Talisay councilor bats for river basin council

CEBU, Philippines - A Talisay City legislator has filed a proposal in the council Tuesday which supports the creation of the Central Cebu River Basin Council (CCRBC).

City Councilor Bernard Odilao's Proposed Resolution 2011-24-3, if approved, will authorize Mayor Socrates Fernandez to enter into a memorandum of agreement with other local government units and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and with the River Basin Control Office supporting for the formulation of the CCRBC.

Odilao, who is chairman on council committee on environment, said that the move is in recognition of the role of the city in the "protection, rehabilitation, development, management, and utilization of the natural resources within the Central Cebu river basins."

"Water and other natural resources within Central Cebu is recognized as vital resources that need to be properly managed to sustain the social and economic development of Cebu," the proposal states.

Talisay has been known for its abundance of water that it is described as the "aqua city" of Cebu.

City residents would benefit from these resources for a long time if properly managed, Odilao said.

Odilao said that if the MOA is signed, the city would then coordinate with the River Basins Control Office, which was created by virtue of the Executive Order No 518 and tasked to do the job. (FREEMAN)