By June Blanco
The Local Governance Development Project (LGDP) Thursday handed over to Gov. Erico Aumentado two studies completed by separate consultants and funded by the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) in ceremonies held at the Flamingo 2 of the Bohol Tropics Resort.
The Bohol Integrated Water Supply System Master Plan (BIWSSMP) is designed to protect Bohol's water resources while providing for the needs of the economy, community and environment. The plan is intended to guide the development of Bohol's water resources for safe domestic, commercial and industrial use in order to improve the health of the community while increasing opportunities for local economic development and protecting the depleted groundwater systems.
On the other hand, the Bohol Agriculture Value Chain Study aims to develop competitive local agricultural products that meet specific market demand by improving the local value chain and resulting in local economic development.
In his acceptance speech, Aumentado said the two plans will firm up Bohol's road map for integrated water resources and strengthening of agriculture, the latter being one of the province's economic drivers.
With the documents in, he expects the Project Assurance Team (PAT) and the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) to already strategize and implement the plans. He will meet the team in Manila on January 3 next year to plan the next steps.
The water master plan will tap seven major river systems in the province for potable drinking water use, among them the Upper Abatan River for Metro Tagbilaran that includes Dauis and Panglao towns.
He said tourism is Bohol's other economic driver so that this early, the need for potable water, which will increase with aggressive tourism promotion, should already be addressed and prepared for.
The production cost in tapping Upper Abatan River however was relatively high that it might make potential investors reluctant to undertake. To bring down the cost, the governor suggested that the drip irrigation component be replaced with a drainage and sewerage component for Tagbilaran City and Panglao Island. This way, the project can even collect sewerage fees, thus bringing down its internal rate of return, like what Maynilad is doing in Manila.
Aumentado said the Bohol Water Utilities, Inc. (BWUI) that distributes water in Tagbilaran City now has plans to tap the Upper Abatan River to meet future demand. If it is unable to do so, he said he is prepared to allow the entry of Maynilad.
Dr. Reynaldo Medina led the team from Woodfields Consultants, Inc. in presenting the water master plan while Marian Boquiren presented the value chain study for Strategic Development Cooperation - Asia (SDC-Asia).
SDC-Asia paced the local value chain team headed by the Provincial Agriculture Office under Liza Quirog through three products only - hogs, rice and seaweeds - selected based on income and employment generation, market demand and growth, capacity and Bohol's capability to increase market share and production capacity and capability.
This early however, Quirog reported that her group has also conducted a value chain study using the SDC-Asia technology on three other products.
The study determines what products are in demand and therefore should be expanded production-wise, with soil suitability and other factors considered, with the end in view of giving the farmers - not the middlemen - better profit.
The LGDP with Rosalinda Paredes as local partnership adviser is an Australian government, AusAID initiative.
www.boholsundaypost.netLinkback:
https://tubagbohol.mikeligalig.com/index.php?topic=7568.0
