Cabanlas joins BASIN forum for CdeO-Bukidnon watershed rehab

Councilor Edgar Cabanlas joined Bukidnon and Cagayan de Oro City officials in advancing a watershed rehabilitation partnership under the Bankable Actions for Shared Investments in Nature (BASIN) initiative to address flooding and climate risks.

Spearheaded by the office of First District Rep. Joeman Alba, the forum discussed nature-based rehabilitation for the Cagayan de Oro River Basin headstreams to prevent a similar catastrophe caused by Tropical Storm Sendong in 2011.

Through BASIN, the local government units will work on collaborative and “bankable” environmental solutions for climate resilience, watershed protection, sustainable land use, and water security.

Cabanlas said the proposed partnership recognizes the interconnected environmental conditions between  the city and neighboring Bukidnon towns, particularly in watershed management and flood mitigation.

Moving forward, the parties will organize the joint technical working group involving Cagayan de Oro and the Bukidnon towns of Talakag, Baungon, and Libona to develop the proposed rehabilitation framework.

“There’s a big and arduous task ahead, but we will move forward to pursue it,” Cabanlas wrote on his social media post. (FDC/SP)