SunStar
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January 08, 2021
THE Abacan River and Angeles Watershed Advocacy Council Inc. (Araw-ACI) recently lauded Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. for initiating a strong stand to protect the 560-hectare Sapangbato watershed.
Lazatin earlier asked the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) to entrust to the city the management of the former military reservation land so it can be developed into a protected forest park and watershed.
Renato Tayag Jr., president of Araw-ACI, said Lazatin's initiative will strengthen the advocacy for the protection and development of the Sapangbato watershed.
"Mayor Lazatin's action supporting the advocacy to protect the local water sources and to ensure the sustainable supply of water in Angeles and Metro Clark is indeed commendable. For a decade now, several private sector groups have been planting trees at the Sapangbato watershed and out of the 560 hectares, we were able to cover 100 hectares. But since the area is under BCDA and part of the former military reservation land in Clark, the equally crucial action is for it to be declared as a protected area," Tayag said.