DAVAO CITY — The environmental agenda of most of the council candidates from Davao City �s first district showed their concern for the city�s water quality and supply and the protection of the watersheds, something that brings a spark of hope for environmental groups who have been working intensively for this particular issue.
Of the seven candidates, one of whom is a neophyte, five said they will come up if not strengthen and implement existing laws with legislation that will protect water resources and rehabilitate damaged ones.
�We are so happy and hopeful that the consciousness of most of our local lawmakers from the first district was on the protection of the watershed which will obviously make a good impact on our desire to keep the supply of water of the city clean and enough,� said Lia Jasmin Esquillo, one of the convenors of the Green Vote 2007.
�We hope that they will make true these promises,� Esquillo added.
Known for his bias for the environment, councilor Leo Avila�s environmental agenda is topped by the implementation of the buffer zones in agricultural plantations, a measure seen to lessen the contamination of water resources with chemicals used in banana and pineapple plantations.
Avila also said that he will still push for the �optimal use of rain water and the enactment of an ordinance for waste water/sewerage treatment plant. Avila was behind the anti-smoke belching and anti-aerial spraying ordinance and co-sponsored the watershed code of Davao and the marine protected area ordinance, among many other environment-related ordinances.
Councilor Pilar Braga anchored her environmental agenda on the full implementation of the water code and the aerial spraying ordinance. Braga was behind the water code of Davao , a legislation that was hit by a snag pending the completion of the implementing rules and regulation yet to be signed by the Office of the Mayor.
Braga was the main champion behind the city�s water code.
Councilor Angela Librado-Trinidad would push for watershed-based initiatives to assure the people of the Davao of a continuous supply of potable water.
Librado-Trinidad is also pushing for a �sound ecological program that will protect and conserve marine and land-based sanctuaries.� In her agenda, Librado-Trinidad also said that she would come up with a policy agenda which will discourage expansion of banana plantations and to map out areas vulnerable of banana expansion.
Librado-Trinidad, who is known for her stand against genetically modified organism with her proposed ordinance that required a mandatory segregation of consumer products containing genetically engineered ingredients, also expressed her opposition to mining.
For his part, councilor Peter Lavi�a said it is appropriate to come up with a program for �sustainable development, environmental protection, urban planning for optimum use of land and water resources.�
Newcomer Randy Ponteras said there must be a stricter monitoring and regulation of the use of ground water while saying that he will also push for the maximum use of rivers/surface water and rainwater. Ponteras, a professor at the University of Mindanao , also said that there has to be a comprehensive land use planning for the city.
Meawhile, the environmental agenda of councilor Mabel Sunga-Acosta, who was behind the mangrove adoption and rehabilitation project at barangay Lasang, was on the sustainable development or �economic development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.�
�Through reconciliation of development projects with the regenerative capacity of the immediate natural environment,� Acosta said.
Veteran councilor Bonifacio Militar, on the other hand, listed five agenda: legislations about effective tool in educating the public on environmental issues; strengthen methods of waste segregation at the barangay level and promote cooperativism; rehabilitation of coastal areas & appropriate funds for this; strengthen anti-smoking ordinance; and review laws that affect the environment and make appropriate resolutions and ordinances.
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2007 Elections
