Personnel of the Iloilo Watershed Management Council started today the training on Watershed Reporting to capacitate them in the planning and monitoring of status of watersheds in Iloilo.

The provincial and municipal environment offices and technical staff from selected watershed boards are participating in the main training of trainers for the use of the handbook on the State of the Wateshed Reporting (SoWR), the first in the Philippines, according to environmental planner Elmer Mercado, who was commissioned by the Canadian Urban Institute (CUI) in the Philippines to prepare the SoWR.

A CUI press release said that Mercado will be joined by Toronto Conservation Authority Watershed Management Specialist Gary Wilkens in facilitating the training. 

CUI project Officer Jerilee Cameña said the sessions which will run from January 22-24 and will culminate with a round table discussion on “Convergence and Collaboration: Strengthening Inter-LGU Alliances and Inter-NGA Convergence.” 

She added that the round table discussion is part of the on-going efforts of the Metro Iloilo Guimaras Bioregion Initiative on knowledge-skills transfer to partner agencies. 

Expected to attend the training are CUI Vice President for International partnerships Andrew Farncombe and Country Program Manager for the Philippines and South Pacific, Asia Branch of Canadian International Development Agency Luke Myers.*PIA