An Initial Undertaking by the Central Cebu River Basins Management Council, Cebu City Rivers Management Council, and

the Combado-Lusaran River Basin Organization with support from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources 7 (DENR 7), the Naval Forces Central (NAVFORCEN), Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD), the Cebu INTRODUCTIONGovernment and the Barangay Local Government Unit of Lusaran City

Rainwater harvesting is as old as civilization itself; it is free water. It is not that free commodity worth sought by Filipinos. Why is this so? We know how important is water, because as the common saying goes, it is life. Rain is water thus it brings on life. If rain is water and water is life, why is rain not utilized for its optimum uses. Does it have something to do with communications? Does it have something to do with resources; maybe both? Studies have been conducted and showed that rainwater harvesting initiatives are doable strategies that can augment water supply most especially in areas which are unreachable from the network of water distribution of the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD). Recently, the Central Cebu River Basins Master Plan have been adopted and accepted by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA 7) Full Council Meeting on October 10, 2012 which was held in Tagbilaran, Bohol. The challenge now is how to concretize the Master Plan of the Central Cebu River Basins on projects acceptable by stakeholders in the area. A greater part of its realization is on community organizing that oftentimes is greatly affected by available resources needed to actualize visions. In the Master Plan, rainwater harvesting has been identified as one strategy to augment water supply. However, be that as it may, little ideas turned into actions can be just baby steps that only time knows when and how it is going to cascade to a greater number of communities. Environmental programs are not overnight undertakings; takes a lot of patience in performing the complex processes of cooperation and collaboration. Yet, they are the processes that matter the most because it is basically building and strengthening relationships; and in the water sector, that is confronted with overlapping and intertwining functions, turfism is definitely not the way to resolve issues. It is balance that creates impact; it is consensus that creates unity in diversity. Communication is vital. Right information to the right people at the right time is beneficial. With rainwater harvesting as an initiative, requires right information to be communicated to the right audience and in the right circumstances. Start small but start now.

BACKGROUND The Naval Forces Central, Cebu City Government, Department of Environment and Natural Resources 7 and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District are signatories to the Memorandum of Cooperation of the Central Cebu River Basins Management Council. Being signatories, the rainwater harvesting is an advocacy area. The first Barangay Philippine Barangay simple rainwater harvesting project was implemented in 2009 in San Roque, Liloan, Cebu. It was then a joint undertaking by the. Airforce-Benito Ebuen Air Base, MCWD, the Municipality of Liloan and San Roque.

It was merely recycling empty fuel drums of the Philippine Airforce to be used as rainwater cisterns. There were twenty-five beneficiaries who were able to avail of the drums. Once again, this year, the Naval Forces Central with its Civil-Military Operations Unit will undertake a rainwater harvesting project together with Cebu City Government, MCWD, DENR 7, and the Barangays of Kang-Atis and Pinigturan. Initial discussions have been conducted with the Naval Forces Central last month and so with the Barangay Captain of Lusaran and one Barangay Councilor. Barangay Lusaran of Cebu City will be this seasons target area for a rainwater harvesting project. It is one of the barangays within the Combado-Lusaran River Basin.

Upper Lusaran, Lusaran Proper, Manggabon, Hagnub Proper, Buatis, Kang-atis, Pinigturan, and Bombil.
Barangay Lusaran is composed of eight (8) sitios namely: From among the eight (8) barangays, two sitios were identified to be the initial beneficiaries. These are Barangays Kang-atis and Pinigturan which are situated in a higher elevation, hence, carrying water is a tedious job. As per interview with the barangay residents, Sitio Kang-atis comprises more or less fifteen (15) to twenty (20) household. On the other hand, Sitio Pinigturan covers forty-two (42) households. The residents of Sitio Kang-atis get its water from a nursery within the vicinity. However, fetching water would take a total of one hour back and forth. Likewise, the spring near Sitio Pinigturan is situated in a privately owned land and dries up during the drought season. The City Government has given the barangay hoses to be used for transporting water however, according to the residents, there was a need for containers in order for them to store water.

The containers can be used to store water coming from the springs and rainwater, too. An improvised bamboo gutter can be installed in their homes to store rainwater if in case, they will be able to get drums. For them, the cost of drums are very expensive. The priority would be food and schooling of the children rather than buying drums. Usage of water will be for agriculture and domestic requirements. Thus, the preparation of the Rainwater Harvesting Activity Concept Paper is formulated for the parties to review and agree. On the other hand, it is noted that this will be a simple rainwater harvesting project. This is just an initial step. Further, implementation of rainwater harvesting projects need to be developed and advocated for wide acceptance. One probable setback is the pre-conceived idea that storing rainwater would cause the dengue-carrier mosquitoes to thrive. However, setting up rainwater cisterns do have guidelines. Rainwater cisterns have to be placed with a certain elevation and must be covered. All these guidelines and information will be taught to the proposed beneficiaries of this simple rainwater harvesting project. The City Government of Cebu has passed a City Ordinance No. 2103 entitled Rainwater Conservation of Cebu City. The challenge is how to translate such ordinance into concrete and implementable programs. As stated in the Cebu City Codified Environmental Ordinances:

SECTION 71. Purpose and Applicability b. It is the intention of the City Government to provide an alternative source of water through rainwater harvesting and to prevent flooding during rainy season by requiring building owners of commercial, industrial, institutional, and residential projects in the City of Cebu to incorporate in their plans and designs the construction of rainwater tanks, reservoirs and cisterns.
We may not be able to solve wholly the communitys problems, however, this will certainly ease a degree of difficulty in their lives as they would no longer be sacrificing hours to fetch water. As thus most likely, their school children will no longer also be burdened of carrying pails of water that will somehow affect their school attendance.

METHODOLOGY FIRST ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES: 1. Levelling off with the Civil-Military Operations (CMO) Unit of the Camp Rafael Ramos-Naval Forces Central with regard to its environmental programs. 2. Introduction of the proposed project to the Barangay Captain and the Barangay Councilor. 3. Barangay data gathering on the potential sitios that will become the beneficiary of the said simple rainwater harvesting project. 4. Writing of the concept paper for the simple rainwater harvesting project. 5. Submission of the draft concept paper for corrections and suggestions to the MCWD concerned officials and the NAVFORCEN officials. 6. Finalization of the concept project proposal. 7. Presentation to the Central Cebu River Basins Management Council and the Cebu City Rivers Management Council for information dissemination. SECOND ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES: 1. Ocular visits to the area for assessments by the agencies and the river management councils and RBO reps. 2. Inventory on the number of drums to be gathered and stocking. 3. Washing and cleaning of the drums. 4. Painting the drums with blue paint and labelled by the project title. THIRD ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES: 1. Planning of the program with regards to schedules and other logistical requirements e.g. transportation, food, sound system, PA system, and information materials on RWH and IWRM. 2. Coordination with the barangay for the program planning. 3. Information dissemination for key people with certain speaking parts in the program. 4. Information dissemination of invites to the concered stakeholders. 5. Confirmation of attendees. FOURTH ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES: (the D-DAY) 1. Convoy to the area. PN personnel and Secretariat of CCRBMC and CCRMC will depart earlier to prepare the venue. 2. Program proper. 3. Distribution of drums. 4. Documentation/ Photodocumentation 5. Reports.

MCWD Personnel Involvement: I. II. III. IV. V. Environment Division-WRKC. 8 Pax Public Affairs Department.2 Pax General Services Department..6 Pax Operations Group.3 Pax GMs Group3 Pax

Philippine Navy Personnel Involvement: (tbd) Central Cebu River Basins Management Council: .4 Pax Cebu City Rivers Management Council:5 Pax Cebu City Mayors Office..5 Pax Barangay Officials.15 Pax

BUDGET PLAN: I. II. III. Information Materials.PhP 3,000.00 Meals for meetings (6 meetings x 1,000.00/meeting)6,000.00 D-Day Provision of Meals (50 pax x PhP 120.00/pax)6,000.00

(possibility to be sourced out from partners)

____________________ Total: PhP 15,000.00