CUMULATIVE EFFECT: THE CASE OF BUSOL FOREST RESERVE* Domelson F. Balangen1 & Vicente T.

Wacangan2 ABSTRACT Great policies and laws as well as Best Management Strategies (BMS) abound in the Philippines towards sustaining its vital watersheds, being a life-sustaining ecosystem. Degradation, however, still occurs even with the technical and managerial supervision of the DENR as the lead agency coupled with multi-sectoral participation and enforcement of laws for most of the Philippine watershed to include the Busol Forest Reserve. Cause of degradation could be attributed from accumulated impacts due to policies and actions that are occurring in combination from the past, present and future undertakings. Notable indications of degradation could be clearly illustrated by the biophysical condition of the forest reservation. This seemingly inevitable degradation could have been prevented or could be appropriately abated if a systemic approach to address the cumulative impact in the management of the reservation and for all other Philippine watersheds would have been given more emphasis. Key words: watershed, Busol Forest Reserve, degradation, cumulative effect, systemic approach INTRODUCTION The primary concern of watershed management is to organize and guide the use of land and other watershed resources to ensure the sustainability of water, soil and the flux of watershed goods and services (Cruz, 2001). This implies that watershed has more than one use and that the idea is to manage the resources together in a harmonious and sustainable fashion (Laruan, et al, 2000). Because of these multiple-uses of watershed and being a life-sustaining ecosystem that makes it vital in the country. However, the ecosystem becomes life threatening when the watershed values are impaired and the carrying capacity lowered (Laruan, et al, 2000). Carrying capacity for any given area is not fixed, it can be altered by improved technology but it is change for the worse by pressure and/or impacts by how different land uses are executed. Under the premise of holistic approach in environmental management according to Reid (1998), it should be noted that impacts are influenced by multiple activities, so that all impacts must be evaluated as cumulative effect rather as an individual. Cumulative effect (CE) is the combined incremental effects of multiple activities/actions accrued from the past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency or person undertake such action (Reid, 1998). The US-Office of Policy and Strategic Planning (1999) stressed in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) definition of CE that it can be a result of individually minor but collectively significant actions taking place over a period of time. Furthermore, Reid (1993) reported as cited by Reid (1998) that cumulative impact can occur even when index is maintained at an acceptable value. Cumulative effects are also sometimes viewed as how a particular resource or population is impacted or has become degraded due to policies or actions that are occurring in combination to create the cumulative effect (Wisconsin Department of
1

* Concise portion of the senior authors M.Sc. thesis in Forestry, Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines. Graduate student at SESAM, University of the Philippines, Los Baos Laguna, Philippines. 2 Associate Professor, College of Forestry, Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet, Philippines.

Transportation (WDT), 2007). The properly understand the dynamics of cumulative effect, however, needs impact to be identifiable and measurable. Watershed is an area of land bounded by topographic divide which intercepts stores and direct/s drains rainwater to a stream or fixed body of water and its tributaries down to a common outlet. It is this very unique feature of watershed which enable it to provide a nested hierarchy to examine cumulative impact over time where the input and impact from individual users can be measured in a cumulative manner by determining contributions to deterioration of water quality, soil and biota. It could also serves as integration tool which encourage interagency collaboration whereby interactions between users, stakeholders, land, water resources can be examined efficiently. Watershed provides an approach very much essential to addressing problems which could directly and/or indirectly contribute to anthropogenic climate change. Because of various destructive activities of man associated with his quest for his basic needs, many of the countrys watersheds have been devastated (Alfonso, 2005) Principally according to Gregorio-Reyes (2006), this is due to (1) the insufficiency of technical, human and financial resources at the national, regional and local government levels, often coupled with resistance to change, and (2) ineffective environmental governance due to weak institutional capacity, particularly with regard to enforcement of laws and regulation. Poor understanding and education on the part of the Philippine population are also barriers to environmental progress. The state of Busol Forest Reserve is an explicit example of how inevitable degradation could be due to accumulated impacts of policies and actions that are occurring in combination from the past, present and future undertakings. Though a Forest Reservation, it is a common knowledge to be a watershed because of its vital function as water source primarily for the Municipality of La Trinidad and the City of Baguio, hence, considered being critical. Balonggaya (1997) reported that the Busols vegetative cover gradually reduced despite the effort of the government agencies concerned and non-government organizations in protecting the vital watershed due to poor land use practices. He further reported that problems have been minimized when the multi-sectoral groups have been in place for the protection of the watershed and the Busol Task Force is also effective in the abatement of the problems. He concluded in his study that the implementation of the management strategies in Busol Forest Reserve are weak in some aspects and there is a need to continuously improve management strategies to sustain the protection, conservation and further development of the forest reservation. Conceptual Framework
Policies and Laws Proclamation No.15, PD 705, RA 8371, etc. Past, Present, Proposed and Future Actions

Manage ment Programs Land Use Planning, Multiple Use Forestry, Forest Protection, Sustainable

Poor decision & policy making Weak rule of law (varying interpretation of laws & mandates, debatable court decisions, lengthy, and repeated litigation of cases, poor and bias law enforcement) Poor governance (unsustainable LEGEND: and poor collaboration in the INDEPENDENT VARIABLES planning, decision making and implementation of programs) INTERVENING VARIABLES DEPENDENT VARIABLES

BUSOL FOREST RESERVE DEGRADATION squatting displacement of IPs/ICCs ecological destruction

Figure 3. Conceptual framework of the study showing underlying cumulative causes of Busol Forest Reserve degradation The present status of Busol Forest Reserve could be the result of several underlying factors accumulated over time, hence regarded as cumulative effect. Cumulative effect (CE) is defined as the combined incremental effects of multiple activities/actions accrued from the past, present and reasonably foreseeable future actions regardless of what agency or person undertake such action (Reid, 1998). Among these would be how policies and laws vis--vis management programs were created interpreted implemented and enforced, as claimed by (Wisconsin Department of Transportation(WDT, 2007) that cumulative effect is sometimes viewed as how a particular resource or population is impacted or has become degraded due to policies or actions that are occurring in combination to create the cumulative effect. These factors are regarded significant as they could be the underlying causes because they are presumed to guide what is supposed to be done or accomplished in the management of Busol Forest Reserve. Existing laws prior to the proclamation of Busol as forest reserve eventually guided activities within the reservation in the past. The proclamation of Busol as a forest reserve in 1922 along with all other succeeding passed and enacted laws, however, could have either positively or negatively contributed in the management of Busol Forest Reserve. The present varying interpretation of laws and understanding of mandates and the poor resolution of conflicts arising thereof at the management level as well as on the sectoral level as evident of cases brought to court for legal action would have further contributed significant impact in the Busol Forest Reserve. The lengthy and repeated litigation as well as inabsolute verdict of cases while management is on-hold would have provided best opportunity for land speculator/squatters to make their move. Moreover, poor governance evident of unsustainable and poor collaboration in the planning, decision making and implementation of programs contributed and exacerbated the degradation. With the present condition of the reservation and the supposed need to conserve because of its vital function, it is anticipated that there would be plenty of proposals and future projects for the reservation. However, if nothing would be made to correct these past and existing underlying problems, no matter how good are the proposed and future project, policies and laws as well as management programs would seem to be, it would still end up adding adverse impact to the forest reservation. Hence, all these underlying problems from the past, present, and anticipated future undertakings would simply be accumulated to significantly addup on the case of squatting that resulted to ecological destruction and displacement of authentic IPs/ICCs in Busol Forest Reserve. Statement of the Problem Guided by plenteous policies and laws as well as Best Management Strategies (BMS), still lot of great programs struggles, most fails and few may have successfully achieved their individual goals but generally fail to address sustainability. Imminent degradation of the Busol Forest Reserve could be observed amidst all management programs implemented and being undertaken. The study deliberately assessed underlying causes and potential solution to the degradation in the Busol Forest Reserve with consensus of environmental advocates in Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet. Specifically, the study sought answers to the following:

1. In what areas from the management history did lapses could have occurred that
contributed to the degradation of Busol Forest Reserve?

2. What significant changes on the population, water yield and water quality of Busol Forest
Reserve occurred within the last ten (10) years of management? 3. What is the consensus of the DENR, LGUs, concerned NGOs and academe sectors of Baguio City and La Trinidad relative to addressing degradation of Busol Forest Reserve on the following aspects: a. Applicability of cumulative watershed effect concept benefits in the management of Busol Forest Reserve. b. Importance of cumulative watershed effect concept benefits in the management of Busol Forest Reserve. METHODOLOGY Research Design The researcher used both descriptive and explanatory type of research. This was used to validate the different environmental factors perceived as the underlying causes of problems experienced in management of Busol Forest Reserve. It was also a survey research and involves fact finding and data gathering. Population and Locale of the Study Purposive sampling was used in the study. This was done by selecting deliberately in a non-random fashion the respondents. A total of 61 respondents were considered from four (4) sectors in Baguio City and La Trinidad Benguet namely DENR (9), LGU (22), NGO (4) and the academe (26). These respondents could have direct involvement in the Busol Forest Reserve management, active participation in environmental conservation programs and/or they have best knowledge and experience in environmental conservation. The study was conducted within Baguio City and the Municipality of La Trinidad, Benguet wherein the Busol Forest Reserve is located from May to September, 2009. Data Collection Instruments A survey questionnaire was used in the collection of primary data. Permission & assistance from institution/offices concerned were solicited in the administering of the questionnaires. Secondary data were acquired from concerned agencies through request letters and personal interviews. Research Tools To gather data pertinent to the research, the following tools were used: 1. Archival data, secondary sources, running records and recollections were used to gather data primarily to establish historical background salient to the present condition and collect technical and management information of the Busol Forest Reserve under study. Data were acquired from various institutions such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), from the National Commission of Indigenous People (NCIP), Baguio Water District (BWD), La Trinidad Water District (LTWD), Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, Inc. (JVOFI), City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO), the local government of La Trinidad, Benguet and from the different BLGUs covering part of the forest reservation. 2. Survey Questionnaire was used to determine perception of the respondents on the applicability and importance of Cumulative Watershed Effects (CWE) concept benefits in the management of Busol Forest Reserve.

Respondents were asked to choose from a nominal scale of two (2) and three (3) assigned as follows: CWE Benefits Applicability Applicable-A (50%-100% agreeable) Not Applicable- NA (below 50% agreeable) Importance Important- I (50% - 100% agreeable) Not Important-NI (below 50% agreeable)

CWE Concept Applicability Applicable (31% to 100% applicability) Needs more understanding (1% to 30% applicability) Not Applicable (0% Applicability) 3. Personal interview was used to verify and gather additional information from some of the respondents. Treatment of Data The percentile rating was used in determining the degree of perception of respondents relative to aspects considered. In the interpretation of degree of perception, 50% to 74% was considered agreed and 75% to 100% was considered highly agreed by the respondents. The hypothesis was rejected if the computed overall perception was lesser than 50%, otherwise fail to reject. The association of respondents perception with respect to the different sectors was determined for in-depth study and understanding better the responses between the 4 sectors using the Chi-square for nonparametric test. A nonparametric test was used because the scale of measurement used in the study was nominal or categorical. A 0.05 level of significance was used in all the analysis employed, whereas, a significant difference was decided if computed probability (P) is lesser than 0.05, otherwise, there is no significant difference. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION By virtue of Proc. No. 15, Busol was proclaimed as forest reserve in April 27, 1922 by then Governor General Leonard Wood to preserve its integrity and protect its vital function as water source for the people of Baguio City and La Trinidad, Benguet. The forest reservation has an area of 336.5854 hectares, with 226 hectares situated within the municipality of La Trinidad and 112.5854 hectares situated within the City of Baguio. A total of 61 respondents purposively selected from the DENR, LGU, NGO and the academe were considered in the study. Areas of Lapses in the Management History of Busol Forest Reserve Historical background taken from various secondary data would establish underlying causes and would reveal loopholes in which problems emanate resulting to what becomes now the state of Busol Forest Reserve. These collaborates to the premise stated by the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (2007) that cumulative effects are also sometimes viewed as how a particular resource or population is impacted or has become degraded due to policies or actions that are occurring in combination to create the cumulative effect. Through the years, many laws and polices have been passed and enacted for the protection, efficient utilization, and effective management of the countrys natural resources as well as recognition of ICCs/IPs existence and rights over ancestral lands in general and, some specifically for effective management governing the Busol Forest Reserve. Decision making and policy making are often weak with the absence of appropriate collaboration and/or involvement of all sectors

from bottom to top. Planning without a clear view of the actual situation proved it often not encompassing to the best interest of the people and/or of appropriate conservation of resources, such that the passing of laws and policies and lengthy creation of Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR) for each becomes confusing to different sectors in the field. Unharmonized mandates given to and implemented by many different sectors in the field often contradict with each other, in which is supposed to complement each other in the attainment of national progress. As a result, these offices find its best to settle management conflicts in courts with their own understanding of each mandates rather than to sit down together and find ways to harmonize different mandates over a certain management concern. Poor governance and weak rule of law could have contributed much to the reservations degradation. Imbalanced/bias tackling of issues involving high officials, lengthy litigation of filed cases, and the too many laws and prohibitions generated different understanding among the different sectors which simply means laws are not very transparent and clearly worded so that all mature citizens would clearly understand proves the weakness of the rule of law. Corruption and leniency in the implementation of policies as well as poor planning and implementation of programs corroborate to poor governance within the bureaucracy. Changes in the Busol Forest Reserve Significant change relative to the degradation of the Busol Forest Reserve is the unregulated increase of household/claimants (Figure 4). Based on regression analysis (Figure 5), graph shows a significant proportional correlation of household number with time. This could simply means that population has been consistently one of the major drivers of the Busol Forest Reserve degradation.

H US H LD PO O EO PULAT N IO

800 600 400 200 0 1983 1997 2001 YE AR 2005 2007 B g City a uio LaT rinida d

Figure 4. Number of Households/ Claimants in Busol Forest Reserve

Figure 5. Household linear regression analysis

Moreover, the unregulated land use activities brought about by ballooning unsettled claims and increasing population which depended on the reservation could have contributed to the degradation of life support values of the reservation such as water and forest cover. Average Annual Production (AAP, Figure 6) and Pumping Water Level (PWL, Figure 7) data from Baguio Water District and the notable decrease of water from springs and drying up of most perennial spring and some intermittent spring water sources of the communities within the reservation corroborate to the decline of underground water table of the reservation. Regression analysis of the forest reserve water production in the two pumping stations showed a significant inverse correlation over time meaning water production decreases with time from 2000 to 2008. Moreover, history of non-fecal contamination of both BWD and LTWD pumping stations and the abandonment of some open water sources due to contamination also corroborate to the degradation of the forest reservation.
500,000 AAP (in cubic m eter) 400,000 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 YE AR BWD Ambiong1 BWD Ambiong2

Figure 6. Average annual production of two pumping stations located within the Busol Forest Reserve
80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
20 00 20 01 20 02 20 03 20 04 20 05 20 06 20 07 20 08

PWL (in m eters )

Ambiong1 Ambiong2

YE AR

Figure 7. Pumping water level of two pumping stations located within the Busol Forest Reserve, Baguio side

Figure 8. Water production linear regression analysis Perception of Respondents Consensus on the applicability and importance of the benefits of Cumulative Watershed Effect (CWE) in the management of Busol Forest Reserve. Notably, the respondents highly agreed on the applicability (96.07%) and importance (95.08%) of enumerated Cumulative Watershed Concept (CWE) benefits in Busol Forest Reserve management. This indirectly implies agreement of respondents on the potential applicability of CWE concept in the management to abate degradation of the Busol Forest Reserve. Majority of the respondents however perceived the need for more and better understanding of the CWE concept (Figure 9).
0 48.98

59.02

Applica ble

Needm unders nding ore ta

N Applica ot ble

Figure 9. Perception on the applicability of Cumulative Watershed Effect (CWE) concept in the management of Busol Forest Reserve

CONCLUSIONS Based on the findings, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1. The problems being encountered today could have emanated even before the proclamation of Busol as forest reservation which accumulated as the years go by. Underlying causes would include poor policy and decision making, weak rule of law and poor governance. These loopholes in the Philippine bureaucracy have given opportunities to wise land speculators in the case of Busol Forest Reserve, to make their move at the expense of authentic ICCs/IPs who are being pressured and tediously made to prove their claims which consequently resulted to unabated degradation of the forest reservation. 2. Land conversion activities as a result of increasing unrecognized population, consequently ballooning unsettled claims, determines the rate of degradation of Busol Forest Reserve. The decline in the water quantity and water table as well as the cases of vanishing springs proves degradation in water yield aspect of the reservation. The history of contamination by non-fecal bacteria implies vulnerability of the water systems and abandonment of open water

sources by the communities and the water districts corroborate the severity of pollution problem being encountered in Busol Forest Reserve. 3. The respondents agreed on the applicability and importance of enumerated Cumulative Watershed Concept (CWE) benefits in Busol management, however, majority perceived the need for more and better understanding of the CWE concept which implies that the concept of CWE could be quite new to majority of the respondents but a practical and important concept in the management of Busol Forest Reserve and in watershed management here in the Philippines. RECOMMENDATIONS Based on the results of the study, the following recommendations are proposed: 1. As the degradation of Busol Forest Reserve came about due to lapses in policy making, weak rule of law and poor and conflicting governance, then these particular aspects must first be addressed if absolute solution to the degradation is needed. To possibly address lapses in the policy and decision making, it would be vital to give emphasis on bottom-to-top multi-sectoral participatory approach in the policy making and management planning processes. 2. Squatting, unregulated land conversion activities and unsustainable land uses leading to the deterioration of life support system of the Busol Forest Reserve are the direct problems in the forest reservation that would need both short and long term management approach. It is very much necessary for all authorities concerned such as the Supreme Court, DENR, NCIP, Baguio City government, La Trinidad Municipal government, Barangay LGUs, LRA and DAR to recognize and accept the existence of communities within the forest reservation vis--vis the need to conserve for its vital function as water source for Baguio and La Trinidad and at the same time its significant role in the Cordillera Administrative Regions critical watersheds. Subsequently, for the DENR, LRA, DAR, NCIP as well as the Baguio City, La Trinidad Municipal and Benguet Provincial assessor offices to harmonize for the immediate review and processing of existing tax declarations, titles/certificates and applications (title and tax declaration) to include ancestral claims and those covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) by coming up with a swift practical but efficient system, not burdensome to land title/certificate holders, IPs & ICCs and qualified prompt tax payers, but made to easily decipher fraudulent titles/certificates and applications. This is to be made to safeguard the interest of legitimate title holders and applicants and appropriately determine the real squatters, a vital data as basis later in any management planning. The need to revisit, harmonize and streamline all existing laws to effect a harmonious relationship of all offices, consequently effective collaboration and active participation of all other stakeholders towards a common goal is very much recommended. 3. With the continuous changes on the environment, due to natural and anthropogenic causes, and varying needs of the people, there is a need for policy makers and planners to seek ways to cope up with such changes for effective management. It could therefore be a best option to consider other management concepts and/or strategies such as the Cumulative Effect (CE) Concept and Cumulative Watershed Effect Concept (CWE) in the management of the Busol Forest Reserve. High agreement on CWEs benefits in the management of Busol by the respondents but with hesitation to consider it for immediate consideration for implementation means there is a need to extensively dissect the concept of CWE by all sectors including the academe to harness its promising potential in its application in the management of Busol Forest Reserve and for all other watershed in the Philippines. 1. CWE Based Holistic Model for the Management of the Busol Forest Reserve. A truly conserved Busol Forest Reserved would have productive land uses, adequate and clean potable water supply and other resources that could provide the same benefit for the future generation. The recommended model (Fig. 1) aims to organize all efforts and programs in the management of the Busol Forest Reserve. To realize a conserved Busol Forest Reserve

through this model, the following aspects need to be equally considered: theories and concepts, policies and laws and management technologies and programs. Furthermore, there should be a well defined goal conspicuous to all sectors and defined functions of all involved agencies should be transparent. Holistic approach through harmonized participation among all stakeholders would be required to have a sustainable Busol Forest Reserve management. Each of the stakeholders has responsibility that needed to be directed in harmony with each other through a system towards a common goal. It should be noted that any activities and/or undertakings, no matter how minute or big it would be, it would either directly or indirectly affect a system. A system is well coordinated if the various components are aware of each others activities (Wacangan, 2005). Therefore, this strategy of management model taking into consideration a concerted effort with clear vision of a truly conserved Busol Forest Reserve would lead us to manageable accumulated impact.
LGU/CITY GOVT

PO/ Community

COURTS/SC

DOST, NCIP. DENR

ACADEME LRA

GOVT AGENCIES

NGO POLICY MAKERS

CONSERVED BUSOL FOREST RESERVE (Sustainable Management) Figure 1. Recommended Model for a sustainable Busol Forest Reserve Management LITERATURE CITED Alfonso, G. M. 2005. Environmental Awareness and Problems Encountered by Farmers of Busol Watershed and Sto. Tomas Watersheds in Benguet. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet. Balonggaya, F. C. 1997. Perceptions on Forest Management Strategies in Busol Watershed. Unpublished Masters Thesis. Benguet State University. La Trinidad, Benguet. Cruz, R.V.O. 2001. Watershed Management Research in the Philippines: Needs and Priorities. Environmental Forestry Programme (ENFOR). http://www.enfor.com.ph/watershed. html. Accessed on July 19, 2009.

Gregorio-Reyes, J. J. 2006. Philippine Environmental Updates. http://www.bakernet.com /NR/rdonlyres/2006_IEC_Philippines_Country_Paper.pdf. Accessed on August 19, 2009. Laruan K. A., C. B. Bato and V. P. Veracion. 2000. Watershed Management Within a Multiple Use Forestry Framework. Unpublished Resource Paper. Benguet State University. La Trinidad, Benguet. Reid, L.M. 1998. Cumulative Watershed Effects: Then and Now. ttp://www.fs.fed.us/ psw/publications/reid/ReidWMC2001.pdf. Accessed on May 19, 2009. US-Office of Policy and Strategic Planning(US-OPSP). 1999. Environmental Review Procedures for Implementing the National Environmental Policy Act. ttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ sfa/domes_fish/operationalguidelines/ognepa_2166.html#section 3. Accessed on May 19, 2009. Wacangan, V.T. 2005. Community-Based Forest Management as a Strategy for Rural Development. Unpublished Ph. D. Dissertation. Benguet State University. La Trinidad, Benguet. Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WDT). 2007. Guidance for Conducting a Cumulative Effect Analysis. http://www.dot.wisconsin.gov /localgov/docs/landuse-cumulative. pdf. Accessed on May 10, 2009.