Negros’ Bateria Watershed benefits residents

 Nestled in the heart of Negros Oriental, the 8,000-hectare Bateria Watershed is a vital natural resource that sustains the lives and livelihoods of over 48,000 residents across 15 barangays in Guihulngan City.

Rich in biodiversity and flowing with life-giving water, this watershed supplies clean drinking water, supports irrigation for farms, and nurtures the socio-economic growth of local communities.

 The watershed’s importance extends beyond the land — it drains toward the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, a marine biodiversity hotspot declared under Republic Act 11038. This ecological connection underscores the crucial role of the Bateria Watershed in both upland and coastal ecosystem protection.

 To ensure its sustainable development, the National Convergence Initiative for Sustainable Rural Development was launched in the area through the collaborative efforts of the departments of Agriculture, Agrarian Reform, Environment and Natural Resources, and Interior and Local Government. Guided by Joint Administrative Order No. 1, Series of 2020, the initiative aligns government efforts to address poverty, protect the environment, and empower communities.

 Part of this convergence effort is the Department of Agrarian Reform, which has distributed 3,378 hectares of land to 4,602 Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

These beneficiaries, organized into cooperatives, have received critical support through the Belgian-funded Integrated Agrarian Reform Support Program.