BM Lammawin proposes Kalinga watershed law - ₱5,000 fine, 1-year jail for violators

TABUK CITY, Kalinga — Board Member Camilo T. Lammawin Jr. is pushing for the passage of a landmark ordinance that would establish a Provincial Watershed Management Council (PWMC), saying the measure is vital to protecting Kalinga's water sources, forests, agriculture, and environment for future generations.

Lammawin, chairperson of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Committee on Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Energy, sponsored the proposed ordinance, which was deliberated during the regular session of the Kalinga Sangguniang Panlalawigan on July 24, 2026, at the Provincial Capitol in Bulanao, Tabuk City.

According to Lammawin, Kalinga's watersheds are among the province's most valuable natural resources and require a unified, long-term management system to ensure their protection amid growing environmental threats.

Entitled "An Ordinance Establishing the Provincial Watershed Management Council (PWMC) in the Province of Kalinga, and for Other Purposes," the measure seeks to institutionalize a coordinated, science-based, and ecosystem-oriented approach to managing the province's watersheds, river basins, forestlands, and related ecosystems.

The proposed ordinance recognizes watersheds as critical life-support systems that provide clean water, sustain agriculture, protect biodiversity, strengthen climate resilience, reduce disaster risks, and support long-term economic development.

Under the measure, it is declared the policy of the Provincial Government of Kalinga to protect, conserve, rehabilitate, develop, and sustainably manage its watersheds for the welfare of both present and future generations.

A key feature of the proposal is the creation of the Provincial Watershed Management Council, which will serve as the province's primary policy-making, coordinating, and advisory body on watershed management.

If approved, the council will formulate policies, coordinate watershed protection programs, monitor implementation, identify critical watershed areas, oversee rehabilitation projects, promote reforestation and biodiversity conservation, and integrate watershed management into provincial and municipal development plans.

The ordinance also mandates the preparation of a Provincial Integrated Watershed Management Plan within one year of its effectivity. The plan will include watershed profiling, environmental assessments, conservation strategies, climate adaptation measures, Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSP), monitoring mechanisms, and financing strategies.

To strengthen environmental protection, the proposed ordinance prohibits illegal logging, kaingin, illegal quarrying and mining, unauthorized occupation of watershed areas, improper waste disposal, water pollution, destruction of riverbanks and riparian vegetation, wildlife destruction, illegal hunting, unauthorized construction, and other environmentally destructive activities.

Violators may face fines of up to ₱5,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both, in addition to liabilities under existing national laws. The measure also authorizes the suspension or cancellation of permits and licenses of violators.

The ordinance further provides that initial implementation will be funded through the Provincial Government's supplemental budget, while succeeding appropriations will be incorporated into the province's annual budget. It also requires the formulation of the Implementing Rules and Regulations within 90 days after the ordinance takes effect.

The proposed ordinance remains pending before the Kalinga Sangguniang Panlalawigan for further deliberation. Once approved on final reading, it will be transmitted to Governor James S. Edduba for action in accordance with the Local Government Code.

This version gives Lammawin a stronger leadership role while emphasizing why the ordinance is important—protecting Kalinga's water security, forests, agriculture, and future development—rather than simply describing its contents.