TABUK CITY (6 October) -- Acknowledging the efforts in the formulation of the Chico River Watershed Development Plan, Kalinga Governor Floydelia Diasen assured support of the provincial government "by working hand in hand "with the planners and implementers in realizing the plan.

In her keynote speech during the presentation of the master plan, the governor said that "it is indeed a great idea to come up with the Chico River Watershed Development Master Plan" as the "blueprint of all development programs on the Chico River watershed area". It will be our road map to sustainable development, she added.

The state of the Chico River at present is very alarming and that if this problems will not be arrested in the near future, we will be victims of floods, landslides, destruction of our rice fields, poor agricultural productivity caused by inadequate irrigation water and water pollution, she stressed.

She expressed the need for all concerned to converge and put their acts together to create a critical mass which is the key ingredient to sustainable development. She noted that agencies doing their thing independently can not sustain their respective activities and their endeavors have insignificant impact compared to joint efforts.

During the event, members of the working team from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Office and from the Provincial Technical Working Group presented the plan to the major stakeholders composed of the Provincial Development Council (PDC), agency heads, and concerned private sector and non-government organizations.

Geronimo Donaal, Provincial Development Officer and co-chairman of the technical working group said that the activity aims to present and discuss the draft master plan to the major stakeholders for them to understand and validate.