#MINDANAO
Over the last four weeks, I experienced traveling in various parts of Luzon and Mindanao. The heat is definitely hotter than I have experienced in the past. An April 5 MB article (https://mb.com.ph/2024/4/5/heat-index-could-reach-danger-level-in-8-areas-on-april-6) points this out very well, as it identifies eight areas where the heat index can reach the “danger “ level from 42 to 51 degrees centigrade.
In such conditions, we are all encouraged to observe precautions such as staying cool and hydrated. In my experience, I have seen how hot weather can trigger headaches and asthma. Such extreme heat means we will need to consume more water and energy to keep our bodies healthy. As I write this in the City of Davao, cloud cover keeps my area cool, with last night’s rainfall cooling the grounds of my house, providing a respite from the hot weather of previous days.
In agricultural areas, having hot weather helps fruit-bearing trees and plants flower and bear more fruit. The only challenge is that when this hot and dry period is prolonged, the dry heat and lack of irrigation can diminish harvests or even kill the crop. Too much rain, on the other hand, helps the plants stay comfortable and green, but this alone does not help them to bear fruit. You need the right amount of rain and heat to ensure that the irrigation of plants comes at the right time with the right amount so that healthy harvests can be achieved despite the heat.
I hope that our relevant government agencies in charge of water such as the National Water Resources Board, the Local Water Utilities Administration, and the National Irrigation Administration can inform us of common strategies to harness water resources in local areas, especially in the food baskets such as Mindanao.
This can help harness cooperation with private sector stakeholders and the citizenry to ensure water for all. The time for innovative solutions and high levels of cooperation is now. I am hoping that our Regional Development Councils can facilitate this cooperation, as achieving water security at the regional level is critical, since rivers and river basins, even watersheds that can harness water traverse LGU jurisdictions.
ECCs and EIAs
Some readers have asked me to comment on the recent issues involving the issuance of Environmental Compliance Certificates or ECCs for some projects. I would like to share with you, my dear readers, an important excerpt from my Feb. 25, 2024 column that explains how it is based on an Environmental Impact Assessment Study or document. This is an internationally practiced method of determining and addressing possible impacts on the environment and receiving communities, allowing the project to achieve a status where it has addressed significant environmental impacts and enhanced the positive benefits to the local community:
“The Environmental Compliance Certificate or ECC is a clearance document that binds the proponent or applicant to fulfill specific conditions to address the impacts of their proposed project on the environment. Presidential Decree 1586 issued in 1978 establishes this as a requirement for projects, which cover infrastructure, real estate, manufacturing, energy, and many others. Section 2 of this law establishes the Environmental Impact Assessment System (EIA) of the country, serving as the main requirement or document to be submitted to the government to apply for the ECC. What makes ECC unique is that, unlike other permits for which an application form is submitted, it is based on the EIA which is a technically prepared assessment.”