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Tigum-Aganan watershed board to hold BIC congress

Iloilo City (1 July 2005) -- The Tigum-Aganan Watershed Management Board (TAWMB) will hold a Barangay Information Center (BIC) Congress on July 8, 2005, at the municipality of Alimodian, Iloilo.

The BIC Congress is the third of its kind since the formation of the TAWMB, initiated previously by the Kahublagan sang Panimalay Foundation, Inc. (KSPFI) as a show of community involvement in environmental protection and rehabilitation.

TAWMB Chairperson Alimodian Mayor Juanito Alipao said that the BIC Congress will showcase the initiatives and actions in managing environment issues and concerns, particularly in support of the implementation of the Clean Water Act of 2004 (RA 9275).

Alipao said that the holding of the BIC Congress is significant because the Tigum-Aganan is chosen as pilot testing area for the Water Quality management Area (WQMA) under the Clean Water Act.

The BICs are small groups of people in different barangays in the watershed areas in Iloilo, who have mobilized themselves to undertake environment-friendly activities on their own and have turned these activities into sources of small incomes for their families.

The BICs are offshoots of watershed learning communities who were captive listeners of a school-on-the air radio program dubbed "Ugat Sang Tubig" anchored by Jessica Salas of the Kahublagan sang Panimalay and Elsa Subong of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

With the modules given them on air, the learning communities gained a stock of information which gradually helped them to evolve into conscientious residents.

Today, the BICs play a major role in the implementation of the Water Quality Management Area (WQMA), under the Clean Water Act. From applying the information they have learned through Ugat sang Tubig, the BICs are now taking action on issues in the watersheds, particularly on monitoring of water quality and sanitation.

The BIC Congress will be attended by the mayors of different municipality members of the TAWMB, the partner agencies, barangay captains and BICs themselves.

A highlight of the whole day activity is the approval of the WQMA Plan and update on the program. (PIA 6)

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