Partnerships Toward Resilient Communities Bloom at La Mesa Watershed
Quezon City – Around 130 individuals from the flood-prone barangays of Potrero and Catmon in Malabon City, and Balangkas and Tagalag in Valenzuela City participated in the “Protect-a-Hectare” treeplanting program of the La Mesa Watershed last Sunday, September 7. A total of 720 seedlings were planted across 1.7 hectares during the activity, with an additional 2,200 to be planted in 5.3 hectares after.
The activity was sponsored by Assistance and Cooperation for Community Resilience and Development (ACCORD), CARE Nederland, Corporate Network for Disaster Response (CNDR), Philippine Red Cross and the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC) through the Partners for Resilience (PfR) Project. It is part of a broader campaign of building resilient communities through climate-proof and ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction (DRR-CCA-EMR).
Braving the heat of the sun, participants trekked 2 kilometers to the tree-planting site. Once there, they set upon the task of planting the young trees in rows. They were guided by Dave Azurin, Save the La Mesa Watershed Project Manager at Bantay Kalikasan, a non-governmental organization helping maintain the watershed. The types of endemic trees planted included White Lauan, Dau, Calumpit, Tindalo, Kamagong, and Bignay Kalabaw.
According to Guineviene De Jesus, NLRC PfR Coordinator, “The activity underscored how these communities are connected to the La Mesa Watershed. Strengthening its water absorptive capacity is a factor that could contribute to mitigation of floods in the low-lying areas of Malabon and Valenzuela.”
The La Mesa Watershed serves as the main source of fresh water for Metro Manila. As the last remaining forest of its size in the metropolis, it also absorbs the carbon emissions from vehicles and factories.
For Merdi Jean Arcilla of ACCORD, one of the PfR Project’s local implementing partners, “By planting trees, these communities now have a stake in protecting the watershed from possible degradation. The campaign to rehabilitate the watershed has already achieved much, but we must all remain proactive and vigilant.”
Ms. De Jesus further emphasized the importance of forging partnerships among stakeholders in achieving resilient communities. Barangay Captain Renato Bernardo of Tagalag agreed, saying that “We are very fortunate to strengthen our partnerships with other like-minded communities and organizations.”
The activity also drew participants from the Malabon City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Valenzuela City Government.
The PfR organizations, together with their partner communities, have committed to protect and take care of the hectares that they have planted in for the coming years. Melchor Macabalitao, Potrero barangay councilor, said, “This is our small contribution for the protection of this watershed, which will continue to protect future generations of our residents.”
The PfR project is a five-year global project of CARE Nederland, Red Cross/Red Crescent Climate Centre, the Netherlands Red Cross, CordAid, and Wetlands International. It is funded by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and operates in nine countries across Asia, Africa, and Central America.
