Baguio city: The Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) expressed confidence that the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) will be able to obtain assistance from other regions to preserve and protect its environment. "We in the regional development council have been asking the Department of Energy to increase our share from the hydropower plants so that we have more to use for environment and forest protection effort," Jose Dado, officer-in-charge of DEPDev-CAR, stated during a press conference marking the launch of the Cordillera Month celebration.
According to Philippines News Agency, Dado emphasized that such a request requires congressional action and authorization since the nation's wealth tax allocation is governed by a law that might need revisiting or amendment. Previously, various sectors in the region supported calls for neighboring regions to contribute financially to enhance forest protection initiatives, including hiring more forest rangers and guards, as well as implementing additional tree planting and maintenance programs. Notably, irrigation water for lowland regions and provinces is sourced from the forests of the Cordillera.
"We continue to advocate watershed protection so that many, not just the region, will enjoy the water," Dado added. He also discussed a potential mechanism involving revenues from hydropower production, such as a percentage of electricity sales.
Meanwhile, Baguio City Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan suggested that situs of taxation might address the issue of revenue sharing if companies that utilize water for business purposes were to pay their taxes within the Cordillera. "If these companies will pay taxes locally, we can earn billions," he noted.
In a related development, the province of Apayao, located in the northernmost part of the Cordillera, has declared its forest as an international biosphere reserve. It is one of only four such reserves in the country, alongside those in Oriental Mindoro's Puerto Galera, Palawan, and Albay, aimed at protecting the last forest frontier of the Cordillera.
