DENR calls for monitoring of fire-hit Cebu watershed

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has called for the continued monitoring of the 630-hectare Buhisan Watershed Forest Reserve in Toong, Cebu after a fire of yet an unknown cause hit the watershed Friday.

DENR-7 regional executive director Maximo O. Dichoso called for the cooperation of the community living near the tree plantations to help in monitoring the area, and help prevent forest.

On Friday, a team of foresters and guards and policemen responded to a fire alarm and conducted a site assessment after a staff of the Philippine Business for Social Progress alerted the DENR of the incident.

The team noted that based on the actual survey using a global positioning system, the fire engulfed around 800 square meters of the forest which is mostly filled with shrubs under the old Teak or Tectona grandis tree plantation.

The fire was put out after almost two hours.

Forester Ariel N. Rica of the Protected Areas, Wildlife, Conservation Zone and Management Services said his office could not determine as of this writing if the fire was accidental or deliberately done by an arsonist as the investigation is still in progress.

Buhisan Watershed Forest Reserve is a component of the Central Cebu Protected Landscape under Republic Act No. 9486 which was approved on June 7, 2007 that covers a consolidated area of 28,312 hectares.

Each year, an average of 10 to 15 hectares of mostly shrubs is affected by forest fires within the Buhisan watershed area.

Aside from BWFR, also covered by the CCPL are the Mananga Watershed Forest Reserve, Sudlon National Park, Central Cebu National Park and the Kotkot-Lusaran Watershed Forest Reserve located in the cities of Cebu, Talisay, Toledo and Danao, and in the municipalities of Minglanilla, Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, and Balamban. - PIA — ARA