a. ' What is thestatus ofthis Usufruct Program which was approved byDENR Secretary Cerrilles in 2000`

b.' Owing to problems attributed to this program, what is the prospectfor this program? Will it still be continued?

NOTE: Usufruct Program was intended to encourage DENR employees to plant'fruit bearing trees to the open (pocket) spaces ofthe Ipo Watershed reservation .

2) Ipo Watershed is said to supply 12% of all surface water supply of Metro Manila.If the ability of this watershed to provide clean water is compromised, we canexpect a rise in the cost ofwater as well as disruptions in supply . This situationusually impacts the poor and marginalized the most.

The two biggest threats to Ipo Watershed are illegal logging and the proliferationof illegal settlers within the watershed:

May we know the strategy that the Department intends to use in addressingthese two threats?

What concrete actions can we expect from the Department'to address theproblem of continued smuggling out of cut logs from the watershed?

3) . Who has clear jurisdiction over the protection of Ipo Forest and watershedreservation?

What role does MWSS, Manila Water and Maynilad have in the'protection,management and rehabilitation ofthis critical common facility?

1) Based on a field investigation conducted in 2004 headed by the ForestManagement Bureau ofthe Department ofEnvirorunent and Natural Resources, itwas observed by the investigators that the DENR''s Usufruct Program had caused"tremendous influence to the kaingin activities" in the watershed . They evenlikened the Usufruct Program as the "spark-plug" that set off widespread kaingin .It was even concluded by the investigators that this program triggeredtheinvasion of informal settler cultivators to the forest.

Note:' Angat Watershed is under the stewardship ofNapocor, while the Forest ofSubic is under the stewardship of SBMA. Presently,DENR handles themanagement, protection and rehabilitation of Ipo Watershed since 1997 . As forMWSS who used to administer the watershed, after RA 8041 (Water Crisis Act of1995), its obligations towards the watershed in terms ofmanagement, protection,sustainable development and rehabilitation were diluted owing to the fact thatthese obligations were not clearly defined in the Concession Agreement.

HON. CARMENCITAO. REYES

Member:Lone District, Marinduque

AccountsVice-Chairman, Appropriations

Basic EducationVice-Chairman, Southern Tagalog

Higher EducationGames and Amusement

08 October 2008

Housing and Urban DevelopmentWomen

HON. ALVIN SANDOVALRepresentative, Lone District of Malabon City-Navotas CityN-304 House of RepresentativesBatasan Hills, Quezon City

Dear Rep . Sandoval :

Warmest Marinduque greetings!

Republic ofthe PhilippinesHOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Quezon City

I write with regard to the issue your Honor raised on the Ipo Watershed, specifically on thestrategy of the DENR in addressing the problems : of illegal logging and illegal settlers . Pleasefind attached a copy of the DENR Action Plan for the Protection of Ipo Watershed AgainstThreat of Forest Destructions . I hope said document contains sufficient information on thematter, to help you better evaluate and: facilitate the approval of the DENR'Proposed Budgetin Plenary .

On your other queries, additional materials are forthcoming from the DENR.

In case your Honor has some clarifications, or if you wish to raise some other question/s,please inform my office in writing or call us prior to Plenary ; my staff will be coordinatingwith the DENR so the Department can respond the soonest possible time .

Thank you very much. With all good wishes

Suite109 House ofRepresentativesBatman Complex, Quezon CityTel . : 931-6427 ; 931-50-01 Loc . 7210

Poblacion, Boac

Tel, ; (042)332-2010'

Cancelled last July 18, 2004 with 68 usufructuaries with the total area of 153,618hectares .

Answer to Question #2

On the proliferation of itlegal set'b

= On June 25, 2008, a Salugnayan wasconducted at lpo dam with most of the stakeholders in afendance It was madeclear by RED Regidof M- de Leon to the illegal settlers that teir entry into thearea is illegal. Only the native Dus

ts and the tenured migrants will beallowed to stay on site after cornplying with the requirements of RA 7886 .

The foregoing actions whedaer considered as hard or soft approach have beeninitiated by the DENR. Unlike the NAP.OCOR who satisfactorily manages andcontrol the Angat Watershed in the u r shieam, our co-manager -- MWSS andsits concessionaries Seem not to be interested in investing or Oowing back someof its enormous pro-fits to protect and perpeh.rate the benefits and servicesprovided by its resource base --the Ipo Dam and Watershed

While the threat of forest destrucfion (timber poaching, kaingin, charcoal making,etc) is evident within the watershed due to expansivrderxtry of informal settlers,the DENR has not ceased in its role of protecting - forest resources . From2007 to present, this Office conducted eeven (11) operations within lpowatei 51 iuJ with th6 awinlanoo of the Philippine Army r---aling to the seizure of2,766 bd . ft . of illegally sourred lumber five (5) conveyarxes, the dismantling oftwo (20 charcoal kilns, and filing of two (2) Case against four (4) persons forviolations of Sec. 68, PD 705 as arnerxW_

Our forest protection operatives frxfs difficutties in launcN~ orations becauseof the inaccessibility of the area, the scarcity of funds and the non-availability ofpatrol boat to be used witiain the Ilpo River_ Nevertheless, the assistance given bythe Philippine Army in term of security has sustained our operations .

To further address the issue and to carne-up with a joint effcxt with MWSS and itstwo (2) water concessionaires whose operations are sustained by the saidwatershed, our technical personnel lamed by RTD for Forestry Sofio S.Quintana had coordinated with the MWSS thrna.gh the Deputy Administrator forOperations Leonor C_ Clews on Cktober 2, 2008 for their commitments towardsthe protection and rehabilA of thewatershed joints agreed to implementimmediate and long tears me esfsohAiom as follows,

Oct. . 09 2001 05 :D4HP1 P1

MR ORED

FRX Na : 04253046

0M 07 2000 0:3'52AM P3

ACTION PLAN F40R THE PROTECTION OF IPO WATERSHEDAGAINST THREAT OF FOREST DESTRUCTIONS

I . IM MEDIATEPLANS1 .

Adopt an ID sys*m atlpo Gate

migrants/settlersTo determFn-e'incidence of oilsmwpojlution ; todetinthe useermeof Banca in Megal

I

transpri . . ---MW-':-&CPF To determine if

current securityquate1 efforts are ~!dtg~

To be used in patrolj of the rivericreek ;1 haul seized forestproducts

VVVSS-QEAR To determine the

2. Regulate ft

October-

DENR 06"MUSKOperations of Biancas

I

Nov. 2008

CPF

3 assess

I

r-cuawt rk*4WQsecurity

Nov- 2-umar-rangermnsewif

: 4. ACqu1onc9pw#A

5.

1 nventory of *eWem

inus:

1 ' RESPONSIBLE

1i REMARKSFRAME

PERSONIGROUP i

October2OO8

MWS-S-Cornmon 1 To determine thePurpose Facility

I entry

of

new

C%IOW-

Enclosed is tiae V"five Cow AANp & lea WMaKed-

FOR INFORIVATIOWCONSIDERATION

6 . Finalize ne SCAA(Special AFGQ

0m. 2009

I October-Nov. 15, 20M

NPC-M1NS8-DEAR-PA

actual number of

serve as basis inthe future course ofaction .

'I To augment securityfarces of MWSSand forest angersof DENT

~ If . LONG TERM PLANS

7. Fenong of the Ix ? CY 2009 MWSS and To deter entry ofPerimeter and beyond I concQssionanes- illegal settlersEYAWn and cry 20OR VNVSXNCIP- To protect theResehement of lifiblef and beyond -DF-NR-LGU integrity of the IpoQcc--upants Norzagaray Watershed

Resources-9- install rornote contioNed CY 2009 MWSS and

surveillance intern and beyon<1 concessionaries

Answer to Question #3

Since its proclamation as a watershed forest reserve in 1968, theMWSS and DENR did not forge any terms of engagement (e .g . MQUor MOA) on how to manage, protect and develop the lpo_ This wasaggravated by the privatization in 7997 when Manila Water Company,Inc. (Ayala group) and Mayndad Water (MVP-PLDT/Smart & Consunjigroup) came into the pktire.

There was no clear instbutional arrangement

to the managementand development of the water resource. What is distinctly clear and ispublic knowledge is that

water resource of !po is the bread andbutter of MWSS and its concessionaires. They are the beneficial endusers of the raw water (3_2f3 4iters1day) tttat flows into La Mesa-Balarathen cleansed and soled to the 15 million denizens of Mega-Manilaand suburbs.

As for MWSS who used to administer the watershed, after RA 8041(Water Crisis Act of 7996); its obligations towards the watershed interms of management* protection, sustainable development andrehabilitation were diluted owing try the fact that these obligationswere not clearly defined in the Gormssion Agreement: