A new study has found that collecting a modest environmental fee from local tourists visiting resorts in Calamba City and Los Baños, Laguna could generate up to P159.2 million annually to fund groundwater conservation efforts in Mt. Makiling.

In the study titled “Potential Contribution of Tourism for Groundwater Conservation in Mt. Makiling, Philippines”, published in the Philippine Journal of Science (PJS), researchers from the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) estimated that visitors are willing to pay an average of ₱75 per trip as an added water user fee.

“While water is generally considered a renewable resource, groundwater is a special case because its recharge rate is variable. It can be as short as days or as long as hundreds of years. In the case of Los Baños and Calamba, almost all resorts use groundwater, which they pump from the ground for their pools and bathrooms. They do not pay for groundwater based on the volume they consume. This is cheaper than if they source water from the water district, which they will pay on a cubic meter basis,” said Dr. Margaret M. Calderon, project leader and UPLB researcher, in an interview with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Using an online contingent valuation survey, the study assessed tourists’ awareness of water sources and their willingness to pay for conservation. Based on the findings, Calamba’s resorts alone could generate around P151.13 million per year, while Los Baños resorts could raise P8.39 million annually from such fees.

“It represents the amount that visitors are willing to pay to support water conservation efforts and the protection of Mt. Makiling, which supplies the groundwater and is heavily relied upon by the local tourism industry,” explained Dr. Vanessa M. Palma-Torres, one of the study’s co-authors.

Under the proposed setup, half of the collected fees would go to pool water quality maintenance, while the other half would be directed to Mt. Makiling conservation.

Researchers also noted that while many resorts regularly check for leaks, only a few practice wastewater reuse or treatment. Some private resorts were found to discharge used pool water directly into streets without proper filtration.

“Conserving natural water resources, such as groundwater, is critical not only for human survival but also for the health of ecosystems that sustain life. As a researcher, I see water not just as a resource to be used, but as part of a larger natural system (like Mt. Makiling) that regulates and renews it,” Dr. Palma-Torres said.

The UPLB research team has presented its findings to the local governments of Calamba and Los Baños, as well as to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), urging policymakers to adopt evidence-based water management measures.

“We strongly encourage the LGUs to adopt and leverage the findings of our study. Our primary goal is to inform local policies through science-based evidence. While this study offers important initial insights, we are also proposing a follow-up water accounting and policy advocacy initiative,” Palma-Torres added.

The study was published in the April 2025 issue (Vol. 154, No. 2) of the Philippine Journal of Science, managed by the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute.