ILIGAN CITY (PIA)–To ensure water quality protection in Iligan Bay – Misamis Oriental and Lanao del Norte, it is now being eyed as another Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) in Northern Mindanao.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB), local government units (LGU) of Iligan, Kauswagan, Bacolod, and Linamon, national government agencies, non-government organizations, and civil society groups convened on Oct. 4 for public consultation for the designation of Iligan bay as WQMA.

WQMA allows the interagency body to control and prevent water pollution and protect the water quality of Iligan Bay.

“Importante gyud kayo kaning gipropose na WQMA because, naa na gyud tay pressing problems at this time. We have water pollution and daghan kaayong waste from anthropogenic sources, caused by humans. Kinahanglan na gyud, it’s high time for us, not just NGAs but also LGUs to really have focused interventions to address the degrading water quality,” said Hazel Jane Fronda, senior environment management specialist of DENR-EMB 10.

[This proposed WQMA is very important because there are already pressing problems at this time. We have water pollution and a lot of waste from anthropogenic sources or caused by humans. It’s really necessary, it’s high time for us, not just the national government agencies but also LGUs to really have focused interventions to address the degrading water quality.]

Region 10 holds the two biggest WQMA in the country in terms of size which are the Cagayan de Oro river basin and Tagoloan river basin. Once created, the Iligan Bay WQMA will also be one of the biggest WQMAs. (LELA/ PIA Lanao del Norte)