmental

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 11

    assessment, and to initiate, develop

    and implement a comprehensive

    program to save, protect and develop

    the Naga River. It was also the role

    of the council to conduct public

    information campaigns and to

    recommend to the city government of

    Naga the enactment of legislations.

    Council members included

    representatives from the religious

    sector, the urban poor sector,

    academia, and city-based non-

    government organizations primarily

    concerned with environmental

    protection. Also acting as Council

    members was one representative from

    the city engineers office of Naga and

    one representative for the city mayor

    of Naga.The Naga River Council achieved

    less than what it was designed to do

    (City of Naga, 1997); however, the

    enactment of Ordinance no. 93-013 did

    result in the following:

    Preliminary surveys and meetings

    with the homeowners along the

    riverbanks were conducted.

    The following organizations and

    campaigns were initiated:

    Salvog Salog or Save the River

    is a group composed of volunteer

    youth groups and citizens that

    occasionally clean the riverbanks

    Bantay Salog or River Watch

    are river patrols to monitor

    ordinance violations

    Barangay Salog is a campaign to

    encourage barangays to

    coordinate with other programs

    in their barangays to look after

    the well-being of the river

    Forest protection and regeneration

    actions were started in the

    upstream portion of the Naga City

    river catchment. Successfully, the

    forest park at Malabsay Falls on Mt.

    Isarog was initiated and is now a

    tourist attraction.

    Ordinance no. 2000-006Ordinance no. 2000-006

    prohibits all gasoline stations, auto

    repair shops, carwashing centers and

    all other establishment of entities

    from disposing and pouring used oil,

    waste water/ liquid and any other

    polluting/toxic liquid into drainage

    canals that flow into the creeks and

    into the Naga River and prescribes

    penalties thereto.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 12

    Ordinance no. 2000-018

    Ordinance no. 2000-018

    establishes control measures in

    preserving aquatic life at the Naga

    River and prescribes associated

    penalties. This Ordinance developed

    largely as a result of the work done in

    the Strategic Management Plan of

    1997. Here the City enacted the

    legislation to re-appropriate the city

    right-of-way along the riverbank within

    a 3 m easement along both sides of the

    rivers edge. Section 4.1 of the

    Ordinance reads as follows:

    It shall be prohibited under

    this ordinance to put up a building

    and live in a house or living

    quarters within the prescribed

    three meter easement along thewhole stretch of the Naga River.

    4.1.1 Those already found

    with such structures and/or living

    quarters inside said easement or

    under existing bridges are notified

    by this ordinance to search for a

    new living area outside of the

    easement and/or vacate their

    present abode.

    Those who erect a structure after the

    enactment of this ordinance are found

    in violation. The ordinance states that

    that person will be ejected from the

    structure, the structure will be

    demolished; there will be a penalty of

    2000 pesos and/or imprisonment of 6

    months, upon discretion of the courts.

    For those who had erected their

    structure prior to the enactment of

    this ordinance, the ordinance states

    that they will be given notice to

    vacate the area within a reasonable

    time but not within six months after

    apprehension.

    Re-iterated in this Ordinance is

    the prohibition of disposing solid or

    liquid waste into the river and its

    banks. As well, it is prohibited to build

    pipes of any kind or type that serve as

    outlets from the kitchen or septic

    vaults that flow into the riverbank orsurface. The Ordinance states any

    such pipes existing shall henceforth be

    cut or disconnected.

    The monitoring team created

    to enforce this ordinance consists of a

    five-person team largely from CENRO.

    As well, the Philippine National Police

    (PNP) has one person assigned to assist

    the team in apprehending violators.

    The barangay captains of the eleven

    riverside barangays are authorized to

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 13

    designate one person to be a

    permanent member.

    Ordinance N. 2003-013

    Ordinance No. 2003-013

    established a caretaker group for

    environment care known as Bantay

    Kapalibotan sa Maogmang Lugar.

    Their role is to enforce provisions of

    city ordinances and other national and

    local laws and rules more particularly

    on anti-littering and solid waste

    management. The primary objective of

    the Ordinance is to organize a special

    body in the city to pay specific

    attention to the implementation of all

    ordinances relating to environment

    care, especially those associated with

    anti-littering and proper disposal ofsolid and liquid waste. This group is to

    pay close attention to the care for the

    Naga River and its creeks. The

    monitoring force consists of members

    of CENRO and all deputized officers, of

    whom include barangay tanod,

    barangay kagawad, PNP personnel,

    market guards and traffic police.

    3.Guiding Principles

    Sustainable Development

    In 1987, the Brundtland

    Commission, formerly known as the

    World Commission on Environment and

    Development (WCED), of the United

    Nations, published the report Our

    Common Future. Within this report

    the most cited definition of

    sustainable development was made.

    In 2005, the UN World Summit

    described sustainable development as

    having interdependent and mutually

    reinforcing pillars consisting of

    economic development, social

    development and environmental

    protection, as shown in Figure 1.

    Sustainable development is

    development that meets the needs of

    the present without compromising

    the ability of future generations to

    meet their own needs.

    UN World Commission of

    Environment and Development, 1987

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 14

    Figure 1. The Pillars of Sustainable

    Development

    There have been some

    criticisms of the term sustainable

    development through time. The most

    common is that it may be seen as a

    contradiction unto itself. For instance,

    how can policies based on growth and

    depletion of resources be sustainable?

    As well, there have been many

    definitions and interpretations made

    of the term since the time of the

    Brundtland report. As a result, some

    feel this has deflated the importance

    of the term itself. However, it may be

    most useful to consider sustainable

    development as a framework to inform

    decision-making and policies across

    sectors and across different levels of

    governance. Sustainable development

    recognises the interdependence of

    environmental, social and economic

    systems and promotes equality and

    justice through people empowerment

    and a sense of global citizenship

    (Atmosphere, Climate and

    Environment, 2007).

    Sustainable development is positive

    socioeconomic change that does not

    undermine the ecological social

    systems upon which communities and

    society are dependent. Its successful

    implementation requires integrated

    policy, planning and social learning

    processes; its political viability

    depends on the full support of people

    it affects through their governments;

    their social institutions and private

    activity.

    Dr. William E. ReesUniversity of British Columbia

    The following are a few

    principles of sustainable development

    taken from the International Institute

    for Sustainable Development that may

    be useful to keep in mind when

    planning for managing the Naga City

    River.

    Integrate the environment and the

    economy in all levels of decision-

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 15

    making. Utilize economic appraisals

    that fully value the cost of goods

    and services as well as environment

    and social impacts.

    Revise how growth is measured and

    valued to make it equitable, long-

    term, and reflective of quality of

    life elements.

    Improve governance through

    coordinated efforts that link

    agencies, departments and central

    government with local government.

    Incorporate project appraisal

    techniques that include

    environmental and social costs and

    benefits. Involve citizens in

    decision-making.

    Promote values and ethics that

    reflect sustainable development the interdependence of the

    environment and the economy, the

    importance of fairness and equity

    for long-term prosperity, and the

    need for cooperation and

    community.

    4.Key Findings

    Based on the review of the

    existing policies, ordinances and

    visioning documents, and through

    stakeholder interviews, the data

    collected were synthesized into the

    following key findings.

    Meeting the Objectives of the

    Strategic Management Plan of 1997

    A great deal of work has been

    done to manage the Naga City River. It

    is necessary to fully assess and

    document the status of this Plan. Such

    an assessment will allow the City to

    approximate the costs associated with

    moving forward with the objectives ofthe Plan and will also allow for

    reflection on the work that has been

    done thus far. This research did not

    include a complete assessment of the

    status of the Plan; however, some

    highlights of the achievements

    include:

    ! Stakeholder consultations and

    visioning workshops were

    conducted.

    ! Creation of relevant ordinances.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 16

    !

    Conservation of forested watershed

    lands in the foothills of Mt. Isarog.

    !

    Creation of CENRO as an official

    office within the city of Naga to

    overlook environmental issues.

    ! Creation of teams of personnel to

    enforce the relevant ordinances.

    !

    Creation of citizens organizations

    and NGOs to raise awareness about

    river management issues, and to

    help in river clean up campaigns.

    !

    Reduction in the amount of garbage

    in the river as a result of the

    creation of ordinances and river

    clean up campaigns.

    !

    A portion of the river was

    developed with revetments along

    its riverbanks to help prevent

    riverbank erosion and to alleviateflooding.

    !

    Some drainage pipes with outlets

    leading to the river have been

    plugged by the city to eliminate the

    entry of liquid wastes into the

    river.

    ! Improved water quality in the river,

    especially upriver. This is largely a

    result of the conservation of the

    watershed lands in the foothills of

    Mt. Isarog, but is also a result of

    negotiations with farmers whose

    agricultural lands were positioned

    adjacent to the Naga River.

    The work that has been done thus far

    has established a very sound basis from

    which to move forward with future

    initiatives for the Naga River.

    However, some of the original

    objectives within of the Strategic

    Management Plan of 1997 remain to be

    addressed. Some of the major issues

    requiring attention include the

    following:

    ! The riverfront walkway is not yet

    developed. Although a small

    section of the riverfront is

    developed as public park space

    with tables and chairs for sitting,

    the remainder of the rivers edge

    remains undeveloped.! Many drainage pipes entering the

    river continue to serve as outlets

    for liquid waste.

    ! Many portions of the river initially

    slated for revetments have not

    been developed.

    ! Liquid waste from an outfall at the

    Naga City Market flows freely into

    the Naga River without treatment.

    !

    The water quality in the river has

    improved but has not attained the

    levels required to meet criteria set

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 17

    by national legislation or the

    objectives set in the Strategic

    Management Plan 1997.

    ! Three barangay halls are built

    within 3 meters of the rivers edge,

    the easement width required for

    the riverfront walkway.

    !

    Illegal dwellers continue to live

    within 3 meters of the rivers edge.

    The development of a riverpark

    walk would require their

    resettlement through the

    facilitation of UPAO.

    ! Many landowner titles extend to

    the edge of the riverbank. The

    development of a riverpark walk

    would require negotiation and

    settlement between the

    landowners and the City of Naga.! There is a concern that subdivision

    developments are encroaching on

    the watershed lands, and the

    foothills of Mount Isarog. This can

    have detrimental effects on the

    river.

    Political Will and Financial

    Resources

    Both a lack of political will and

    limited financial resources were the

    most common responses to the

    question Why do you feel or think

    more progress has not been made on

    the objectives of the Strategic

    Management Plan of 1997? There

    were feelings that the City government

    needed to take more initiative and

    start the river development in order to

    gain momentum and the peoples

    support. Discussions with the City

    officials indicate that the financial

    resources and limited skilled technical

    personnel were the major barriers to

    meeting the objectives of the

    management plan.

    Based on the cost assessment in

    the River Management Plan, the

    development of the river and the river

    park would require a large amount of

    money that the City does not have.

    Enforcement of City Ordinances and

    National Legislation

    As discussed in Section 2.3.2,

    there are a number of city ordinances

    and existing national legislation that

    look to keeping the Naga River clean

    and environmentally sustainable.

    However, these regulations are not

    enforced. The following were

    identified as possible reasons for this:

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 18

    Although the City Ordinances have

    established teams of personnel to

    enforce existing environmental

    legislation, the enforcement

    capacities in the City remain

    relatively weak (Bongalonta, 2007).

    City resources are limited and the

    Citys budget can only afford a

    limited number of skilled personnel

    assigned to enforcing the

    ordinances. The number of

    personnel employed for the

    enforcement of ordinances is

    thought to be inadequate

    (Bongalonta, 2007 and Antonio,

    2007).

    Barangay captains are deputized to

    enforce the anti-littering

    ordinances; however, during theelection campaigning period, a

    barangay captain may choose not to

    enforce the ordinances as diligently

    so as to keep a good rapport with

    the citizens in the hopes of

    retaining votes (Llantero, 2007).

    The City itself does not abide by the

    ordinances. For instance, water

    draining into the Naga River from

    the Naga City Public Market is

    untreated but contributes to

    elevated water pollution levels. As

    well, three barangay halls are built

    in the 3 m easement of the river.

    This sets a negative example for the

    rest of the city and as a result

    makes it less likely that citizens will

    abide by the provisions of Ordinance

    2000-06.

    There is a lack of political will to

    meet long-term environmental

    goals, like the comprehensive

    management of the Naga River.

    Local government units are often

    more concerned with the attraction

    of investments and short term

    developments to attract votes in a

    coming election. For instance, in

    2004, CENRO identified 165

    drainage pipes serving as outflows

    to the Naga River. Most of thesewere from the septic tanks of

    households along the river. CENRO

    was in the process of plugging the

    drainage outlets, as per Ordinance

    2000-018. However, after plugging

    approximately 65% of the drains,

    they were ordered to halt their

    work, in the midst of election

    campaigning so as to win the favor

    and votes of those landowners along

    the riverbanks (Orozco, 2007).

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 19

    National laws that set guidelines for

    the management of Philippine

    waterways are not adequately

    enforced within Naga City by local

    officials. This is not a problem

    isolated to Naga City, but is largely

    a problem for all local government

    units. It is especially a problem that

    the majority of Nagueos are

    unaware of the City ordinances and

    national laws and how, or why, they

    are enforced.

    Recovering the 3 m Easement along

    the Rivers edge

    The development of the Naga

    River Park cannot move forward

    without consideration of

    landownership and the lives of illegaldwellers along the rivers edges. As

    indicated in past visioning workshops,

    the City would like to see the edges of

    the river turned into a park, which

    would include a walkway along either

    side of the river, for walking and

    jogging. Part of the strategy to make

    this happen is the creation of a 3 m

    width easement on either side of the

    river as city right-of-way. This is

    already reflected in Ordinance 2000-

    018. However the City must consider

    both illegal dwellers, and landowners

    with titles within this 3 m width from

    the riverbank.

    Illegal dwellers

    Like most rivers in the

    Philippines, the Naga River is an

    attractive spot for dwellers to settle

    for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately,

    dwellings along riverbanks are not

    adequately equipped for proper waste

    disposal and much waste, both solid

    and liquid, enter the waterways. The

    resettling of the illegal dwellers would

    help the water quality within the river

    for these reasons.

    Since the Strategic Management

    Plan of 1997 was approved, a portion

    of the illegal dwellers along the riverhas been resettled. In 1997 to 1998,

    approximately 360 illegal dwellers

    were identified. At this time, the City

    relocated 110 families. This largely

    took place in Barangay Dinaga and

    Barangay Sabang, in the central

    business district of the City (Orozco,

    2007).

    Naga City has set itself apart

    from other cities in the Philippines

    because of its very progressive

    resettlement programs and policies. As

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    discussed in Section 2.0, the City,

    through the work of UPAO, has very

    successful pro-poor policies to help

    resettle those illegal dwellers along

    the riverbanks. In an interview with

    Rolly Campillos, the chief of UPAO, he

    stated that UPAO would facilitate the

    resettlement of these families. He

    stressed that in their resettlement, it

    is critical to find a location that is a

    manageable distance to the river, and

    to the peoples livelihoods. He noted

    that some families who had lived on

    the river for generations were

    relocated to a settlement area far

    from the river. Although these families

    were given access to tenurial rights in

    this new settlement area, they

    returned to the river to re-establishtheir homes, in order to be closer to

    their livelihoods and maintain their

    way of life on the river. Some other

    dwellers are known to have

    established homes along the river to

    be closer to their location of work

    (Orozco, 2007). Some of these dwellers

    have relatives and homes on the

    outskirts of the City but find it is more

    beneficial to build homes along the

    river than to travel from outside the

    City to the downtown core.

    The City must give the access to

    livelihoods full consideration when

    locating resettlement land. It also

    appears beneficial for the City to

    better understand why people are

    settling along the river and integrate

    this knowledge into landuse and

    transportation decision-making and

    planning.

    As the cost of land within the

    City of Naga steadily increases, cost

    remains the biggest barrier to

    resettlement (Prilles, 2007).

    Land Title along the Riverbanks

    The Naga City River has changed

    shape through time, as a result of the

    natural process of erosion. Erosion of

    the riverbanks has blurred the lines oflandownership along the rivers edge.

    In an interview with Attorney Miles

    Arroyo of the Urban Development and

    Housing Board she described how along

    some portions of the river, if a 3 m

    easement was in place originally, this

    was either eroded away with time, or

    is within the width of the revetment if

    one was built. As a result many of the

    landowner land titles extend right to

    the edge of the riverbank.

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    Landowners along the river are

    largely concerned that if a riverwalk is

    built, and the City wants the easement

    area, they will be losing even more of

    their land (De La Rosa, 2007). The City

    must undertake a negotiation process

    with the landowners. This is

    potentially a very costly endeavor for

    the City.

    The land titles do not

    necessarily extend to the rivers edge

    on both sides of the river for its entire

    length that is proposed for

    development. It will be necessary for

    the City to assess where property

    boundaries lie and be prepared to

    negotiate with landowners where

    appropriation of the city right-of-way

    is necessary to better understand thecosts involved with this endeavor.

    Improving Water Quality

    The water quality within the

    Naga River has improved markedly

    since Strategic Management Plan was

    developed. Based on the requirements

    of the Clean Water Act, the river

    water is tested for total suspended

    solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand

    (COD), biological oxygen demand

    (BOD), turbidity, pH, temperature and

    dissolved oxygen (DO).

    According to Erlinda V. Bailey,

    the Chief of the Socio-cultural Division

    of City Environment, the water quality

    in the river is monitored at eight

    stations in the river. All but two

    stations show water quality levels at

    level B. The remaining two stations

    indicate a lower water quality level at

    level C. This is a large improvement

    from the initial level D quality of

    water in the river at some stations.

    Greatest Areas of Concern

    The major source of pollution

    within the river is coming from the

    residential and commercial/business

    areas in the form of liquid waste(Orozco, 2007). The BOD increases

    further down river, with the lowest

    levels in its headwaters, and highest

    levels in the residential and

    commercial areas. The increased BOD

    indicates elevated levels of biological

    waste. This is reflected in the opinion

    of most of those interviewed who

    stated the major contributor to river

    pollution is the mismanagement of

    liquid wastes.

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    There are 16 major outflows

    draining to the Naga River that are

    monitored by CENRO, in addition to

    the 8 sampling stations. These

    outflows collect surface water from a

    variety of areas, including residential,

    commercial, and agricultural land

    uses. Businesses ranging from gasoline

    stations to marketplaces contribute to

    this surface water flow. According to

    Oscar Orozco, head of CENRO, a large

    amount of polluted outfall water

    comes from city suburbs. Also, the

    most polluted outfall in the City is on

    General Luna Street, the location of

    the public market. This outfall not

    only carries liquid waste from market

    water but also collects runoff from the

    direct vicinity, which includes runofffrom areas without septic tanks. For

    instance, CENRO conducted a survey

    and found that many contributing to

    this drainage had make shift toilets,

    the liquid waste from which was going

    straight into the drainage.

    Planning Progress

    CENRO has made concerted

    efforts towards addressing the issue of

    liquid waste entering the Naga River.

    There is on going campaigning to clean

    septic tanks once every 3 to 5 years,

    called poso negro. CENRO has also

    developed a plan for water treatment,

    the cost of which would be

    approximately 7.5 million. They are

    also planning to push for an ordinance

    that will require all new developments

    to have septic tanks.

    CENRO and the Ladies and

    Green are working together to submit

    concepts for a master plan for the

    development of the Naga River. This

    will be a comprehensive development

    plan that will include among other

    items, a liquid water treatment plan,

    revetments, the development of the

    river for tourism, and plans for

    footbridges integrated with a

    greenway along Ojeda St and the costsfor establishing city right of way along

    the river.

    Attention to Sustainable

    Development Principles

    Meeting Basic Needs

    In an interview with DaDa de la

    Rosa of the NCPC, I asked the question

    Do you think the River should be a

    priority for the City? His response

    was no. He stated: The environment

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 23

    is secondary. He felt that

    environmental issues are secondary

    to meeting basic needs and economic

    survival. He also felt that participation

    in river management and

    environmental issues will increase

    once peoples basic needs are

    answered. He said, You can see this

    here. There are still people throwing

    their garbage. DaDas comments

    indicate the importance of meeting

    the basic needs for Nagueos, and how

    issues of the environment can fall

    wayside in light of these needs. Yet,

    on the other hand, it can be argued

    that a more sustainable river

    management could also lead to new

    economic opportunities that primarily

    benefit the poor and the river bankdwellers. Prioritizing basic economic

    needs, particularly livelihood, should

    not come at the expense of

    environmental sustainability. Further

    environmental degradation could not

    only impair peoples health and well-

    being, but also pose limits to the

    ability of the people to maintain their

    livelihoods. From this it is evident that

    the connection between caring for the

    environment and meeting the basic

    needs of Nagueos should be

    recognized. Without recognition of this

    significant link between environmental

    management and basic human needs,

    it will remain very difficult to motivate

    citizens towards environmental

    stewardship. As discussed in Section

    3.0, there are three tenets of

    sustainability, the environmental,

    social and economic. All three are

    interconnected and nurturing of all

    elements is necessary for sustainable

    development. Without an

    understanding of how caring for the

    river and meeting basic needs are

    connected, there is little hope that

    progress will be made in improving the

    rivers water quality or and meaningful

    progress in the rivers management is

    less likely.

    Visioning Language

    As discussed in Section 2.3.1,

    the Legislative Agenda set goals for

    the City of Naga for the period of

    2007-2010. The document pointed out

    the importance of pressing issues that

    Naga City is faced with and gave

    strategies for approaches to them. It

    was noted that the well being of the

    environment and the Naga River were

    only considered in terms of

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    cleanliness and the rivers

    beautification. Again, if a stronger

    connection between the well being of

    the river, beyond its aesthetic beauty,

    and social and economic well being of

    Nagueos could be made, a stronger

    culture of care for the river would be

    fostered. Policy language that is more

    rooted in the principles of sustainable

    development can help foster such a

    culture.

    Typhoon Reming and Climate

    Change Initiatives

    The disastrous effects of

    typhoon Reming that took place in

    2006 are fresh in the minds of all

    Nagueos. The consideration of river

    development in relation to climate

    change and its resulting unexpectedweather patterns and disasters, is not

    fully considered in present policy and

    visioning documents. River revetments

    and dredging is the only strategy given

    for alleviating the effects of river

    flooding in the future. But there are

    many other necessary strategies that

    will alleviate flooding effects. For

    instance, tree planting along the

    rivers edge would both help clean

    pollution in the groundwater and

    waters entering the Naga River, and

    would limit erosion of the riverbanks

    especially during heavy rainfalls and

    possible flooding situations. Re-

    engineering Naga to be better

    prepared for future disaster events

    will be most effective when if its plans

    incorporate a diverse range of

    strategies, and fully consider the role

    of a well managed river watershed in

    alleviating disaster impacts.

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    5.Recommendations

    Naga City has made a great

    number of advances in caring for the

    Naga City River. This is evident in the

    improvement of its water quality, the

    enactment of relevant ordinances and

    legislation, the establishment of city

    departments dedicated to

    environmental issues, and the

    participation of citizens groups in

    river management. These advances are

    substantial; however, as was agreed

    upon by all stakeholders interviewed,

    there are still improvements that can

    be made. The following are some

    suggestions that may be considered

    when moving forward in the futuremanagement of the Naga City River.

    1. Assess the Extent of Progress on

    the Strategic Watershed

    Management Plan

    It is recommended that a

    detailed study be conducted to assess

    the extent to which the objectives

    stated within the Strategic

    Management Plan have been met to

    date. This will require the collection

    and analysis of a large range of data.

    Some of the data needs include the

    following:

    Survey of property lines and land

    titles along the rivers edge.

    Determine where the property

    lines lie relative to the 3 m

    easement proposed for the river

    walk.

    Determine the number of

    dwellers living along the rivers

    edge and their locations relative

    to the 3 m easement proposed

    for the river walk.

    Determine the number of

    dwellers requiring resettlement.

    Assess the number of outfalls

    that continue to drain into the

    Naga River.

    Re-identify all pollution sourcesalong the river and the extent of

    their contribution to pollution

    levels within the river.

    Assess the liquid treatment needs

    along the river. Determine the

    numbers of dwellers with and

    without septic tanks.

    From these data needs, future costs

    required to carry out the objectives

    stated in the Strategic Watershed

    Management Plan could be

    approximated. Included in this

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 26

    assessment should be the cost to

    establish the city right of way in the

    3 m easement along either side of the

    river, and the cost of wastewater

    treatment.

    2. Explore Many Funding

    Considerations

    Many of the objectives within

    the Strategic Management Plan were

    not met because of the substantial

    associated costs (Prilles, 2007). Some

    possible suggestions for acquiring

    funding include the following:

    It is recommended that future

    planning be incremental with

    incremental associated costs. If the

    city can put money forward for the

    initial steps of this plan, this willshow local initiative to Nagueos

    and will re-kindle momentum

    towards the rivers revitalization.

    This local initiative will also be

    looked favorably upon by outside

    funders. Funders from the private

    sector and international agencies

    may be more likely to provide

    funding for further river

    management and development

    needs once they see this local

    initiative is taken (Arroyo, 2007).

    A variety of funding sources should

    be approached, especially in

    countries that are known to support

    sustainability projects, to maximize

    the possibilities of acquiring

    funding.

    The city could consider developing

    partnerships with private business.

    Such partnerships could result in

    projects similar to the public park

    development in front of the

    Aristocrat Hotel.

    3. Promote Campaigning and

    Education on Sustainability

    Principles

    It is recognized that the

    concerns of the majority of Nagueos,

    are focused on meeting basic needsand sustaining viable livelihoods. The

    present general perspective is that

    issues of the environment are

    secondary. It is highly recommended

    that campaigning and education stress

    the connection between meeting these

    basic needs and caring for the Naga

    River through the lens of sustainable

    development. If the interdependence

    between basic needs, livelihoods, and

    the environment can be understood, a

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    renewed stewardship for the river will

    be fostered.

    5. Consider Transportation and Land

    Use in the Resettlement of River

    Dwellers

    The City has made great strides

    in its Kaantabay sa Kauswaganprogram

    through the efforts of UPAO. It is

    recognized that the livelihoods of

    those relocated are considered in this

    program, and it is re-iterated here the

    importance of considering the

    accessibility of their livelihoods from

    their new settlement locations. As was

    discussed in Section 3.0, many of those

    living along the river are partly doing

    so to be closer to their livelihoods. It is

    recommended that the City considersissues of landuse and transportation

    when locating future areas of

    resettlement.

    6. Limit the Encroachment of

    Subdivision Development on

    Watershed Lands

    The City of Naga is quickly

    growing and the development of

    subdivisions is encroaching on the

    foothills of Mt. Isarog. It is

    recommended that the City control

    this development as it can have

    extremely detrimental effects on the

    Naga River watershed.

    7. Improve the Enforcement of

    Regulations

    The City ordinances and

    national legislation provide a sound

    legal basis for monitoring and

    penalizing actions that are detrimental

    to the management of the watershed.

    Unfortunately these regulations are

    not adequately enforced. The

    following are recommendations

    regarding the enforcement of

    regulations related to river

    management.

    a. Increase the Number of

    Deputized PersonnelOne main reason given by

    CENRO as to why regulations are not

    enforced is that there are a limited

    number of personnel who are given the

    authority to enforce the regulations.

    An increase in the number of personnel

    could be considered; however, it is

    recognized that it is an expense to the

    city. It is therefore important to also

    consider alternate reasons why the

    present number of personnel is

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    struggling with enforcing the

    regulations.

    b. Create a Culture of Caring

    for the River

    Creating a culture of caring for

    the river will encourage all Nagueos

    to abide by the City ordinances.

    Creating this culture takes root in

    campaigning and education and

    communicating the rivers importance.

    Knowledge of the ordinances and an

    understanding of why their

    enforcement is necessary are needed.

    Educational campaigning and programs

    that foster caring for the river may

    help encourage this understanding.

    c. Encourage Support at the

    Barangay Level

    The support of the barangays iscritical (Rocco, 2007). There is a

    proposal put forth to the City to

    require any developer who wants to

    develop along the riverbank to provide

    funding to the barangay in which the

    development is to be located that will

    be dedicated to maintaining the

    cleanliness of the river. It is

    recommended that this proposal be

    supported.

    d. Foster Knowledge of

    National Legislation

    There is limited knowledge of

    national environmental legislation. For

    instance, according to Attorney

    Ojastra, there is a national law under

    Presidential Decree that the edge of

    the river, up to 5 m, must have trees

    planted. This is unknown to the

    majority of Nagueos. When asked

    how implementation of the law should

    be approached he stated the first and

    most important step is education.

    Secondly, a tree planting campaigning

    would be essential. Campaigning and

    education are key to making this

    legislation enforceable. All those who

    are in the position to enforce the

    regulations should also have a full

    knowledge and understanding of the

    regulations (Ojastra, 2007).e. Aggregate and Deputize the

    Market Vendors

    Aggregating the market vendors

    along the riverfront and in the

    proposed greenway system will be

    beneficial for many reasons. Their

    aggregation will increase foot traffic

    and business by creating a known

    commercial space within the city for

    buying their goods and as a result the

    vendors livelihoods are enhanced. The

    vendors should also be aggregated

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    along the proposed greenway for the

    city. The greenway is to integrate with

    a pedestrian footpath across the river.

    The aggregation of vendors here will

    encourage sustainable transportation,

    tourism, and economic vitality in the

    downtown core of the city.

    It is recommended that the

    market vendors be deputized to

    penalize those who are not abiding by

    the ordinances. This will encourage a

    sense of ownership of the commercial

    space by the market vendors and will

    also encourage a collective sense of

    caring for the river by all the vendors.

    8. Take Advantage of Political Will

    It is recommended that the City

    of Naga take advantage of the newpolitical landscape that is taking place

    at the city level that is posed to push

    forward environmental initiatives. The

    election of Ladies in Green President

    Badette Rocco (LIGF) to the City

    Council will provide the city with

    momentum to meet river management

    goals and objectives.

    9. Promote A More Holistic Approach

    to River Management

    Within future visioning policy

    and objectives set for the city, it is

    recommended that river management

    be considered in a more holistic

    manner that goes beyond considering

    the benefits of beautification. For

    instance, the development and care of

    the river will be key in helping to

    alleviate the effects of future flooding

    events. It is recommended that policy

    documents communicate important

    issues such as this and other benefits

    of comprehensive river management.

    This holistic approach to river

    management was already taken in the

    Strategic Management Plan of 1997. It

    is recommended that future visioning

    documents approach river

    management planning in this sameholistic manner.

    It does not appear that all Nagueos

    fully see the importance of the Naga

    River on an environmental, social and

    economic level. As discussed through

    this report, this is evident in the

    continued disposal of waste in the

    river and lack of consideration of the

    rivers impact on the state of the city,

    both present and potential. It is

    recommended that river management

    be approached in terms of sustainable

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    development, whereby the role of the

    river in fostering environmental, social

    and economic well-being for all

    Nagueos, both present and future,

    are fully considered.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 31

    Bibliography

    Antonio, Ramon. 14 June 2007. Personal Interview. Barangay Dinaga Captain.

    Naga River Patrol. Naga City, Philippines.

    Arroyo, Attorney Miles. 12 June, 2007. Personal Interview. Urban

    Development and Housing Board, Chairperson, Naga City, Philippines.

    Atmosphere, Climate and Environment website. http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/

    accessed 4 July 2007.

    Barry, Erlinda V. 13 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment and

    Natural Resources. Chief Socio-Cultural Division.

    Bongalonta, Jesus P., 12 June, 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment and

    Natural Resources Office, Senior Environmental Management Specialist. Naga

    City, Philippines.

    Campillos, Engr Rolly. 12 June 2007. Personal Interview. Urban Poor Affairs

    Office (UPAO), Chief. Naga City Philippines.

    City of Naga, Strategic Management Plan of the Naga City Watershed,

    November 1997, Governance and Local Democracy Project, ARD Associates in

    Rural Development,Inc.

    De La Rosa, Dada. 15 June 2007. Telephone Interview. Naga City Peoples

    Council (NCPC). Naga City Philippines.

    Ladies in Green Website: http://ligfinc.tripod.com/what_is_LIG.htmaccessed

    on 19 June 2007.

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    Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 32

    Llantero, Melchor Estrella, 13 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment

    and Natural Resources Office, Acting Senior Environmental Specialist. Naga

    City, Philippines.

    Naga City. 2007. State of the City Report, Putting Our People First:

    Development that Matters.

    Naga City Land Use Plan. 2000.

    Naga City Website: www.naga.gov.phaccessed on 21 May, 2007.

    Ojastro, Atty. Angel R., 14 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Legal Officer.

    Naga City, Philippines.

    Orozco, Oscar. 12 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment and Natural

    Resources Offices, Officer. Naga City, Philippines.

    Prilles, Willy. 12 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Planning and DevelopmentOffice. Naga City, Philippines.

    Rocco, Badette. 14 June 2007. Personal Interview. Ladies in Green. Incoming

    City Councillor. Chief of the Committee on Gender and Development. Naga

    City, Philippines.

    UN Millennium Development Goals Website:

    http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/accessed on 19 June 2007.

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    Tables

    Table 1. Persons Interviewed during Data Collection

    Interviewee Designation Organization

    Jesus P. Bongalonta Senior Environmental

    Specialist

    City Environment and Natural

    Resources Office (CENRO)

    Rolly Campillos Chief Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO)

    Oscar Orozco Officer City Environment and Natural

    Resources Office (CENRO)

    Miles Arroyo Chair Urban Development and Housing Board

    (UDHB)

    Melchor Estrella

    Llantero

    Acting Senior

    Environmental

    Specialist

    City Environment and Natural

    Resources Office (CENRO)

    Erlinda V. Bailey Chief, Socio-cultural

    Division

    City Environment and Natural

    Resources Office (CENRO)

    Badette Rocco President Ladies in Green Foundation (LIGF)

    Attorney Angel R.Ojastro III

    Naga City LegalOfficer

    City of Naga

    Dada De La Rosa Co-ordinator Naga City Peoples Council (NCPC)

    Ramon Antonio Barangay Captain

    Dinaga

    Barangay Dinaga/ River Patrol