“All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again.” – Ecclesiastes 1:7

“Kill not the goose that lays the golden eggs.” – Traditional

According to the defunct Agno River Basin Development Commission (inexplicably abolished in September, 2004), the Agno River basin is the Philippines’ fifth largest with catchment areas totalling some 8,000 square kilometers. It has a total length of about 270 kilometers from its Cordillera source with an estimated annual 8,044 million cubic meters run-off.

The basin provides the lifeblood of a great portion of Northwestern Philippines. It has long been a major food basket, with one of the country’s richest ecosystems and, in past years, a significant energy generator. In its catchment areas are vast agricultural lands where large water volumes can be utilized for irrigation purposes.

Its outlets at Lingayen Gulf, part of the strategic South China Sea, are thriving fishing communities starting from San Fabian to Dagupan City to Binmaley to Lingayen to Sual to Alaminos City.

Proven long-term sustainability
Serious studies of the synergistic relationship of the fabled Agno River and the fertile Pangasinan Plain date back to the Commonwealth period. Long before, village elders believed this God-given combination entitled its inhabitants to a bountiful future – if they carefully worked the land. People of Pangasinan centuries ago manifested their spirit of self-sufficiency and independence by two rebellions against Spain: By Andres Malong (1660), and Juan de la Cruz Palaris (1762).  Both established sovereign kingdoms extending northward to Ilocos Sur, but were eventually reconquered by superior Spanish arms.

During the power crisis in late-1992, the FVR Administration reviewed earlier engineering studies and financial packages for the San Roque hydropower plant with Napocor as the lead. The result: The San Roque Multipurpose Dam Project under a BoT arrangement. According to this set-up, the dam’s ownership would transfer to Napocor upon completion. San Roque Power Corporation would own and operate the power facilities for 25 years, after which ownership would transfer to Napocor.

In 1996, Napocor issued BoT tender documents, simultaneously mandating upgraded environmental standards and requiring corporate social responsibility toward highlanders/lowlanders within its area.

As the builders broke ground, the Agno River Basin Development Commission was created in September, 1997, as the government’s long-term planning, implementation and supervisory agency.

Built for strength and safety; designed for multiple benefits
The San Roque Multipurpose Dam Project is aptly named. “Multiple purposes” meant rainwater/surface run-off catchbasins, storage for needed irrigation, flood control for the untamed river and tributaries, enhanced water quality, and rapid-peaking capacity to protect the Luzon Grid servicing the region’s high-technology industrial, medical, and educational market. These benefits for Northwestern Luzon began upon SRMDP’s completion in November, 2002.

Writing in December, 2002, SRMDP Project Officer Ray Cunningham said: “The project has three main components: (1) The earth-rockfill dam, composed of an impervious core, drainage zones, and gravel-fill shells totaling 41 million cubic meters, is 1.2 kilometers long and 200 meters high – the world’s 12th highest of its type; (2) Gated concrete spillways on its western side; and (3) State-of-the-art 345-MW power facilities with three Francis-Toshiba turbine-generators.”

As part of design procedures, project planners painstakingly determined engineering properties of embankment and foundation materials, including gradation, permeability, shear strength, and static/dynamic durability.

This scientific approach guaranteed optimum use of on-site materials and insured the foundation and spillways formed an extraordinarily strong base. From a construction/material-usage viewpoint, the outcomes were efficient, safe structures anchored on dense, stable embankments which, to all extents and purposes, replicated the character and strength of the Cordillera Mountains.

It was designed to withstand the most severe earthquakes, and considered the Baguio-Cabanatuan faultline 7 kms. to the east in providing safety mechanisms.

It may be recalled that the Marcos-era Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija cracked during the 7.8-scale earthquake of July, 1990, due to its perennial half-emptiness and concrete-steel composition. (This was completely remedied by the FVR Administration in 1997 – but that’s another story).

People’s needs; defective and missing facilities
Much like most of Southeast Asia, the Philippines is primarily rice-producing with agriculture commanding the highest demand on water. But, competition for irrigation is already taking its toll on the use of limited water for urgent domestic/industrial purposes, and eco-system maintenance.

Moreover, a general lack of family planning measures during PGMA’s time further decreased available freshwater per capita, and exacerbated environmental damage. This threatened people’s livelihood and natural resources sustainability for younger generations.

Some politicians and Pangasinan leaders, whose perspectives are unfortunately limited to the brief period between elections, now would want to kill “the SRMDP goose that lays golden eggs” to win their constituents’ votes – instead of taking more strategic approaches needed to actualize the infrastructures, institutions, and “best practices” necessary for sustainability towards the people’s more bountiful future.

Exceptions to these myopic leaders are Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino who labored hard as Task Force Commander to win the highlanders’ support in 1996 and Rosales Mayor Ricardo Revita who was an exemplary PNP officer during the dam’s construction.

On a national level, short-term, knee-jerk, “pa-pogi” reactions are comparable to the scuttling of Noah’s Ark before the salvation of humankind and other forms of life. Incumbent officials and presidentiables better focus now on upgrading defective dikes, floodgates, and canals and installing irrigation networks, potable water clusters, and re-regulating ponds – all neglected in the past six years.

Strong leadership and proaction
Political will and strong leadership are vital factors to implement much-needed reforms in engineering follow-up, water quality deterioration, and conflicts among users.

Inefficient governance, on the other hand, further worsens the complexity of problems uncovered during recent calamities.

Prudent decisions need to be made regarding alternative uses, contrary interests, and, sometimes, even just between what is efficient and what is less burdensome to people. De-commissioning, closing, or eliminating the San Roque Multipurpose Dam clearly is definitely not an option.

The urgent challenge facing leaders and advocates is to create legal, economic, and social frameworks as well as operational mechanisms to actualize the full benefits of SRMDP.

Broader stakeholder consultation and participation must be promoted, follow-up infra-development prioritized, and water management integrated.

It is also essential to maintain sustainable population growth by: (a) Establishing the ecosystem’s carrying capacity and natural resources base; and, (b) Stimulating countryside development to relieve urban migration and infrastructure pressures.

Wisdom accumulated by indigenous peoples on conservation and sources of water must be tapped. Inherent in our shared commitment is the preservation of culture and promotion of gender-equity in all stages of water development. Integrated water management

Some members of Congress complain that during annual budget debates, as many as 32 departments and agencies would battle for funds to carry out their water-related projects, usually at cross purposes.

Water issues used to be looked upon as infrastructure concerns with DPWH as “lead” agency. Early on, however, this primary role FVR transferred to DENR by appointing its secretary as government’s “Water Czar.” With this innovation, an apex body was formed involving all agencies responsible for water conservation and management.

“Czar” Vic Ramos’ first effort, with help from DA and nearby LGUs, was to convince farmers of Central Luzon to share their claims over Angat water (expanded by tunneling to Umiray River in Aurora province), in order to sustain Metro Manila’s needs during El Niño in 1997-1998. This “win-win” approach prevented a drinking water crisis during summer months.

Obviously, the environment must be protected, natural resources conserved, and climate impacts minimized. The productivity of agricultural, forest, and aquatic assets, and the assimilative capacity and quality of air, water, and land resources must always be balanced and optimized.

Challenge to PGMA and presidentiables In sum, water use in society should be sustainable, with incentives, regulatory controls, and public education essential to promote economic efficiency, asset conservation, and environmental protection – all within transparent policy frameworks.

Already, water is the single most important commodity of the new millennium.

Water will be as fundamental to economic development in the 21st century as oil was for the late 20th century, and will underpin prospects for environmental sustainability for countless generations to come.

In the immense task facing leaders and citizens, all sectors – governments, private business, civil society, and local communities – must work closely as stakeholders and partners to ensure the sustainable availability of clean water, thereby assuring a healthy future for our children, grandchildren, and unborn Filipinos.

Can a future administration re-operationalize the agno river basin development commission – or an improvement thereof?

Kaya ba natin ito?

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