The deforestation of the Maasin watershed area created problems
of water shortage in Iloilo City and the municipalities
along the pipeline of the Metro Iloilo water district, and
low productivity in the immediate environs of the watershed
area.
To arrest its further destruction, the province launched
a program to save the 6,000-hectare watershed.
Thousands of residents were mobilized to participate
in the massive tree-planting activity every start of the
rainy season.
Corporations, firms, NGOs, schools and other organized
sectors “adopted” their own portions of the
watershed to plant trees and maintain these year after year.
Residents became stewards and guardians of the watershed.
To lessen the dependence on the watershed for survival
and increase productivity, alternative livelihood activities
were provided.
