BAGUIO CITY – Top officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Cordillera and Region I have gotten their acts together to give priority to the preservation and protection of watersheds in the North Luzon Growth Quadrangle (NLGQ).

This is expected to boost the government’s effort to ease the effects of global warming and climate change in the country’s food security and energy supply.

Primitivo C. Galinato Jr., Cordillera DENR regional executive director (RED), and Corazon C. Davis, Region 1 DENR regional executive director, signed recently a memorandum of agreement that is aimed at strengthening and coordinating programs and projects on watershed preservation and protection in Northern Luzon.

The two officials were earlier directed by DENR Secretary Lito Atienza to coordinate in the efforts to protect the watersheds in the two regions.

The forging of the agreement came as a result of discussions and consensus reached during the recent North Luzon Inter-Regional Summit on Water Resources and Environment held in this city.

The participants, who were officials of the Regional Development Councils of Regions I, II and the Cordillera, cited the need to boost programs intended to strengthen environment and natural resources protection through intra-regional cooperation.

One of the actions agreed upon is to establish monitoring stations at strategic places to be identified by the concerned regions. This is to ensure sustainable conservation, protection, and development of natural resources and the environment in the watersheds.

Initially, the monitoring stations will be established in Pugo, La Union; Tangadan, San Quintin, Abra; and San Emilio, Ilocos Sur.

The two DENR officials said the establishment of the monitoring stations will streamline efforts at resources protection through complementation and collaboration.

Both officials agreed that the labor and construction materials needed in the establishment of the monitoring stations will be equally shared by both parties and that the manpower and the operational expenses will be proportionately shouldered by the provincial and community environment and natural resources offices.

The Cordillera RDC has been constantly lobbying for concerted efforts to preserve and protect the rapidly deteriorating watersheds in Northern Luzon. They have been seeking the support of lowland communities that have been benefiting from the water flowing in the 13 river systems.

The Region1 RDC had earlier expressed support for the drive to protect the watersheds from unabated cutting and transport of trees to the lowland.