Squatters in the watershed

[whoops]

a bit close to home for us Bulakenyos...

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquire...ngat-govt-told

Uproot squatters in Angat, gov’t told

By Carmela Reyes-Estrope
Central Luzon Desk
First Posted 22:02:00 07/28/2010

Filed Under: Philippines - Regions, Forest and forest management, Water Supply
CITY OF MALOLOS—Squatting and illegal logging at the watershed protecting the Angat Dam should be looked into to reduce the vulnerability of Metro Manila’s primary source for potable water, foresters here said on Tuesday.

Mendel Garcia, head of the Angat Watershed Reservation Team (Awat) which oversees the 62,309-hectare forest, called on President Aquino to pay attention to the 600 settlers who took over portions of the watershed within the boundaries of Barangay San Mateo in Norzagaray town.

Among the watershed invaders are employees of the National Power Corp. (Napocor) who have been occupying the place for the last 20 years, Garcia said.

The Napocor has jurisdiction over the dam and its reservation.

Garcia said the government must remove the illegal settlers instead of just planting new trees at the Angat Dam reserve if it wants to exhaust all avenues for protecting Metro Manila’s drinking water supply.

“We have long championed the case against illegal settlers at the watershed. Water depletion at the dam would soon become a cycle, and we do not solve it by simply planting new trees without uprooting the settlers who keep logging them anyway,” he said.

He said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources had tried to address the problem by encouraging the settlers to take care of the forests, but the agency had failed.

Garcia also blamed the municipal government of Norzagaray for its inability to keep the number of illegal settlers down.

Norzagaray Mayor Feliciano Legaspi, however, said there was no evidence the illegal settlers were responsible for logging in the watershed.

He also said the deforestation is occurring under the watch of the Napocor, not the local government. The Awat office has recorded more than 30 cases of timber poaching from 2005 to 2010, some implicating former elected officials.

In most cases, timber poachers push illegal logs over to the slopes of mountains to avoid being intercepted by law enforcers, Garcia said.

The logs are normally retrieved below the mountains and hauled to buyers, but many have simply been abandoned by settlers who decide not to make the effort of scaling down cliffs.

But illegal loggers at the Angat watershed have scared the community.

Many foresters believe illegal loggers were behind the murder in 2006 of Winifredo Montecillo, a pastor of the Assemblies of God denomination based in Sitio Ipo in the town.

[ghorio]

This situation is common not only in watershed areas, but in other forested areas in the country. Its not just an environmental issue, but include political, economic, and social issues as well...

[niki_hero]

Hayyy nakow! ate Whoops sa La Mesa nga meron eh, ay mali! di pala sila squatters part pala nung bonus nila yun este! benefits daw pala

[rocky]

Originally Posted by niki_hero

Hayyy nakow! ate Whoops sa La Mesa nga meron eh, ay mali! di pala sila squatters part pala nung bonus nila yun este! benefits daw pala

How can I forget. Kulang na lang i-wang-wang kami ng isa sa mga squatter (ah este bonus pala na mga MWSS employees na iyan) who live on imposing houses in La Mesa Heights, Lagro, Kyusi.

We were around 40 SCUD PMTBikers then. We found ourselves gathering up 'momentarily' on the front gate entrance of MWSS employees housing along Quirino Avenue. Aba. aba. Eto na si MWSS resident astig. Galit na galit na 40 PMTBikers were milling on the entrance gate of MWSS Housing subdivision. If looks could kill, his face captured it. Sabay utos, sigaw, and busina ng busina sa gate guard PAALISIN kaming mga MTBike low lifers sa entrance gate ng exclusive housing subdivision of MWSS!

[whoops]

Originally Posted by rocky

How can I forget. Kulang na lang i-wang-wang kami ng isa sa mga squatter (ah este bonus pala na mga MWSS employees na iyan) who live on imposing houses in La Mesa Heights, Lagro, Kyusi.

We were around 40 SCUD PMTBikers then. We found ourselves gathering up 'momentarily' on the front gate entrance of MWSS employees housing along Quirino Avenue. Aba. aba. Eto na si MWSS resident astig. Galit na galit na 40 PMTBikers were milling on the entrance gate of MWSS Housing subdivision. If looks could kill, his face captured it. Sabay utos, sigaw, and busina ng busina sa gate guard PAALISIN kaming mga MTBike low lifers sa entrance gate ng exclusive housing subdivision of MWSS!

PAPAROCK, when was this? and here i was thinking of "squatters" in terms of the indigent, and wondering how can these poor people be humanely ejected from their homes and relocated elsewhere, with decent livelihoods? aba may mayayaman (at mukhang powerful umasta) palang squatters!

[rocky]

PMTB Pro Board SCUD days pa nina denise648, nhan, arci, rorschach.

[ghorio]

That's true Papirock! Hindi lahat ng squatters sa la mesa o kung saan mang watershed ay mahirap. Nangingibabaw din yung mga nasa katungkulan at may kakayahang manipulahin ang policies ng MWSS at ibang ahensya ng gobyerno. Land speculators ang tawag namin dyan... Katwiran nila, pwede naman pala ipamigay o ipagamit yung lupa, e di kami muna.... yung maganda at malaking pitak ang sa akin ha!

kakalungkot isipin... pero totoo...