BAGUIO CITY, July 11 (PNA) — The Benguet Electric Cooperative, Inc (BENECO) donated Php 1 million to the Baguio Water District (BWD) for the fencing project of the Busol Watershed.
The project is being implemented to further prevent encroachment of informal settlers, which will eventually destroy Baguio City’s major water shed.
Gerardo Verzosa, BENECO General Manager on Friday said the donation was part of the cooperative’s corporate social responsibility, “to support a worthy cause for the protection and preservation of the forest, the source of water”.
BWD in coordination with the Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM) will construct a perimeter fence to protect Busol Watershed.
The BRM, chaired by lawyer Erdolfo Balajadia, estimated the 25,369 fencing project cost at Php 32.8 million, which will be made out of concrete.
The Busol watershed supplies 15 percent of the water needs of Baguio City.
It has six deep wells directly supplying 6,179 households in Aurora Hill, 10 deep wells and two springs within the watershed that serve as recharging area for 7,728 households in Aurora Hill and Pacdal.
The BRM is calling out on all civic organizations in Baguio City to share their resources in protecting the Busol Watershed from intrusions of informal settlers.
The BRM is raising funds to complete the fencing project of the Busol Watershed.
Balajadia said everyone was responsible to protect the watershed by any means as he campaigns for its protection.
“It is everyone’s campaign to protect and take care of Busol watershed because it is our source of water and water is life,” Balajadia added.(PNA)