Republic of the Philippines

CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES

Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008


BUAYAN RIVER BASIN WATERSHED


A Term Paper
Presented to
Engr. Aries H. Hermoso
Instructor College of Engineering
Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges


In Partial Fulfilment
of the Requirements in Hydrology



TABAL, KEESH MARLON R.
BSCE-4A





March 2014


Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
I. Introduction
The Philippines is an archipelago whose islands are located on the
western margin of the Pacific Ocean Ring of Fire and is undergoing mountain
building through volcanic activities. The mountainous terrain includes mountain
ranges and active volcanoes. Its geographic location being just north of the
equator gives the country a moderate tropical climate suitable for crop
production. However, the country is continuously threatened by natural and man-
made hazards that resulted in loss of human lives and properties. Basically,
people live in a naturally formed hydrological unit called watershed. Of the total
Philippine land area, about 70% is considered a major watershed which is found
within 419 river basins all over the Philippine archipelago. However, its
watersheds are naturally prone to environmental disasters due to several active
faults, steep topography, poor vegetation cover and socio-economic pressures
that contributed to the environmental disasters. Recent events such as the
landslides in Ginsaugon, Leyte and Real, Quezon have highlighted the
importance of identifying the vulnerability levels of our watersheds. If only
development plans have identified vulnerability areas and included measures to
reduce hazards, human sufferings and economic losses would have been
avoided or reduced.
Watershed is one of the basic life-supporting ecosystems that is
threatened by the above mentioned environmental disasters (natural and man-
Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
made) because of its biogeophysical attributes and its socio-economic
significance. Thus, in order to minimize its further destruction and degradation,
assessing the vulnerability of a watershed to soil erosion, landslides, flooding,
forest/grass fire and biodiversity loss is of utmost importance. The assessment
can provide information in coming up with an integrated watershed management
plan.
The Buayan River Basin Watershed (BRBW) lies within the geographical
coordinates between 06 05 26.3 to 06 32 34.4 longitudes and 125 04 21.1
to 125 34 06.6 latitudes. It is located within the northern portion of Sarangani
Province towards its boundary in South Cotabato, part of Davao del Sur in the
eastern and southwestern in General Santos City.Watershed conditions are in an
alarming state with, 56,031 hectares or 40% of the entire watershed considered
highly erodible. Forest lands have receded into grassland conditions, covering
77,000 hectares or 54% of the total area. 10,000 hectares or 7% closed canopy
forest mixed with forest plantation are sparsely scattered in the watershed vital in
the soil, water and biodiversity conservation. An estimated 680 million
gallons/day of water is discharged to Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape (SBPS)
during peak flow which cause flash flooding downstream with an average of
2,694 tons of sediments per day (SMICZMP).


Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
Location Map





















Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
II. Current State of Watershed
The Mt. Matutum upper catchments serve as river tributaries that provide
water to 13,000 hectares Agro-industrial farm of DOLE Philippines and
Primetown. It also supports the water requirements for recreational uses and
prawn farms and the domestic water supply for residential and commercial
establishments. The catchments also hosts a total of 23,000 hectares Alienable
and Disposable (A&D) lands potential for sustainable agriculture development. At
least 1,500 hectares part of Mt. Matutum Protected Landscape (MMPL) carries
the potential for ecotourism. It also hosts the 84,000 hectares CADC of the
Blaan and Tagakaolo tribes and habitat of Tarsier (Tarsius syrichta). The
Biangan Gabion Revetment and spur dike structures and Upper Buayan check
dam provide water regulation functions. Upland productivity measures were also
instituted with 750 hectares agroforesty and reforestation project established
under the Southern Mindanao Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project
(SMICZMP).
.






Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
III. Underlying Issues
The conflicting policy mandates created by Forestry and ancestral land
uses has been linked with increasingly inappropriate land uses inside the
watershed. Land allocations regimes are have been challenged by the persistent
claim of IPs against the Industrial Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) of M&S
Company. Conflicting legal interpretation and land use policies has encouraged
land squatting between tenured migrants and IPs, including the encroachment of
DOLE Phil.
Deforestation is a recurring scene, with the cutting trees for fuelwood and
cultivation for subsistence farming. This has also resulted to serious disturbance
to the MMPL Malungon side faunal habitat.

IV. Governing Policies and Regulations
The 1,965 shectare watershed is covered by Presidential Proclamation
No. 552 dated March 20, 1995 which proclaimed the Mt. Matutum as protected
landscape. Classified as timberland, cover 35,987 hectares while 78,586
hectares remain as unclassified public forest. Out of the total area, 22,996
hectares is classified as A&D lands. The IPRA law applies to certain areas with
84,128 hectares proclaimed as CADC areas under CADC No. 060 for Blaan and
CADC No. 059 for Tagakaolo /Kalagan tribe. Other tenure allocation include, 500
hectares under Forestland Grazing Management Agreement (FLGMA) No. 543
Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
of Tomas Alcantara and 729.57 hectares under CBFMA awarded to Blaan
Farmers Cooperative and Kibala Farmers Cooperative

4.1 Local Watershed Network Initiative
The watershed network succeeded in laying the groundwork for the
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the DENR-SMICZMP and the
Provincial LGUs of South Cotabato and Sarangani Province in integrating the
management of Mt. Matutum Watershed and Sarangani Bay to ensure the
sustainable development of the two ecosystems. It also framed the MOU with
DENR-SMICZMP and LGU Alabel in the protection, conservation and
management of the coastal and marine resources of Sarangani. (Resolution No.
200-124). The network is instrumental in failing the preparation of Cluster
Watershed Management Plans and the Buayan River Watershed plan by
Southern Mindanao Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (SMICZMP).
A key input in the planning initiative is the characterization of the Buayan River
Watershed which provided an understanding of the geophysical, biophysical
constraints and potential characteristics of the basin). The network also helped
facilitate the formulation of the Comprehensive Solid Waste Management of
Alabel (E.O No. 1998-12).
Through the capacity building support of the newrwork, LGU Alabel SB
Resolution No. 2006-076 adopting the Integrated Watershed Management Plan
of Buayan River Watershed. LGU Malungon Ordinance No. 36, Series of 1974
Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
regulating and control of industrial and other waste in the body of water. It also
brokered the agreement between Municipal/Provincial LGUs with the Upland
Development Program (UDP) and provided the staging ground for the IEC on the
Septage Treatment Facility (STF), Green and Blue component projects of
SMICZMP

4.2 Persistent Challenges and Opportunities
The most pressing challenge that the network has to address is the active
resolution of prevailing land conflicts/claims. It has to continue providing
institutional oversight in helping clarify legal and technical issues. To strengthen
its stakeholder constituency the network is poised to push for the
institutionalization of management structures of BRBW. It aims to create the
needed organizational clout through a cascading network vertically integrated of
Provincial and Municipal Water Resource Management Councils that will oversee
on the ground activities of the proposed Multi-Sectoral Monitoring and Evaluation
Task Force.






Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING



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ISO 9001: 2008
V. Impact of Watershed
A watershed can be defined as an area of land that drains down slope
until it reaches a common point. "Watershed" is synonymous with other terms
you may have heard such as "drainage basin" and "catchment area." Perhaps a
simpler way of defining a watershed is by saying that it is an area of land where
all of the water that falls in it ends up in the same place. All precipitation that falls
within a watershed, but is not used by existing vegetation, will ultimately seek the
lowest points. These low points are bodies of water such as rivers, lakes, and
finally the ocean. This means that every stream, brook, tributary, and river that
we see will eventually reach a larger body of water within its associated
watershed. Even groundwater that we cannot see moves towards a common low
point. One way to picture it is as a giant funnel that catches and directs all of the
water that falls into it towards the bottom. On a topographical map, a watershed
can be determined by connecting all of the points of highest elevation around a
lake.
Everyone lives in a watershed. No matter where we live we will always be
part of a watershed. Major watersheds span across county, state and national
boundaries. It doesn't matter if the lake is in your front yard or miles away.
Pollution anywhere within the watershed has the potential to affect all
waterbodies located downstream from it.
Republic of the Philippines
CAMARINES SUR POLYTECHNIC COLLEGES
Nabua, Camarines Sur
COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING


Page
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ISO 9001: 2008
Watersheds are extremely important. Watersheds provide many of us with
our drinking water supply, plus recreational opportunities and aesthetic beauty.
Unfortunately, the replacement of vegetation by impervious surfaces like roads,
parking lots and rooftops has a negative impact on watersheds. This increases
the velocity and amount of runoff flowing into surface waters and causes erosion,
turbidity and degraded wildlife habitats. Not only that, but this runoff carries
pollutants such as oil, bacteria, nutrients, sediment and metals into surface
waters along with it. Forested areas play a very important role in the health of a
watershed. The plant cover and leaf litter absorb moisture and help maintain soil
structure, while root masses keep soil permeable and stable so moisture can
move into it for storage. This is more desirable, because it allows water to be
filtered and released slowly into the stream system rather than rapidly running
overland.