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Managing the Naga City River:
Where to Go From Here
Naga City, Bicol
Philippines
Cathy Pasion
School of Community and Regional Planning
University of British Columbia
Directed Study
July 5, 2007
i
Acknowledgements
This report would not have been possible without the generosity and
support of Willy Prilles and the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) of
Naga City. It was an immense pleasure to meet and spend time with all of you.
In gathering data for this project the following people were a great help:
Oscar Orozco (CENRO), Jesus P. Bongalonta (CENRO), Rolly Campillos (UPAO),
Miles Arroyo (UDHB), Melchor Estrella Llantero (CENRO), Erlinda V. Bailey
(CENRO), Badette Rocco (LIGF), Atty Ojastro (City of Naga), Dada De La Rosa
(NCPC), and Ramon Antonio (Barangay Dinaga Captain). Without their insight
and knowledge this project would not have been possible. Thank you all so
much for your time and words of wisdom.
And finally, thank you Dr. Nora Angeles. Thank you for conceptualizing a
studio course in Naga City and for making this opportunity in mutual learning
possible. Being a Filipino-Canadian, this has been a very special and memorable
experience. For this I am especially grateful.
ii
Biography
Cathy Pasion is a School of Community and Regional Planning graduate student
at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. Cathy also holds
both an undergraduate and graduate degree in Civil and Environmental
Engineering from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. Cathy has worked as
an environmental consultant in the remediation of contaminated sites and as a
researcher in the clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnance from
contaminated lands. She hopes to use her technical and planning skills to
continue to work with communities in the future.
iii
Executive Summary
The Naga City River is an important physical and cultural feature for the
city of Naga. Not only does the river serve a vital role in the city’s ecosystems,
but it is also the site of the Bicol region’s most prestigious religious ceremony,
the Peñafracia fluvial procession.
The importance of the river is evident, but the river’s water quality
remains below desired standards and is unfit for human uses such as bathing.
The city of Naga has made many concerted efforts to manage the river in the
past, including the development of the Naga City River Watershed Strategic
Management Plan in 1997. Much important progress has been made as a result.
This is evident from the marked improvement in water quality from its initial
state, the enactment of relevant ordinances and legislation, the establishment
of city departments dedicated to environmental issues, and the participation of
citizen’s groups in river management. These advances are substantial;
however, ten years have passed and many of the objectives initially stated in
this plan remain at a standstill. Naga City is in need of a renewed plan to help
rebuild momentum towards the river’s revitalization.
Based on a review of existing policies, ordinances and visioning
documents, and through stakeholder interviews, a series of recommendations
were made for the City of Naga to consider in the future management of the
Naga City River. These recommendations are informed by the principles of
sustainable development and look to foster the objectives initially stated
within the Strategic Watershed Management Plan developed in 1997. In
summary the recommendations include the following:
Assess the extent of progress on the Strategic Management Plan to date
and determine the costs and funding required to carry out the initial
objectives.
Make future plans incremental, with assessed incremental costs, so that
the city can put money forward for the first steps within the plan,
iv
thereby showing local initiative to Nagueños and outside potential
funders.
Consider public private partnerships in the development of the proposed
riverwalk.
Conduct campaigning on sustainability principles to foster the
understanding of the relationship between acquiring basic needs and
livelihoods, and caring for the Naga City River.
Consider transportation and land use in the resettlement of illegal river
dwellers. Ensure their accessibility to the river and to their livelihoods.
Improve the enforcement of regulations through the following: increase
the number of deputized personnel, create a culture of caring for the
river, encourage barangay level support, foster knowledge of applicable
national legislation, and aggregate market vendors along the riverwalk
and deputize them to enforce ordinances pertaining to the river.
Take advantage of political will in the local government to push forward
environmental initiatives and river management goals.
Take a holistic approach that considers sustainable development
principles in all future planning for river management. Consider the role
of the river in fostering the environmental, social, and economic well-
being for all Nagueños, both now and in the future.
v
Table of Contents
1. Introduction________________________________________________________ 1
2. Problem Context ____________________________________________________ 2
2.1. Stakeholders __________________________________________________________ 3
2.2. Interviews _____________________________________ Error! Bookmark not defined.
2.3. Policy Context_________________________________________________________ 6 2.3.1. Policy Documents __________________________________________________________6 2.3.2. Legislation________________________________________________________________9
3. Guiding Principles – Sustainable Development __________________________ 13
4. Key Findings ______________________________________________________ 15
5. Recommendations __________________________________________________ 25
Bibliography__________________________________________________________ 31
Tables _______________________________________________________________ 33
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 1
1. Introduction
Naga City is a medium-sized
city, with a population of
approximately 150 000, in the province
of Bicol, Philippines. Through its
centre runs the Naga City River, which
originates in the foothills of Mt. Isarog
to the north and flows into the Bicol
River to the south. The Naga City River
is an important physical and cultural
feature for the city. Not only does the
river serve a vital role in the city’s
ecosystems, but it is also the site of
the Bicol region’s most prestigious
religious ceremony, the Peñafrancia
fluvial procession, an attraction to
hundreds of thousands of people every
year.
Although the importance of the Naga
City River is evident, through time, the
river has served as an outlet for many
forms of pollution and is unfit for
human uses, such as bathing and
swimming. The need to address these
water quality issues has been
recognized and efforts have been
made in its revitalization. The
highlight of these efforts took place in
1997, where with the support of
USAID, a comprehensive strategic
management plan was developed to
revitalize the Naga River. Since that
time, important progress has been
made; however, ten years have passed
and many of the objectives initially
stated in this plan remain at a
standstill. The initial momentum felt
when the management plan was first
developed has faded. Naga City is in
need of a renewed plan to help rebuild
momentum towards the river’s
revitalization.
As identified in the visioning
workshops and planning that led to the
Naga City River Watershed Strategic
Management Plan of 1997, the
revitalization of the Naga River would
be beneficial to Naga City on many
fronts. Cleaning the river and
development of the riverfront could
potentially benefit tourism and spur
economic development. Caring for the
quality of water in the river and the
delicate ecosystems it supports
contributes to environmental
sustainability and recognizes the
importance of the river to future
generations of Nagueños. Finally, the
seasonal flooding of the Naga River
and the erosion of its riverbanks are a
continual concern for the city.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 2
Attention to the development of the
river will help alleviate these threats.
All of these benefits that would result
from comprehensive river management
are in line with the city’s objectives to
meet the UN Millennium Development
Goals for 2015 (UN Millennium
Development Goals, 2007).
The following report reviews the
management of Naga River in Naga
City to date. Within the research
interviews were conducted with
stakeholders and organizations
identified as critical to the river’s
management. Existing policies and
visioning documents were also
reviewed. Based on a synthesis and
analysis of this information, some
suggestions or recommendations for
Naga City and its approach to river
management are provided.
2. Problem Context
Past planning efforts in the city
of Naga have clearly demonstrated the
objective to manage their river in a
comprehensive way that integrates
social, economic and environmental
sustainability. The positive results of
these planning efforts are many. For
instance, relevant ordinances have
been established. As well, the Naga
River Council was initiated in 1993.
And, most significantly, the Strategic
Management Plan for the Naga River
Watershed was developed in 1997. All
of these developments clearly indicate
a motivation and concerted effort
towards managing the Naga River.
However, ten years after the plan was
first initiated, many of the objectives
that were established are unmet and
much work remains.
The following is a brief overview
of the progress that has been made in
the comprehensive management of the
Naga City River. The stakeholders
identified, and the existing legislation
and policy documents are presented.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 3
2.1. Method: Interviews
The stakeholder interviews
conducted during the period June 12th
to 15th, 2007 are listed in Table 1. As
shown, in addition to members or
representatives from the organizations
discussed above, interviews were also
conducted with Attorney Miles Arroyo,
Chairperson of the Urban Development
and Housing Board (UDHB), and
Attorney Angel R. Ojastro III, the Naga
City Legal Officer.
These interviews provided
critical insights into the state of river
management practices in Naga City. A
setback in this research is the lack of
interviews with those who live along
the riverbanks of the river. Although
these interviews were not conducted,
interviews with Dada de Le Rosa of the
NCPC and Rolly Campillos of UPAO
helped to illuminate some of the needs
and concerns of these very important
stakeholders.
It should be noted that
consultations with these dwellers were
conducted during the development of
the Strategic Management Plan of 1997
and can be found in this report (City of
Naga, 1997).
2.2. Stakeholders
The management of the Naga
River is important to all Nagueños and
citizens of the Metro Naga Region.
There is a large range of stakeholders
who are affected by management
plans for the Naga River. For instance,
those living on the riverbanks, both
landowners and those who do not own
land but who have made the riverbank
their home, are largely affected by
decisions made regarding the river. As
well, business owners and market
vendors would also be affected by the
river’s development as this could
potentially increase the economic
vitality of the city by developing
commercial/retail areas and spurring
tourism. The river’s management
impacts the city environmentally,
economically, and socially. All
Nagueños are stakeholders in the
river’s management.
Many organizations that have
actively worked on revitalizing the
river are also stakeholders and are
critical to the success of a river
management plan. These include the
City Environment and Natural
Resources Office (CENRO),
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 4
City Planning and Development Office
(CPDO), Urban Poor Affairs Office
(UPAO), Ladies in Green Foundation
(LIGF), Naga City People’s Council
(NCPC), barangay leaders and their
councils and associations, the Urban
Development and Housing Board
(UDHB) and the Naga City River Patrol.
A brief description of these
organizations follows.
Naga City Planning and Development
Office (CPDO)
It is the role of the City Planning
and Development Office to both
facilitate and map the comprehensive
management of the Naga River. CPDO
also manages land use throughout the
city of Naga, in the Naga River
watershed and most significantly CPDO
manages the lands immediately
adjacent to the river. The
management of these lands will largely
determine the future of the river and
its uses.
City Environment and Natural
Resources Office (CENRO)
CENRO is the executive
department of the City Government of
Naga that is primarily responsible for
the care and maintenance of the river.
CENRO was initially created as a task
force in 1997 as a result of the
Strategic Watershed Management Plan
of 1997. CENRO was then
institutionalized in July 1999. At
present this office monitors the quality
of water within the river as per the
Department of Environment and
Resource (DENR) requirements. As
well, CENRO provides input on
different technical forms of
intervention that are necessary to
improve and sustain an acceptable
quality of water in the river. For
example, recommendations for water
treatment or management of septic
tanks are made by CENRO. In
coordination with barangay captains
and the Philippine National Police
(PNP), CENRO enforces the city
ordinances that guide waste
management, littering, and uses of the
river.
Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR)
DENR is the national level
department that manages
environmental issues and water bodies
throughout the Philippines. For
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 5
instance, the DENR requires the
monitoring of water quality within the
Naga River as per the Clean Water Act
guidelines (national legislation). This
monitoring is devolved to CENRO for
implementation.
Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO)
The Urban Poor Affairs Office is
a department within the City of Naga
government, which facilitates the
resettling of urban poor within the City
of Naga. Through the City’s Kaantabay
sa Kauswagan program UPAO locates
housing and resettlement areas for
those who have lived on public lands
for a period greater than five years.
This program secures tenurial rights
for urban poor beneficiaries. It is the
mandate of UPAO to find
resettlements that ensure the
livelihoods of those who are relocated.
UPAO has successfully facilitated the
resettlement of many urban poor
within Naga, including some of those
who had initially settled along the
riverbank.
Naga City People’s Council (NCPC)
In 1995, the Naga City
Government enacted the City
Ordinance No. 95-092, “An Ordinance
Initiating a System for Partnership in
Local Governance between the City
Government and the People of Naga”
otherwise known as the Empowerment
Ordinance of Naga City. The ordinance
recognized the Naga City People’s
Council, and gave them the task to
reform service delivery to make it
more responsive to the needs of the
people. Through the ordinance, the
Council has the power to send
representatives to all government
committees, councils, boards and task
forces. They participate in the
deliberation and evaluation of
government projects and activities.
The cleanup of the Naga River
was identified as one of three priority
areas for action through the “Naga
City Participatory Planning Initiatives”,
initiatives brought about through
multi-sectoral project planning. Under
this initiative the Naga City River
Watershed Strategic Management Plan
of 1997 (discussed further in Section
2.3.1) was developed based on inputs
from stakeholders who had approved
the plan themselves through a
Stakeholder Congress.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 6
Ladies in Green Foundation (LIGF)
The Ladies in Green Foundation,
Inc. is a non-governmental
organization that has been actively
involved in the management of the
Naga River. LIGF was formed in
January 1999 and initially consisted of
the wives of City officials and female
Chiefs and Department Heads of the
City Government. Since then,
membership has now grown to over
1,000. LIGF first formed with the main
purpose of supporting the City
government’s environmental programs
with the specific mandate to look at
the rehabilitation and preservation of
the Naga River. LIGF is a member of
the Naga City’s People Council (NCPC)
and works in partnership with CENRO.
River Patrol
The Naga City River Patrol is run
through the Barangay Dinaga, situated
in the heart of the central business
district (CBDI). With the use of a
powerboat, the river patrol traverses
the river, enforcing all applicable
ordinances and helps clean up trash
and debris in the river. Barangay
Dinaga is the only barangay that is
equipped with such a powerboat;
however, all barangay captains are
deputized in enforcing the ordinances
that prohibit littering and the dumping
of wastes in the river.
2.3. Policy Context
2.3.1. Policy Documents
The Naga City River Watershed
Strategic Management Plan 1997
The Naga City River Watershed
Strategic Management Plan for the
Naga River was completed in 1997. Its
objectives include improving the water
quality within the Naga River,
preserving the critical watershed lands
around its headwaters on Mt. Isarog,
and developing the river within a 10
year timeframe to prevent floods,
encourage tourism, and preserve the
river’s cultural value. The Plan was
developed as part of the Philippine
government’s Governance and Local
Democracy (GOLD) Project, which was
assisted by the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID).
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 7
The project was implemented by the
Associates in Rural Development Inc.
(ARD), the authors of this plan.
Reforestation of the Naga River
watershed, building Naga River
revetments, dredging the river, and
the river’s beautification, were
identified as the number one priorities
for the city during the GOLD Project
Action Priorities Planning Workshop
held June 17-18, 1996. Present during
this meeting were local executives,
members of the Sanggunian Bayan,
members of the Local Development
Councils and Special Bodies, appointed
Officials, selected officers from the
national government agencies, and
representatives from the non-
governmental and private sectors.
An extensive process of
visioning workshops and stakeholder
consultations were conducted for the
Strategic Watershed Management Plan.
A multi-sectoral workshop took place
in September of 1996 where the
following objectives for the Naga River
were articulated:
To prevent floods,
To make the river clean and
safe,
To optimize tourism value; and
To preserve the cultural value
of the river.
The following strategies were
articulated:
River park development
Physical rehabilitation of the
river
Sustained pollution prevention
and control by households and
institutions
Restoration and maintenance of
watershed vegetative cover.
This plan set objectives with a
ten-year timeline for completion. Ten
years have passed and many of these
objectives remain unattained. For
instance, the river park remains
undeveloped, barring a small portion
in the CBDI in front of the Aristocrat
Hotel. This small portion of the river
park is built on private land and was
donated to the city by Pedro Lee, the
owner of the Aristocrat Hotel (Barry,
2007). Some reasons for the delayed
progress in meeting the objectives of
this plan are discussed in Section 3.0.
Although some of the objectives
of the Management Plan are at a
standstill, it should be recognized that
the work done for this plan was
extensive and provides a sound basis to
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 8
continue progressing towards the
identified objectives. As well, it is of
great benefit that it was within the
development of this plan that much of
the framework for people participation
within Naga City, and in the river’s
development, was initiated (i.e. the
creation of CENRO and involvement of
the NCPC etc.)
State of the City Report 2006 /
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)
The City of Naga has included in
its mandate, as stated within the State
of the City Report for 2006, the
objectives to meet the United Nations
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
These goals, which were agreed upon
by nations across the globe and leading
development institutions, are to meet
the needs of the world’s poorest
people by the target date of 2015. The
goals range from promoting gender
equality and the empowerment of
women, to eradicating extreme
poverty and hunger. One of the goals
is ensuring environmental
sustainability, which, according to
United Nations, entails the following:
Integrating the principles of
sustainable development into
country policies and programs;
reverse loss of environmental
resources.
Reducing by half the proportion
of people without sustainable
access to safe drinking water.
Achieving significant
improvement in lives of at least
100 million slum dwellers by
2020.
The City of Naga is using the
MDGs as a framework to combat local
poverty with the intent of “attaining
growth with equity.” As stated, they
hope to address the many aspects of
poverty, including hunger, diseases,
illiteracy, environmental degradation,
and discrimination against women.
Within their Executive Legislative
Agenda for the period of 2007-2010,
the City set objectives with the
intention of meeting the UN
Millennium goals prior to 2015. Naga
City’s 2015 vision is encompassed in
Maogmang Ciudadano sa Maogmang
Lugar — “Happy citizens in a happy
place”. This vision will be pursued
through five key strategies: (a) re-
engineering Naga (b) reducing poverty
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 9
incidence (c) improving access to
quality basic services (d) enhancing
the quality of life through livable
communities; and (e) promoting good
governance and responsible
citizenship. “Re-engineering Naga”
looks to preparing Naga for future
natural disasters, like typhoon Reming,
the most recent typhoon that hit Naga
City in 2006. This strategy includes
plans to develop and manage the Naga
River to prevent future flooding.
“Enhancing the quality of life through
livable communities” looks to creating
a “clean and beautify Naga City”. The
strategy is to intensify investment in
urban aesthetics in order to make Naga
more attractive to visitors and
residents and water quality in the
Naga River is to be better managed.
From these visioning documents
it appears that the visions for the Naga
River remain in line with those stated
in the Strategic Management Plan of
1997. The comprehensive river
management proposed in the Strategic
Management Plan, is seen as a vital
part of meeting the Millennium
Development Goals by 2015 in these
other documents.
2.3.2. Legislation
National Legislation pertaining to
the Naga River
There are already a variety of
legal, regulatory and administrative
documents that relate to
environmental conservation and
management in the Philippines as a
whole. These include various
Commonwealth Acts, Republic Acts,
and Presidential Decrees.
Environmental management,
conservation and development in the
Philippines, are administered at the
national level by the DENR. Within the
DENR are several bureaus, including
the Environmental Management Bureau
(EMB), the Forest Management Board
(FMB), and the Land Management
Bureau (LMB).
With respect to the
management of water bodies in the
Philippines and the management of the
Naga River, DENR administers the
Republic Act 9275 also known as the
Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004. In
accordance with this act, the DENR has
prepared a Water Quality Management
Framework by which local government
units (LGUs) are to monitor and sustain
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 10
an adequate level of water quality in
their water bodies. This framework
provides the guidelines for LGUs to: a)
monitor water quality b) conduct
emergency response c) assess and
monitor compliance and d) coordinate
with other government agencies and
civil society and the concerned sectors
in the implementation of measures to
prevent and control water pollution.
It should be noted that
Presidential Decree 953 requires all
owners of lands adjoining a river or
creek to plant trees at least five
meters from the edge of such bodies of
water (Ojastro, 2007). This would help
preserve the water quality within the
river and creeks as the trees and
plants would help remediate and filter
polluted groundwater and surface
water entering the river. As well, this
would help preserve lives of people
living along these bodies of water
especially now that flooding and
stronger typhoons are becoming more
common.
Much of the national legislation,
like the Presidential Decree 953, is not
abided by on the local level within
many Philippine communities. This is
also the case in Naga City. Some
possible reasons for this are discussed
further in Section 4.0.
City Ordinances pertaining to the
Naga River
A series of city ordinances have
been created to limit the amount of
pollution entering the Naga River and
to preserve the Naga River Watershed.
The following is a summary of those
ordinances pertaining to the
management of the Naga River.
Ordinance No. 86-019
Ordinance No. 86-019 was
established to amend 383, S. 1971
which prohibits littering in the city of
Naga. Within this ordinance littering in
the Naga River and its creek beds is
established as a criminal offence.
Ordinance No. 93-013
Ordinance No. 93-103 was
enacted on February 24, 1993. Its
major role was to establish the Naga
River Council, thereby defining the
Council’s powers, responsibilities, and
source of funding for its operations.
The intended role of the council was
to conduct an environmental
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 11
assessment, and to initiate, develop
and implement a comprehensive
program to “save, protect and develop
the Naga River.” It was also the role
of the council to conduct public
information campaigns and to
recommend to the city government of
Naga the enactment of legislations.
Council members included
representatives from the religious
sector, the urban poor sector,
academia, and city-based non-
government organizations primarily
concerned with environmental
protection. Also acting as Council
members was one representative from
the city engineer’s office of Naga and
one representative for the city mayor
of Naga.
The Naga River Council achieved
less than what it was designed to do
(City of Naga, 1997); however, the
enactment of Ordinance no. 93-013 did
result in the following:
• Preliminary surveys and meetings
with the homeowners along the
riverbanks were conducted.
• The following organizations and
campaigns were initiated:
• Salvog Salog or “Save the River”
is a group composed of volunteer
youth groups and citizens that
occasionally clean the riverbanks
• Bantay Salog or “River Watch”
are river patrols to monitor
ordinance violations
• Barangay Salog is a campaign to
encourage barangays to
coordinate with other programs
in their barangays to look after
the well-being of the river
• Forest protection and regeneration
actions were started in the
upstream portion of the Naga City
river catchment. Successfully, the
forest park at Malabsay Falls on Mt.
Isarog was initiated and is now a
tourist attraction.
Ordinance no. 2000-006
Ordinance no. 2000-006
prohibits all gasoline stations, auto
repair shops, carwashing centers and
all other establishment of entities
from disposing and pouring used oil,
waste water/ liquid and any other
polluting/toxic liquid into drainage
canals that flow into the creeks and
into the Naga River and prescribes
penalties thereto.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 12
Ordinance no. 2000-018
Ordinance no. 2000-018
establishes control measures in
preserving aquatic life at the Naga
River and prescribes associated
penalties. This Ordinance developed
largely as a result of the work done in
the Strategic Management Plan of
1997. Here the City enacted the
legislation to re-appropriate the city
right-of-way along the riverbank within
a 3 m easement along both sides of the
river’s edge. Section 4.1 of the
Ordinance reads as follows:
“ It shall be prohibited under
this ordinance to put up a building
and live in a house or living
quarters within the prescribed
three meter easement along the
whole stretch of the Naga River.
…4.1.1 Those already found
with such structures and/or living
quarters inside said easement or
under existing bridges are notified
by this ordinance to search for a
new living area outside of the
easement and/or vacate their
present abode.”
Those who erect a structure after the
enactment of this ordinance are found
in violation. The ordinance states that
that person will be ejected from the
structure, the structure will be
demolished; there will be a penalty of
2000 pesos and/or imprisonment of 6
months, upon discretion of the courts.
For those who had erected their
structure prior to the enactment of
this ordinance, the ordinance states
that they will be given notice to
vacate the area within a reasonable
time but not within six months after
apprehension.
Re-iterated in this Ordinance is
the prohibition of disposing solid or
liquid waste into the river and its
banks. As well, it is prohibited to build
pipes of any kind or type that serve as
outlets from the kitchen or septic
vaults that flow into the riverbank or
surface. The Ordinance states “any
such pipes existing shall henceforth be
cut or disconnected.”
The monitoring team created
to enforce this ordinance consists of a
five-person team largely from CENRO.
As well, the Philippine National Police
(PNP) has one person assigned to assist
the team in apprehending violators.
The barangay captains of the eleven
riverside barangays are authorized to
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 13
designate one person to be a
permanent member.
Ordinance N. 2003-013
Ordinance No. 2003-013
established a caretaker group for
environment care known as “Bantay
Kapalibotan sa Maogmang Lugar”.
Their role is to enforce provisions of
city ordinances and other national and
local laws and rules more particularly
on anti-littering and solid waste
management. The primary objective of
the Ordinance is to organize a special
body in the city to pay specific
attention to the implementation of all
ordinances relating to environment
care, especially those associated with
anti-littering and proper disposal of
solid and liquid waste. This group is to
pay close attention to the care for the
Naga River and its creeks. The
monitoring force consists of members
of CENRO and all deputized officers, of
whom include barangay tanod,
barangay kagawad, PNP personnel,
market guards and traffic police.
3. Guiding Principles –
Sustainable Development
In 1987, the Brundtland
Commission, formerly known as the
World Commission on Environment and
Development (WCED), of the United
Nations, published the report “Our
Common Future”. Within this report
the most cited definition of
sustainable development was made.
In 2005, the UN World Summit
described sustainable development as
having “interdependent and mutually
reinforcing pillars” consisting of
economic development, social
development and environmental
protection, as shown in Figure 1.
“Sustainable development is
development that meets the needs of
the present without compromising
the ability of future generations to
meet their own needs.”
UN World Commission of
Environment and Development, 1987
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 14
Figure 1. The Pillars of Sustainable
Development
There have been some
criticisms of the term sustainable
development through time. The most
common is that it may be seen as a
contradiction unto itself. For instance,
how can policies based on growth and
depletion of resources be sustainable?
As well, there have been many
definitions and interpretations made
of the term since the time of the
Brundtland report. As a result, some
feel this has deflated the importance
of the term itself. However, it may be
most useful to consider sustainable
development as a framework to inform
decision-making and policies across
sectors and across different levels of
governance. Sustainable development
recognises the interdependence of
environmental, social and economic
systems and promotes equality and
justice through people empowerment
and a sense of global citizenship
(Atmosphere, Climate and
Environment, 2007).
Sustainable development is positive
socioeconomic change that does not
undermine the ecological social
systems upon which communities and
society are dependent. Its successful
implementation requires integrated
policy, planning and social learning
processes; its political viability
depends on the full support of people
it affects through their governments;
their social institutions and private
activity.
Dr. William E. Rees
University of British Columbia
The following are a few
principles of sustainable development
taken from the International Institute
for Sustainable Development that may
be useful to keep in mind when
planning for managing the Naga City
River.
• Integrate the environment and the
economy in all levels of decision-
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 15
making. Utilize economic appraisals
that fully value the cost of goods
and services as well as environment
and social impacts.
• Revise how growth is measured and
valued to make it equitable, long-
term, and reflective of quality of
life elements.
• Improve governance through
coordinated efforts that link
agencies, departments and central
government with local government.
Incorporate project appraisal
techniques that include
environmental and social costs and
benefits. Involve citizens in
decision-making.
• Promote values and ethics that
reflect sustainable development –
the interdependence of the
environment and the economy, the
importance of fairness and equity
for long-term prosperity, and the
need for cooperation and
community.
4. Key Findings
Based on the review of the
existing policies, ordinances and
visioning documents, and through
stakeholder interviews, the data
collected were synthesized into the
following key findings.
Meeting the Objectives of the
Strategic Management Plan of 1997
A great deal of work has been
done to manage the Naga City River. It
is necessary to fully assess and
document the status of this Plan. Such
an assessment will allow the City to
approximate the costs associated with
moving forward with the objectives of
the Plan and will also allow for
reflection on the work that has been
done thus far. This research did not
include a complete assessment of the
status of the Plan; however, some
highlights of the achievements
include:
Stakeholder consultations and
visioning workshops were
conducted.
Creation of relevant ordinances.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 16
Conservation of forested watershed
lands in the foothills of Mt. Isarog.
Creation of CENRO as an official
office within the city of Naga to
overlook environmental issues.
Creation of teams of personnel to
enforce the relevant ordinances.
Creation of citizen’s organizations
and NGOs to raise awareness about
river management issues, and to
help in river clean up campaigns.
Reduction in the amount of garbage
in the river as a result of the
creation of ordinances and river
clean up campaigns.
A portion of the river was
developed with revetments along
its riverbanks to help prevent
riverbank erosion and to alleviate
flooding.
Some drainage pipes with outlets
leading to the river have been
plugged by the city to eliminate the
entry of liquid wastes into the
river.
Improved water quality in the river,
especially upriver. This is largely a
result of the conservation of the
watershed lands in the foothills of
Mt. Isarog, but is also a result of
negotiations with farmers whose
agricultural lands were positioned
adjacent to the Naga River.
The work that has been done thus far
has established a very sound basis from
which to move forward with future
initiatives for the Naga River.
However, some of the original
objectives within of the Strategic
Management Plan of 1997 remain to be
addressed. Some of the major issues
requiring attention include the
following:
The riverfront walkway is not yet
developed. Although a small
section of the riverfront is
developed as public park space
with tables and chairs for sitting,
the remainder of the river’s edge
remains undeveloped.
Many drainage pipes entering the
river continue to serve as outlets
for liquid waste.
Many portions of the river initially
slated for revetments have not
been developed.
Liquid waste from an outfall at the
Naga City Market flows freely into
the Naga River without treatment.
The water quality in the river has
improved but has not attained the
levels required to meet criteria set
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 17
by national legislation or the
objectives set in the Strategic
Management Plan 1997.
Three barangay halls are built
within 3 meters of the river’s edge,
the easement width required for
the riverfront walkway.
Illegal dwellers continue to live
within 3 meters of the river’s edge.
The development of a riverpark
walk would require their
resettlement through the
facilitation of UPAO.
Many landowner titles extend to
the edge of the riverbank. The
development of a riverpark walk
would require negotiation and
settlement between the
landowners and the City of Naga.
There is a concern that subdivision
developments are encroaching on
the watershed lands, and the
foothills of Mount Isarog. This can
have detrimental effects on the
river.
Political Will and Financial
Resources
Both a lack of political will and
limited financial resources were the
most common responses to the
question “Why do you feel or think
more progress has not been made on
the objectives of the Strategic
Management Plan of 1997?” There
were feelings that the City government
needed to take more initiative and
start the river development in order to
gain momentum and the people’s
support. Discussions with the City
officials indicate that the financial
resources and limited skilled technical
personnel were the major barriers to
meeting the objectives of the
management plan.
Based on the cost assessment in
the River Management Plan, the
development of the river and the river
park would require a large amount of
money that the City does not have.
Enforcement of City Ordinances and
National Legislation
As discussed in Section 2.3.2,
there are a number of city ordinances
and existing national legislation that
look to keeping the Naga River clean
and environmentally sustainable.
However, these regulations are not
enforced. The following were
identified as possible reasons for this:
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 18
• Although the City Ordinances have
established teams of personnel to
enforce existing environmental
legislation, the enforcement
capacities in the City remain
relatively weak (Bongalonta, 2007).
City resources are limited and the
City’s budget can only afford a
limited number of skilled personnel
assigned to enforcing the
ordinances. The number of
personnel employed for the
enforcement of ordinances is
thought to be inadequate
(Bongalonta, 2007 and Antonio,
2007).
• Barangay captains are deputized to
enforce the anti-littering
ordinances; however, during the
election campaigning period, a
barangay captain may choose not to
enforce the ordinances as diligently
so as to keep a good rapport with
the citizens in the hopes of
retaining votes (Llantero, 2007).
• The City itself does not abide by the
ordinances. For instance, water
draining into the Naga River from
the Naga City Public Market is
untreated but contributes to
elevated water pollution levels. As
well, three barangay halls are built
in the 3 m easement of the river.
This sets a negative example for the
rest of the city and as a result
makes it less likely that citizens will
abide by the provisions of Ordinance
2000-06.
• There is a lack of political will to
meet long-term environmental
goals, like the comprehensive
management of the Naga River.
Local government units are often
more concerned with the attraction
of investments and short term
developments to attract votes in a
coming election. For instance, in
2004, CENRO identified 165
drainage pipes serving as outflows
to the Naga River. Most of these
were from the septic tanks of
households along the river. CENRO
was in the process of plugging the
drainage outlets, as per Ordinance
2000-018. However, after plugging
approximately 65% of the drains,
they were ordered to halt their
work, in the midst of election
campaigning so as to win the favor
and votes of those landowners along
the riverbanks (Orozco, 2007).
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 19
• National laws that set guidelines for
the management of Philippine
waterways are not adequately
enforced within Naga City by local
officials. This is not a problem
isolated to Naga City, but is largely
a problem for all local government
units. It is especially a problem that
the majority of Nagueños are
unaware of the City ordinances and
national laws and how, or why, they
are enforced.
Recovering the 3 m Easement along
the River’s edge
The development of the Naga
River Park cannot move forward
without consideration of
landownership and the lives of illegal
dwellers along the river’s edges. As
indicated in past visioning workshops,
the City would like to see the edges of
the river turned into a park, which
would include a walkway along either
side of the river, for walking and
jogging. Part of the strategy to make
this happen is the creation of a 3 m
width easement on either side of the
river as city right-of-way. This is
already reflected in Ordinance 2000-
018. However the City must consider
both illegal dwellers, and landowners
with titles within this 3 m width from
the riverbank.
Illegal dwellers
Like most rivers in the
Philippines, the Naga River is an
attractive spot for dwellers to settle
for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately,
dwellings along riverbanks are not
adequately equipped for proper waste
disposal and much waste, both solid
and liquid, enter the waterways. The
resettling of the illegal dwellers would
help the water quality within the river
for these reasons.
Since the Strategic Management
Plan of 1997 was approved, a portion
of the illegal dwellers along the river
has been resettled. In 1997 to 1998,
approximately 360 illegal dwellers
were identified. At this time, the City
relocated 110 families. This largely
took place in Barangay Dinaga and
Barangay Sabang, in the central
business district of the City (Orozco,
2007).
Naga City has set itself apart
from other cities in the Philippines
because of its very progressive
resettlement programs and policies. As
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 20
discussed in Section 2.0, the City,
through the work of UPAO, has very
successful pro-poor policies to help
resettle those illegal dwellers along
the riverbanks. In an interview with
Rolly Campillos, the chief of UPAO, he
stated that UPAO would facilitate the
resettlement of these families. He
stressed that in their resettlement, it
is critical to find a location that is a
manageable distance to the river, and
to the people’s livelihoods. He noted
that some families who had lived on
the river for generations were
relocated to a settlement area far
from the river. Although these families
were given access to tenurial rights in
this new settlement area, they
returned to the river to re-establish
their homes, in order to be closer to
their livelihoods and maintain their
way of life on the river. Some other
dwellers are known to have
established homes along the river to
be closer to their location of work
(Orozco, 2007). Some of these dwellers
have relatives and homes on the
outskirts of the City but find it is more
beneficial to build homes along the
river than to travel from outside the
City to the downtown core.
The City must give the access to
livelihoods full consideration when
locating resettlement land. It also
appears beneficial for the City to
better understand why people are
settling along the river and integrate
this knowledge into landuse and
transportation decision-making and
planning.
As the cost of land within the
City of Naga steadily increases, cost
remains the biggest barrier to
resettlement (Prilles, 2007).
Land Title along the Riverbanks
The Naga City River has changed
shape through time, as a result of the
natural process of erosion. Erosion of
the riverbanks has blurred the lines of
landownership along the river’s edge.
In an interview with Attorney Miles
Arroyo of the Urban Development and
Housing Board she described how along
some portions of the river, if a 3 m
easement was in place originally, this
was either eroded away with time, or
is within the width of the revetment if
one was built. As a result many of the
landowner land titles extend right to
the edge of the riverbank.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 21
Landowners along the river are
largely concerned that if a riverwalk is
built, and the City wants the easement
area, they will be losing even more of
their land (De La Rosa, 2007). The City
must undertake a negotiation process
with the landowners. This is
potentially a very costly endeavor for
the City.
The land titles do not
necessarily extend to the river’s edge
on both sides of the river for its entire
length that is proposed for
development. It will be necessary for
the City to assess where property
boundaries lie and be prepared to
negotiate with landowners where
appropriation of the city right-of-way
is necessary to better understand the
costs involved with this endeavor.
Improving Water Quality
The water quality within the
Naga River has improved markedly
since Strategic Management Plan was
developed. Based on the requirements
of the Clean Water Act, the river
water is tested for total suspended
solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand
(COD), biological oxygen demand
(BOD), turbidity, pH, temperature and
dissolved oxygen (DO).
According to Erlinda V. Bailey,
the Chief of the Socio-cultural Division
of City Environment, the water quality
in the river is monitored at eight
stations in the river. All but two
stations show water quality levels at
level B. The remaining two stations
indicate a lower water quality level at
level C. This is a large improvement
from the initial level D quality of
water in the river at some stations.
Greatest Areas of Concern
The major source of pollution
within the river is coming from the
residential and commercial/business
areas in the form of liquid waste
(Orozco, 2007). The BOD increases
further down river, with the lowest
levels in its headwaters, and highest
levels in the residential and
commercial areas. The increased BOD
indicates elevated levels of biological
waste. This is reflected in the opinion
of most of those interviewed who
stated the major contributor to river
pollution is the mismanagement of
liquid wastes.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 22
There are 16 major outflows
draining to the Naga River that are
monitored by CENRO, in addition to
the 8 sampling stations. These
outflows collect surface water from a
variety of areas, including residential,
commercial, and agricultural land
uses. Businesses ranging from gasoline
stations to marketplaces contribute to
this surface water flow. According to
Oscar Orozco, head of CENRO, a large
amount of polluted outfall water
comes from city suburbs. Also, the
most polluted outfall in the City is on
General Luna Street, the location of
the public market. This outfall not
only carries liquid waste from market
water but also collects runoff from the
direct vicinity, which includes runoff
from areas without septic tanks. For
instance, CENRO conducted a survey
and found that many contributing to
this drainage had make shift toilets,
the liquid waste from which was going
straight into the drainage.
Planning Progress
CENRO has made concerted
efforts towards addressing the issue of
liquid waste entering the Naga River.
There is on going campaigning to clean
septic tanks once every 3 to 5 years,
called “poso negro”. CENRO has also
developed a plan for water treatment,
the cost of which would be
approximately 7.5 million. They are
also planning to push for an ordinance
that will require all new developments
to have septic tanks.
CENRO and the Ladies and
Green are working together to submit
concepts for a master plan for the
development of the Naga River. This
will be a comprehensive development
plan that will include among other
items, a liquid water treatment plan,
revetments, the development of the
river for tourism, and plans for
footbridges integrated with a
greenway along Ojeda St and the costs
for establishing city right of way along
the river.
Attention to Sustainable
Development Principles
Meeting Basic Needs
In an interview with DaDa de la
Rosa of the NCPC, I asked the question
“Do you think the River should be a
priority for the City?” His response
was no. He stated: “The environment
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 23
is secondary.” He felt that
“environmental issues” are secondary
to meeting basic needs and economic
survival. He also felt that participation
in river management and
environmental issues will increase
once people’s basic needs are
answered. He said, “You can see this
here. There are still people throwing
their garbage.” DaDa’s comments
indicate the importance of meeting
the basic needs for Nagueños, and how
issues of the environment can fall
wayside in light of these needs. Yet,
on the other hand, it can be argued
that a more sustainable river
management could also lead to new
economic opportunities that primarily
benefit the poor and the river bank
dwellers. Prioritizing basic economic
needs, particularly livelihood, should
not come at the expense of
environmental sustainability. Further
environmental degradation could not
only impair people’s health and well-
being, but also pose limits to the
ability of the people to maintain their
livelihoods. From this it is evident that
the connection between caring for the
environment and meeting the basic
needs of Nagueños should be
recognized. Without recognition of this
significant link between environmental
management and basic human needs,
it will remain very difficult to motivate
citizens towards environmental
stewardship. As discussed in Section
3.0, there are three tenets of
sustainability, the environmental,
social and economic. All three are
interconnected and nurturing of all
elements is necessary for sustainable
development. Without an
understanding of how caring for the
river and meeting basic needs are
connected, there is little hope that
progress will be made in improving the
river’s water quality or and meaningful
progress in the river’s management is
less likely.
Visioning Language
As discussed in Section 2.3.1,
the Legislative Agenda set goals for
the City of Naga for the period of
2007-2010. The document pointed out
the importance of pressing issues that
Naga City is faced with and gave
strategies for approaches to them. It
was noted that the well being of the
environment and the Naga River were
only considered in terms of
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 24
“cleanliness” and the river’s
“beautification”. Again, if a stronger
connection between the well being of
the river, beyond its aesthetic beauty,
and social and economic well being of
Nagueños could be made, a stronger
culture of care for the river would be
fostered. Policy language that is more
rooted in the principles of sustainable
development can help foster such a
culture.
Typhoon Reming and Climate
Change Initiatives
The disastrous effects of
typhoon Reming that took place in
2006 are fresh in the minds of all
Nagueños. The consideration of river
development in relation to climate
change and its resulting unexpected
weather patterns and disasters, is not
fully considered in present policy and
visioning documents. River revetments
and dredging is the only strategy given
for alleviating the effects of river
flooding in the future. But there are
many other necessary strategies that
will alleviate flooding effects. For
instance, tree planting along the
river’s edge would both help clean
pollution in the groundwater and
waters entering the Naga River, and
would limit erosion of the riverbanks
especially during heavy rainfalls and
possible flooding situations. Re-
engineering Naga to be better
prepared for future disaster events
will be most effective when if its plans
incorporate a diverse range of
strategies, and fully consider the role
of a well managed river watershed in
alleviating disaster impacts.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 25
5. Recommendations
Naga City has made a great
number of advances in caring for the
Naga City River. This is evident in the
improvement of its water quality, the
enactment of relevant ordinances and
legislation, the establishment of city
departments dedicated to
environmental issues, and the
participation of citizen’s groups in
river management. These advances are
substantial; however, as was agreed
upon by all stakeholders interviewed,
there are still improvements that can
be made. The following are some
suggestions that may be considered
when moving forward in the future
management of the Naga City River.
1. Assess the Extent of Progress on
the Strategic Watershed
Management Plan
It is recommended that a
detailed study be conducted to assess
the extent to which the objectives
stated within the Strategic
Management Plan have been met to
date. This will require the collection
and analysis of a large range of data.
Some of the data needs include the
following:
• Survey of property lines and land
titles along the river’s edge.
Determine where the property
lines lie relative to the 3 m
easement proposed for the river
walk.
• Determine the number of
dwellers living along the river’s
edge and their locations relative
to the 3 m easement proposed
for the river walk.
• Determine the number of
dwellers requiring resettlement.
• Assess the number of outfalls
that continue to drain into the
Naga River.
• Re-identify all pollution sources
along the river and the extent of
their contribution to pollution
levels within the river.
• Assess the liquid treatment needs
along the river. Determine the
numbers of dwellers with and
without septic tanks.
From these data needs, future costs
required to carry out the objectives
stated in the Strategic Watershed
Management Plan could be
approximated. Included in this
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 26
assessment should be the cost to
establish the city right of way in the
3 m easement along either side of the
river, and the cost of wastewater
treatment.
2. Explore Many Funding
Considerations
Many of the objectives within
the Strategic Management Plan were
not met because of the substantial
associated costs (Prilles, 2007). Some
possible suggestions for acquiring
funding include the following:
• It is recommended that future
planning be incremental with
incremental associated costs. If the
city can put money forward for the
initial steps of this plan, this will
show local initiative to Nagueños
and will re-kindle momentum
towards the river’s revitalization.
This local initiative will also be
looked favorably upon by outside
funders. Funders from the private
sector and international agencies
may be more likely to provide
funding for further river
management and development
needs once they see this local
initiative is taken (Arroyo, 2007).
• A variety of funding sources should
be approached, especially in
countries that are known to support
sustainability projects, to maximize
the possibilities of acquiring
funding.
• The city could consider developing
partnerships with private business.
Such partnerships could result in
projects similar to the public park
development in front of the
Aristocrat Hotel.
3. Promote Campaigning and
Education on Sustainability
Principles
It is recognized that the
concerns of the majority of Nagueños,
are focused on meeting basic needs
and sustaining viable livelihoods. The
present general perspective is that
issues of the environment are
secondary. It is highly recommended
that campaigning and education stress
the connection between meeting these
basic needs and caring for the Naga
River through the lens of sustainable
development. If the interdependence
between basic needs, livelihoods, and
the environment can be understood, a
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 27
renewed stewardship for the river will
be fostered.
5. Consider Transportation and Land
Use in the Resettlement of River
Dwellers
The City has made great strides
in its Kaantabay sa Kauswagan program
through the efforts of UPAO. It is
recognized that the livelihoods of
those relocated are considered in this
program, and it is re-iterated here the
importance of considering the
accessibility of their livelihoods from
their new settlement locations. As was
discussed in Section 3.0, many of those
living along the river are partly doing
so to be closer to their livelihoods. It is
recommended that the City considers
issues of landuse and transportation
when locating future areas of
resettlement.
6. Limit the Encroachment of
Subdivision Development on
Watershed Lands
The City of Naga is quickly
growing and the development of
subdivisions is encroaching on the
foothills of Mt. Isarog. It is
recommended that the City control
this development as it can have
extremely detrimental effects on the
Naga River watershed.
7. Improve the Enforcement of
Regulations
The City ordinances and
national legislation provide a sound
legal basis for monitoring and
penalizing actions that are detrimental
to the management of the watershed.
Unfortunately these regulations are
not adequately enforced. The
following are recommendations
regarding the enforcement of
regulations related to river
management.
a. Increase the Number of
Deputized Personnel
One main reason given by
CENRO as to why regulations are not
enforced is that there are a limited
number of personnel who are given the
authority to enforce the regulations.
An increase in the number of personnel
could be considered; however, it is
recognized that it is an expense to the
city. It is therefore important to also
consider alternate reasons why the
present number of personnel is
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 28
struggling with enforcing the
regulations.
b. Create a Culture of Caring
for the River
Creating a culture of caring for
the river will encourage all Nagueños
to abide by the City ordinances.
Creating this culture takes root in
campaigning and education and
communicating the river’s importance.
Knowledge of the ordinances and an
understanding of why their
enforcement is necessary are needed.
Educational campaigning and programs
that foster caring for the river may
help encourage this understanding.
c. Encourage Support at the
Barangay Level
The support of the barangays is
critical (Rocco, 2007). There is a
proposal put forth to the City to
require any developer who wants to
develop along the riverbank to provide
funding to the barangay in which the
development is to be located that will
be dedicated to maintaining the
cleanliness of the river. It is
recommended that this proposal be
supported.
d. Foster Knowledge of
National Legislation
There is limited knowledge of
national environmental legislation. For
instance, according to Attorney
Ojastra, there is a national law under
Presidential Decree that the edge of
the river, up to 5 m, must have trees
planted. This is unknown to the
majority of Nagueños. When asked
how implementation of the law should
be approached he stated the first and
most important step is education.
Secondly, a tree planting campaigning
would be essential. Campaigning and
education are key to making this
legislation enforceable. All those who
are in the position to enforce the
regulations should also have a full
knowledge and understanding of the
regulations (Ojastra, 2007).
e. Aggregate and Deputize the
Market Vendors
Aggregating the market vendors
along the riverfront and in the
proposed greenway system will be
beneficial for many reasons. Their
aggregation will increase foot traffic
and business by creating a known
commercial space within the city for
buying their goods and as a result the
vendor’s livelihoods are enhanced. The
vendors should also be aggregated
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 29
along the proposed greenway for the
city. The greenway is to integrate with
a pedestrian footpath across the river.
The aggregation of vendors here will
encourage sustainable transportation,
tourism, and economic vitality in the
downtown core of the city.
It is recommended that the
market vendors be deputized to
penalize those who are not abiding by
the ordinances. This will encourage a
sense of ownership of the commercial
space by the market vendors and will
also encourage a collective sense of
caring for the river by all the vendors.
8. Take Advantage of Political Will
It is recommended that the City
of Naga take advantage of the new
political landscape that is taking place
at the city level that is posed to push
forward environmental initiatives. The
election of Ladies in Green President
Badette Rocco (LIGF) to the City
Council will provide the city with
momentum to meet river management
goals and objectives.
9. Promote A More Holistic Approach
to River Management
Within future visioning policy
and objectives set for the city, it is
recommended that river management
be considered in a more holistic
manner that goes beyond considering
the benefits of beautification. For
instance, the development and care of
the river will be key in helping to
alleviate the effects of future flooding
events. It is recommended that policy
documents communicate important
issues such as this and other benefits
of comprehensive river management.
This holistic approach to river
management was already taken in the
Strategic Management Plan of 1997. It
is recommended that future visioning
documents approach river
management planning in this same
holistic manner.
It does not appear that all Nagueños
fully see the importance of the Naga
River on an environmental, social and
economic level. As discussed through
this report, this is evident in the
continued disposal of waste in the
river and lack of consideration of the
river’s impact on the state of the city,
both present and potential. It is
recommended that river management
be approached in terms of sustainable
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 30
development, whereby the role of the
river in fostering environmental, social
and economic well-being for all
Nagueños, both present and future,
are fully considered.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 31
Bibliography
Antonio, Ramon. 14 June 2007. Personal Interview. Barangay Dinaga Captain.
Naga River Patrol. Naga City, Philippines.
Arroyo, Attorney Miles. 12 June, 2007. Personal Interview. Urban
Development and Housing Board, Chairperson, Naga City, Philippines.
Atmosphere, Climate and Environment website. http://www.ace.mmu.ac.uk/
accessed 4 July 2007.
Barry, Erlinda V. 13 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment and
Natural Resources. Chief Socio-Cultural Division.
Bongalonta, Jesus P., 12 June, 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment and
Natural Resources Office, Senior Environmental Management Specialist. Naga
City, Philippines.
Campillos, Engr Rolly. 12 June 2007. Personal Interview. Urban Poor Affairs
Office (UPAO), Chief. Naga City Philippines.
City of Naga, Strategic Management Plan of the Naga City Watershed,
November 1997, Governance and Local Democracy Project, ARD Associates in
Rural Development,Inc.
De La Rosa, Dada. 15 June 2007. Telephone Interview. Naga City People’s
Council (NCPC). Naga City Philippines.
Ladies in Green Website: http://ligfinc.tripod.com/what_is_LIG.htm accessed
on 19 June 2007.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 32
Llantero, Melchor Estrella, 13 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment
and Natural Resources Office, Acting Senior Environmental Specialist. Naga
City, Philippines.
Naga City. 2007. State of the City Report, Putting Our People First:
Development that Matters.
Naga City Land Use Plan. 2000.
Naga City Website: www.naga.gov.ph accessed on 21 May, 2007.
Ojastro, Atty. Angel R., 14 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Legal Officer.
Naga City, Philippines.
Orozco, Oscar. 12 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Environment and Natural
Resources Offices, Officer. Naga City, Philippines.
Prilles, Willy. 12 June 2007. Personal Interview. City Planning and Development
Office. Naga City, Philippines.
Rocco, Badette. 14 June 2007. Personal Interview. Ladies in Green. Incoming
City Councillor. Chief of the Committee on Gender and Development. Naga
City, Philippines.
UN Millennium Development Goals Website:
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/ accessed on 19 June 2007.
Managing the Naga River: Where to Go From Here 33
Tables
Table 1. Persons Interviewed during Data Collection
Interviewee Designation Organization
Jesus P. Bongalonta Senior Environmental
Specialist
City Environment and Natural
Resources Office (CENRO)
Rolly Campillos Chief Urban Poor Affairs Office (UPAO)
Oscar Orozco Officer City Environment and Natural
Resources Office (CENRO)
Miles Arroyo Chair Urban Development and Housing Board
(UDHB)
Melchor Estrella
Llantero
Acting Senior
Environmental
Specialist
City Environment and Natural
Resources Office (CENRO)
Erlinda V. Bailey Chief, Socio-cultural
Division
City Environment and Natural
Resources Office (CENRO)
Badette Rocco President Ladies in Green Foundation (LIGF)
Attorney Angel R.
Ojastro III
Naga City Legal
Officer
City of Naga
Dada De La Rosa Co-ordinator Naga City People’s Council (NCPC)
Ramon Antonio Barangay Captain
Dinaga
Barangay Dinaga/ River Patrol