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08/29/2008 -
The provincial government of South Cotabato and the municipality of Lake Sebu, with assistance from the USAID-funded Philippine Environmental Governance (EcoGov) Project and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau Region 12 (DENR-EMB 12), have taken the first and important step towards the development of a focused action plan to save environmentally-threatened Lake Sebu. They recently conducted a wastewater and sanitation assessment to generate information on current practices and gather the views of households and establishments around the lake. The assessment is considered crucial in helping the local government unit assess the impacts of poor sanitation and environment management practices and identify key interventions to improve the lake’s water quality. Lake Sebu , a key biodiversity area and major tourist attraction in the region, is a major source of livelihood for the 2,000 or so households in the municipality, about 40% of which are T’bolis. The lake is under grave threat from pollution coming from households and establishments, agricultural farms and fishcages in the lake. The plan, policies, ordinances, policies, and other interventions that will result from this initial activity will preserve the cultural and economic value of Lake Sebu and address sustainable livelihood, health and sanitation issues for the residents around it.
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