A new responsibility was given\u00a0 to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.<\/p>\n
The head of the Cebu archdiocese\u00a0 was chosen by stakeholders yesterday to head the newly formed Central Cebu River Basins Management Council (CCRBMC).<\/p>\n
Stakeholders chose the prelate, who will lead\u00a0 the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines starting December\u00a0 as they need a neutral leader who can build consensus, said Fr. Mar Alingasa, SVD of the Cebu Uniting for Sustainable Water (CUSW).<\/p>\n
Alingasa and other stakeholders signed a memorandum of cooperation at Montebello Hotel to solve Cebu\u2019s water woes and manage its water resources.<\/p>\n
Architect Soccoro Atega, also from CUSW said that they will lobby for President Benigno Aquino III to empower the council through an executive order.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a major concern for a thirsty Cebu,\u201d she told reporters.<\/p>\n
In a pastoral letter, Palma called on the Cebuano flock to participate in the management and sustenance of the river basins.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to actualize an action-reflection-action praxis towards integrated water resources management,\u201d Palma said.<\/p>\n
The prelate scored Cebuanos’ failure to be sensitive and conscientious\u00a0 to the wtaer crisis.<\/p>\n
\u201cComplacency has no room for a long overdue homework,\u201d Palma added.<\/p>\n
He also called for river\u00a0 council members to transcend personal interests.<\/p>\n
\u201cCooperation and collaboration will be effective if each one understands their role and can undertake responsibility for their specific function,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Alingasa said the clergy would endorse programs and \u201cprovide the extra push\u201d for their implementation.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe church has a smooth relationship with the local government and business sector so all can be directed work together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alingasa said the technical aspects of the council would be assigned to other groups like the Departmtnet of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas which co-chairs the council.<\/p>\n
The council will use an\u00a0 \u201cecosystems approach\u201d to river management that considers\u00a0 interdependent factors like forest cover and socio-economics, Atega said.<\/p>\n
A careful study of the organization is needed so that it can work as an independent council with the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL), she said.<\/p>\n
She said the council will work with the CCPL. However, the PAMB will\u00a0 deal with infrastructure within Cebu’s forests.<\/p>\n
Cebu\u2019s water problems have been neglected for many years, said\u00a0 Vicente Tuddao, director\u00a0 of the DENR\u2019s\u00a0 River Basin Contol Office.<\/p>\n
He said Cebu is in danger of floods due to the low flow of rivers caused by siltation, improper management of solid waste and the presence of illegal settlers along the rivers. \/Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A new responsibility was given to Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1242,1227],"tags":[8384],"byline":[],"source":[206068],"column":[],"editor":[],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n