Sustaining the Buhisan Watershed

Platform for Collective Engagement

Buhisan Watershed

Cebu is a bustling metropolis which contributes more than a fourth of the Philippines’ economy with its export processing zones, ICT centers, tourist spots and other foreign and local investments. But this mini-archipelago of the Visayas is perhaps even more blessed to have surrounding rich coastlines and watersheds, allowing it to be more self-sufficient than its neighbors.

One of its ecological treasures is the Buhisan Watershed and Forest Reserve located within the 28,300-hectare Central Cebu Protected Landscape (CCPL). While it is the smallest of the five protected areas within CCPL covering only 631 hectares, the Buhisan Watershed performs an important function for Metro Cebu’s socio-economic stability.

It supplies water to the 106-year-old Buhisan Dam, the first water system that was built in Cebu to provide clean water for the people and effectively eradicate the spread of cholera, a water-borne disease that became the primary cause of death during the early 1900s. It is the only surface water source in Cebu operated by the Metropolitan Cebu Water District.

With more than 100 species of plants thriving in the watershed’s hills and woodlands, the watershed is also a natural sanctuary for various species of butterflies, making it a favored spot for conservation and a viable site for sustainable eco-tourism projects.

However, this watershed is continuously haunted by threats of water shortage for the past 25 years. Denudation drained its aquifers since it could no longer hold water to sustain the city’s growing demand. A study revealed that by 2030, Metro Cebu will eventually run out of water if efforts are not carried out immediately. Poverty remains high in its four barangays, namely: Buhisan, Pamutan, Sapangdaku, and Toong.  If these current statistics continue to dwindle, Cebu might face a future even bleaker than what it is prepared for.

It was in 1989 when the Cebu City government called for the direct involvement of the business sector on the rehabilitation of the CCPL. Years later, PBSP started with its annual reforestation caravan as the business sector’s response to environmental protection. In 2008, the Save the Buhisan Watershed Project was launched to help sustain the water supply for Metro Cebu, improve the lives of poor households through alternative and eco-friendly livelihood opportunities, and transform the watershed into a sustainably managed eco-tourism destination. Through the project, PBSP created strong links among stakeholders for the provision of livelihood options and enterprises, capacity building of communitybased organizations, governance, and environmental rehabilitation.

 Through the project, PBSP mobilized 17,000 volunteers to plant more than four million tree seedlings in over 1,670 hectares. The project engages four upland people’s organizations in raising endemic and native seedlings which have provided additional income. Communities are further involved in the maintenance of the reforestation sites. Close to a thousand employee-volunteers participated in tree-planting caravans, making the project a sustainable demonstration of the private sector’s consciousness to engage in business responsibly.

Now, the project has become a driving force for local barangays to take serious measures towards including environment protection in their policies as well as for companies to become more conscious about the environmental impacts of their business operations as a nudge towards sustainability.