United Nations

Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

Pro-poor Water and Wastewater Management in Small Towns

Integrated Water Management in Baguio City PHILIPPINES

CONTENTS
SECTION 1: BACKGROUND ................................................................................................. 3 SECTION 2: PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS.......................................... 13 SECTION 3: OUTCOMES .................................................................................................... 24 SECTION 4: SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................................................ 27 SECTION 5: POLICY IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................. 28 SECTION 6: INFORMATION SOURCES AND VERIFICATION .......................................... 30 SECTION 7: CERTIFICATION ............................................................................................. 32

Note: The views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations Secretariat. Mention of firm names and commercial products does not imply the endorsement of the United Nations. This publication has been issued without formal editing.

SECTION 1: BACKGROUND
1.1. Name of the practice
Integrated Water Management in Baguio City, Philippines

1.2. Location
Baguio City, Philippines

1.3. Focus
Water distribution Water treatment Water conservation Drainage Wastewater collection Wastewater treatment Others (specify): Good local water governance Is this practice: Policy / legislative / planning-related Process / methodology / approach-related Technology-related Other (specify)

1.4 Scale of the practice

The total resources to complete this project amounted to PHP2,928,070 (US$56,309). 1 Of the total budget, 48.84 per cent was allocated to technical experts on cost recovery, legal issues and governance, 32.89 per cent for local water dialogues and 18.28 per cent for miscellaneous expenses.

1.5 Duration of the practice

The Sustainable Water Integrated Management and Governance (SWIM) project began in September 2004 and was completed in August 2005. The first local water dialogue in September 2004 was initiated by ICLEI: Local Governments for Sustainability, Southeast Asia (ICLEI-SEA) with relevant officials and Baguio local government departments, regional executives of national government agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs). The dialogue was followed immediately by a series of focus group discussions, which led to 21 more local dialogues in which 805 stakeholders participated. ICLEI-SEA is an NGO that works with local governments to improve global sustainability through local actions. The focus group discussions and consultations were highlighted at the Baguio Water Summit in Baguio City on 18 August 2005 and at the offices of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on 26 August 2005. The projects outputs were presented publicly at the summit, which was the culmination of the projects implementation. Stakeholders and civil society groups made a commitment at the summit to help achieve the SWIM projects eight-point agenda by the end of 2008. The neighbouring municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba also participated in the summit. Details of the project and potential replication were

At the time of implementation, USD1 = PHP52. By March 2007, the rate was USD1 = PHP48.55.

shared among 26 local governments across the Philippines in the final dissemination activity at the ADB. The practice is now partly operational, awaiting enactment of a Local Water Code, while the City Development Council (CDC) has approved the City Water Operational and Investment Plan 2005-2010. Some of the projects identified in the plan have already been funded and are being undertaken by the local government, the Baguio Water District (BWD) and NGOs. While the Local Water Code is being revised to include fees, as recommended by the mayor, local departments are implementing Executive Order No. 4 to pursue an institutional mechanism established during the project.

1.6 Socioeconomic environment

Baguio City has a total land area of 57.49 square kilometres, divided into 129 barangays, or villages. The landlocked city is in Benguet Province, bounded by the capital of La Trinidad in the north, Itogon in the east, and Tuba in the south and west. The developed section of the city corresponds to a plateau that rises to 1,400 metres, mostly in the citys northern half. The population as of 2005 was 280,756 and is expected to reach 303,540 by 2010. In May 2000 the population was 252,386, rising by 10.19 per cent from 1995 for a growth rate of 1.95 per cent a year. In 2005, the density per hectare was 159.43. The city has a very young population, with 65.5 per cent of residents aged below 30. There are about 53,261 households with an average 4.6 members per household, which is relatively fewer compared with the norm of 5.3 members per household in other cities in the Philippines. In Baguio City in 2000, the average annual family income was PHP163,085. The poverty rate was 8.8 per cent, compared with 41.9 per cent in surrounding rural areas. Compared with other provinces in the Cordillera region, Baguio City has the highest unemployment rate at 17.2 per cent of a total labour force of 199,000 in 2003, according to the National Statistics Office. The central business district is defined by dense commercial areas along the main thoroughfares. Outside the central business district are many urban poor or squatter communities at Irisan dumpsite, San Carlos Heights, Bontoc Village in Camp 8 and Sto. Rosario Barangay, among others. About 110 scavenger families who live at Irisan dumpsite make a livelihood by recovering solid waste materials. A survey of the area by the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc (JVOFI) in 2001 found that 73 per cent of the communitys population earned an average of between PHP1,500 and PHP4,000 a month. Women and children also work for additional income. As a result, the children are deprived of basic education, health care and play. 2 People at Irisan cite the lack of potable water as a problem. The children's ailments include coughs, colds, loose bowel movements and respiratory tract infections owing to unsanitary surroundings. Baguios economy thrives on tertiary economic activities and is particularly dependent on commerce and services that support a growing tourism industry. These activities generate substantial income for the city from business taxes as well as employment. Legitimate economic and business establishments number 15,353, according to the latest records (2005). The three main economic activities are retail trade (47.89 per cent), real estate (17.37 per cent) and services (17.20 per cent). Baguio is a prime tourism destination and a favoured venue for seminars and conferences because of its cool climate, natural environment and tourist attractions such as historical land marks, cultural and religious sites, and man-made tourism attractions. Parks and

JVOFI. 2002. Micro Targets in Macro Settings: People Led Waste Management. Philippines: JVOFI.

gardens are abundant, developed and maintained by the city government. The tourist influx peaks around the Baguio Flower Festival, or Panagbenga Celebration, in February (when the population reaches at least 1 million on some days), Christmas holidays and during the Christian Lent festival (when the population triples to at least 500,000 on some weekends). In 2005, 637,298 tourist arrivals were recorded, generating almost PHP4 billion in revenue. The city has 109 hotels, inns and lodging houses, with 4,687 rentable rooms. Additional revenue of PHP477,831,250 was made by real estate lessors and boarding house operators catering to local and foreign tourists. There are about 1,117 restaurants and cafes. 3 Baguio has a high literacy rate of 98 per cent, with various indigenous ethno-linguistic groups enriching the socio-cultural scene. The Ibalois, considered the original settlers, together with other Cordillera groups including the Bontocs, Kalingas, Ifugaos and Kankanais comprise about 10 per cent of the population. People of other ethnic groups from as far as Mindanao island are also increasing in number, bringing to the city distinctive ethnic cultures, religious beliefs, languages and lifestyles. The Indigenous People's Rights Act recognizes the rights of indigenous people over ancestral lands, and some indigenous people claim ownership of some parts of the Baguio watershed.

1.7 Access to water and sanitation services

Facts and figures on Baguio City water

Groundwater is the source of 85 per cent of the citys piped water supply. The rate of non-revenue water ranges between 38 and 45 per cent. Water consumption is increasing annually by about 2.9 per cent. Water sources are uncertain for 25 per cent of the citys population. Only about 19 per cent of household wastewater is treated.

Baguios residents have coped with water shortages, especially during summer, for years, as well as uneven access due to topographic differences and seasonal fluctuations in demand. In addition, characteristics of Baguios soil, which is mostly clay, make water recharging and absorption more difficult because of its low permeability. Water shortages are also related to deforestation. There are eight watersheds and forest reserves in Baguio, covering 5,749 hectares. The current ratio of forested areas and mixed urban land use is 33:67 per cent, which is below the optimum 60:40 per cent envisioned for the city. An additional threat to the integrity of groundwater resources and water security owes to the increase in privately owned wells 4 to respond to water shortages, irregular supply from the citys main pipeline, an unclear and reportedly weak regulatory monitoring mechanism regarding issuance of drilling permits, 5 and the volume of water extracted by these wells. The threat is already affecting the citys public health and productivity. As a tourism and educational hub and a regional centre, local economic security is also at risk. No agency or office gathers, synthesizes and analyzes data on water extraction in relation to issuance of permits for well drilling and water sourcing. Twenty-five per cent of the population, living in seven barangays, is not connected to the citys main water pipeline. Informal and registered water haulers complement the services of BWD, but the vendors sources are unchecked because there is no specific government
3 4

Baguio City Planning Office. 2005. Socio-economic profile of Baguio City. There is hardly any profile on the consumption rate and sources of water among commercial and industrial establishments not connected to the main pipeline. BWD record shows 498 wells as of 1995. 5 This applies to facilities with an extraction capacity of less than 30 litres per second. Beyond this, permits are sought from the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).

agency tasked to undertake monitoring. Various actors operating with their own parameters and according to differing technical capacities are involved in water quality testing. These include the city government through the Baguio Department of Health, and national government agencies such as the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Science and Technology. Per capita consumption for households connected to the main pipeline is estimated at 76 litres a day. This is below the national average of 100 to 120 litres per capita a day, based on interviews with the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA). The recorded consumption rate does not match the distribution capacity of the water district, which loses 55 litres per capita to faulty pipes, leaks and potentially illegal water connections. Residential users are the biggest consumers as they comprise most of the units connected to BWD. Big establishments have their own water-sourcing facilities (for example, Camp John Hay, the Processing Export Zone and Shoemart department store). However, the rate of water extraction and consumption is unknown. Due to the lack of specific policies and weak monitoring, there is no mechanism for information sharing between the local government and the business sector (industries, large commercial establishments, recreational facilities and private water-vending establishments). In collecting data for a situational analysis for the SWIM project, companies hesitated to provide data on water consumption. The quality of drinking water from BWD sources generally passes standards set by the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. Test results in 2003 do not indicate alarming data, but consumers periodically experience murky tap water 6 and residents are encouraged to boil water as a precaution. The emergence of refilling stations indicates a growing demand for potable water. Tests in selected sampling sites of non-BWD sources indicate the presence of E-coli bacteria, but no outbreak of water-borne diseases has been reported. Household waste is reported to be a significant source of water pollution. No record is available on the number of households with septic tanks. Only five of 11 communal septic tanks are functional. When filled, the communal tanks are de-sludged and the wastewater is treated at the citys sewage treatment plant. As of 2004, the citys government-run sewage treatment plant covered 19.4 per cent of Baguios total estimated household population. The target connection rate of the plant reached 82 per cent as of 2004, approaching the plants optimal capacity. However, the rate of untreated household waste is still high (estimated at 81 per cent). While most local industries and large business establishments are not connected to the plant, commercial establishments comprise 40 per cent of the connection rate. Pollution from remaining unconnected commercial and industrial establishments is significant. DENR Administrative Order DAO 35 s 1990 (Revised Effluent Regulations of 1990) attempted to address this concern by imposing a load-based pollution discharge fee from mid-2005. While problems with water quality have not been reported in Baguio, residents of downstream districts have experienced water-borne diseases caused by pollution upstream. 7 BWD charges water fees for connected users. Rates vary from PHP23 to PHP37.50 per cubic metre (m3) for residential units and PHP44.75 to PHP59.70 m3 for commercial users. Establishments and households connected to the treatment plant pay sewage fees separate
6 7

As of the last quarter of 2004, only 10 per cent of BWDs water was treated. A lawsuit was filed by the Benguet municipality of La Trinidad against the City of Baguio due to alleged severe water pollution caused by the direct discharge of sewage and untreated wastewater into Balili River. Waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, parasitism, dysentery, amoebiasis, colitis and typhoid fever were reported. Agricultural production in La Trinidad also declined as a result of pollution in the Balili River. (JICA, 1984)

from and in addition to their water bills. Additional costs are accrued in getting fuel to boil water and buying supplemental water from water vendors. The city subsidizes the treatment plant (financed by a Japanese Government grant), but the level of subsidies compared with fee collection has not been studied to date. Available data from the City Treasurers Office on fees earmarked for the operation and maintenance of the plant indicate that revenues overshot the appropriated budget in 2003 by 8 per cent (PHP0.56 million), with total revenues amounting to PHP7.56 million. However, total fees collected from the sewage treatment system in 2004 were PHP2.2 million (15.7 per cent) short of the targeted budget of PHP14 million. All domestic wastewater fees collected came almost exclusively from business establishments. Under Baguios tax ordinance (2003-04), firms cannot renew their business permits or acquire building permits if sewage fees are not paid in advance. In contrast, the existing fee structure and collection scheme for late-paying households does not contain adequate provision to improve the efficiency of fee collection. Households cannot be disconnected from the sewage service because untreated wastewater may overflow into the drainage system and the Balili River, creating an even greater health and pollution problem. Baguios water plans and programs are slanted toward watershed rehabilitation 8 and expansion, and maintenance of the treatment plant. The wastewater treatment system was constructed to provide full treatment of sewage and wastewater from residential households and commercial establishments covering 63 barangays. It consists of a wastewater treatment plant in Lucban Valley, which became operational in 1986. Wastewater is drained into sewers and the flow is transmitted to the treatment plant, which is designed to treat 8,600 m3 of wastewater a day, removing at least 85 per cent of pollutants. The plant is currently running at an average capacity of 8,900 m3 a day, removing 92 per cent of pollutants. Only secondary treatment is done at the plant (that is, treated water can be used for irrigation, street cleaning and other domestic purposes, but not for drinking). Except for the grant to the city government to establish the treatment facility, BWD mostly accesses grants and loans for water supply expansion and rehabilitation through LWUA.

1.8 Institutional structure

The city council is empowered to provide the local regulatory and policy framework for local water governance, by virtue of the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160). The code stipulates that local government units shall ensure efficient and effective provision of the basic services and facilities like health services, communal irrigation, small water impounding projects, and other similar projects, fish ports, artesian wells, spring development, rainwater collectors and water supply systems, drainage and sewerage, and flood control, and similar facilities. Letter of Instruction 683 (1978), Establishing Basic Policies for the Water Supply Sector, articulates the national policy of establishing self-help and self-reliant water supply projects. Letter of Instruction 744 provides for a program to establish communal water pumps in areas not covered by the water district to be jointly funded by the national and local governments. Section 458 of RA 7160 authorizes the City Legislative Council to regulate ground drilling and excavation for the laying of water, gas, sewer and other pipes and the construction, repair and maintenance of public drains, sewers, cesspools, tunnels and similar structures. The Local Government Code empowers the local chief executive to adopt measures to safeguard land, mineral, marine, forest and other resources of the city.

Baguio City, Medium-Term Development Plan, 2001-2004.

Related national laws with implications for local regulation, monitoring and standards include the following. (i) The Water Code of the Philippines (1979) vests upon the National Water Resource Board (NWRB) the authority to grant permits for the appropriation of water (water rights) for any purpose except for family domestic purposes. The code specifies the guidelines for granting water permits as well as the obligations of those permits. The Provincial Water Utilities Act 1973 (PD 198) authorizes the formation of local water districts and specifies their powers and duties in the sourcing and distribution of water as well as sewage. PD 768 (1975) amends PD198 and states the power of the mayor to appoint the board of directors of the local water district, provided that at least 75 per cent of the total active water services connections of a local water district are within the boundary of any city or municipality. Otherwise, the appointing authority shall be the governor of the province where the water district is located. Code (PD 856) on Sanitation (1975) provides standards for drinking water and requirements in the operation of sewage works and treatment plants. The Clean Water Act of 2004 (RA 9275) covers water quality management in all water bodies, focusing mainly on the abatement and control of pollution from land-based sources. Under the code, the mayor is to be a member of the Area Water Quality Management Board. The Ancestral Domain Act (PD2146) declares that all water sources are environmentally critical areas and within the scope of the environmental impact statement system under PD 1586. DENR Administrative Order 96-37 requires all development proponents to comply with a two-stage environmental impact assessment review process. The local government unit has the authority to grant or not grant permits for water-sourcing projects that fall within its jurisdiction should the project have negative impacts on the citys resources.

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

Local policies and ordinances cover mandatory water quality testing for water refilling stations, mandatory connection to the sewage treatment plant for new establishments, watershed protection and the establishment of cisterns for new buildings. A draft Local Environment Code is awaiting review, revision and adoption. An ongoing review of the codes water section will be based on the citys integrated water resource management framework (developed through the SWIM project) and will be harmonized with the current water situation report. The City of Baguio acknowledged the highly sectoral orientation in its institutional response to water governance. Except for watershed management, interagency collaboration is taskbased (for example, water quality testing, technical assistance in water infrastructure development and ad-hoc meetings for river basin management). Interrelated issues of water supply and access, water quality and public health, poverty and the environment, and water financing have not been mainstreamed in the local management process. Before implementation of SWIM, no single agency coordinated local water policy-making, planning and actions. There was no integrated water management plan, no common repository and no coordinated collection and use of information on water.

As part of the project, the roles and mandates of agencies in Baguio were reviewed and clustered into the following groups. 9 (i) Policy formulation, regulation and control are shared between the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), DENR and the City Council. Water quality management and pollution prevention are performed by many agencies. Water testing is done by DENR (the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau), the city governments Department of Health, the Department of Science and Technology, BWD and the City Environment and Parks Management Office (CEPMO). There is no integrated water quality testing scheme, especially for sources not tapped by the water district. The sewage treatment system is managed by CEPMOs Liquid Waste Management Division and the City of Baguio. This arrangement results from the recent merging of the Public Utilities and Services Office with CEPMO. CEPMO takes charge of operations and maintenance of the facility while the City Treasurers Office handles the annual billing and collection of fees. The City Accounting Office deals with disbursements and accounting of funds. (iii) River basin management and watershed conservation are shared by the DENR and the city government (the Department of Health and CEPMO). A Busol Watershed Council is multisectoral in composition and needs to be activated. There is also an ad hoc task force for the Balili River rehabilitation project. Flood control and risk mitigation are shared by the City Engineers Office, the Department of Public Works and Highways and DENR. Water supply services are largely managed by BWD, complemented by JVOFI and the initiatives of barangay leaders. JVOFI is involved in community-based water system projects in areas that cannot be served by the local water district. To date it has covered four barangays in Baguio (Happy Hallow, Atok Trail, Apugan and Irisan). Information, education and networking are dealt with by DILG and DENR. Coordination, monitoring and evaluation, investment planning and resource mobilization are key functions of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO) and the National Economic and Development Authority.

(ii)

(iv)

(v)

(vi) (vii)

In the light of institutional weaknesses, the city issued Administrative Order No. 461 on 3 November 2004 to formalize the creation of an interagency body for local water governance. The project management team comprises the mayor as chairman, a councillor as vicechairman, the City Planning and Development Officer as the action officer, and the City Environment Officer as the head of the secretariat. The teams main role is to evaluate and approve the recommendations of the SWIM projects technical working group, assist implementation of approved policies and action areas, and recommend funding support for prioritized and approved water programs. Proposed amendments to the Administrative Order describe a more detailed arrangement at the executive level, where the CPDO serves as the secretariat and lead offices from the city are assigned to working groups with partner agencies from the national government. The team will eventually serve as a mayoral

Stakeholders workshop, Baguio City, November 2004. ADB-assisted PDA for Local Water Governance.

advisory body on water issues, and could become a Water Governance Board mandated by the Clean Water Act. (See Section 2.6 for more information on the technical working group).

1.9 Key partners

Baguios city government is the main actor in the SWIM project, in partnership with ICLEISEA. ADB financially supported the project. Under the project, the following working groups were created. (See Section 2.6 for more information.) Table 1: Project working groups Working groups 1. Overall water resource assessment, supply and source optimization 2. Water resource assessment 3. Water sourcing and supply optimization Lead convenor CEPMO-Liquid Waste Management Division DENR-MGB Department of HealthHealth and Sanitation Division BWD CEPMO-Liquid Waste Management Division Department of HealthHealth and Sanitation Division CEPMO-Liquid Waste Management Division CEPMO-Solid Waste Management Division Co-convenor DENR-MGB DENR-ERDS BWD

4. Sustainable water consumption 5. Overall water quality management and sanitation 6. Local drinking water quality

City Building and Architecture Office DENR-EMB Department of HealthHealth Operations Division Department of HealthHealth and Sanitation Division Designated by the Citys Solid Waste Management Board and the technical working group Department of Public Works and Highways Department of Public Works and Highways Designated by the Zoning and Land Use Board DPWH and designated representative from the City Disaster

7. Liquid waste management

8. Solid waste management

9. Overall flood and disaster management 10. Infrastructure development 11. Land use, zoning and urban development 12. Flood and disaster vulnerability assessment

CEO City Building and Architecture Office CPDO-Plans and Programs Division CEO

10

Coordinating Council 13. River systems management working group 14. Watershed management CEPMO-Liquid Waste Management Division CEPMO-Forest and Watershed Management Division City Mayors OfficeBarangay Affairs Office City City Building and Architecture Office City Building and Architecture Office City Public Information Officer Barangay Affairs-City Mayors Office City Schools Supervisor CPDO CSWDO-Community Development Division CPDO-Plans and Programs DENR-EMB DENR-Forest Management Service DILG Officer

15. Barangay Water Access Management

16. Government-owned infrastructure 17. Private buildings

CHD-Health and Sanitation Division DENR-EMB Pollution Control Division PIA City DILG Office Department of Education NGO Partner-TBD City DILG NEDA-Economic and Infrastructure Division

18. Media advocacy 19. City government and barangay officials localization and mobilization 20. Education (formal and informal) 21. Private sector and non-government sector networking and partnership-building 22. Community preparation 23. Resource mobilization (external)

1.10 Needs addressed

Available safe water is increasingly threatened as demand grows, groundwater is overextracted, water basins are polluted and global warming affects freshwater resources. Urbanization, population growth and tourism combine to increase water demand. In view of limited water resources, there is a great need for a regulatory framework and integrated plan for sustainable water use, equitable access and improved efficiency of water suppliers. Local governments have both direct and indirect responsibility for the water security of their communities and are central in setting and acting on local water agendas that contribute to global water sustainability. With urbanization, good local water governance emerges as a need to cope with increasing demand for steady supply and access to safe water in the short and long term. Urban local governments are also responsible to manage demand through efficiency measures to (i) ensure equitable access across sectors (for example, the poor, other residents and the business community), (ii) sustain investments in water infrastructure through viable cost-recovery and financing schemes, and (iii) protect the integrity of water resources. With this in mind, local governments need mechanisms to shape policies, design systems and implement and steer coordinated actions to support an integrated water plan. 11

Until the SWIM project, Baguio did not have an integrated water plan or regulatory framework on water governance. No single agency coordinated local water policy-making, planning and actions. The result was a fragmented perspective. Operations for water services and resource management were divided, coordination among key sectors was weak and water security was at risk. Poor regulation and monitoring, and a lack of information about water sourcing and extraction, diminished planning for future water development projects. Water quality monitoring was uncoordinated, risk management was overlooked and risk factors were not outlined and communicated to ensure public health and safety. These factors also impeded the city in mapping risk management measures. The absence of an integrated local water regulatory framework could be partly blamed for water resource depletion. A local mechanism to share responsibilities with NWRB was needed. Allocation of water rights, especially for domestic use, was imperative in light of the threat of unregulated and increased well-drilling of groundwater resources. This threat has alerted local government management staff to the need to diversify water distribution systems and sourcing, and reduce inefficiencies in distribution and consumption. It was proposed that BWD be a technical partner in assessing workable and sustainable access mechanisms in all of Baguios barangays that were not connected to the main pipeline. Challenges on the roles of NWRB, LWUA and the Department of Health were to be defined and addressed. Capacity building and facilitating inter-agency coordination go hand in hand with a sound regulatory framework. The SWIM project was intended to bring together various stakeholders in water production, distribution, waste water treatment, monitoring and regulation to exchange information and coordinate with regard to their activities and mandates to improve local water governance. A partnership was to be formed between the local government unit and BWD as part of the institutional mechanism (AO 461).

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SECTION 2: PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT AND OPERATIONS

2.1 Initiation, planning and design
The SWIM projects primary focus was institutional and policy development interventions for water management in Baguio City. The city government used its powers under the Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code, to initiate a radical local water governance reform, supported by ICLEI-SEA. The aim was to create an integrated local water agenda and management scheme at the local government level. The projects pilot demonstration activity on local water governance was co-funded by ADB and executed by ICLEI-SEA from September 2004 to August 2005. The project was intended to enhance links between and among stakeholders involved in water management, and implement synchronized initiatives to improve water supply and quality. Specific targets for capacity building were the CPDO and the Public Utilities Sector Office, which manages the citys water treatment plant. Baguio City joined ICLEI in 2003. The city affirmed its commitment to participate in ICLEIs water campaign through Administrative Order No. 461 (3 November 2004). As a participant in the campaign, the city has committed to (i) conduct an inventory and forecast of impacts of water issues, (ii) set goals and targets to improve the citys water conditions, (iii) prepare a local water agenda to meet goals and targets, (iv) implement the agenda, and (v) monitor and evaluate progress in implementing the agenda and meeting the goals. As an initial step, the city government developed a framework for decision-making and authority whereby the needs and interests of all water users were to be represented fairly and transparently. The desired outcomes were better integration of institutional actions and policies on water security, and greater participation by local government, civil society, the private sector and local communities in managing the local water resource base. The Local Agenda 21 planning process used for the project recognizes the role of local governments in convening stakeholders from the government, community and business sectors to engage in participatory processes and consider the short and long-term impacts of local plans, policies, programs and operations on social, economic and environmental assets. This process was instrumental in sustaining the interest and commitment of stakeholders to participate in the project, and it enhanced partnerships, notably between BWD and the city government. Table 2: Overview of project planning What to prepare? What activities to undertake? Situational analysis State of the Water Report (2004) SWIM technical working group CPDO, Project Development and Evaluation Division CWGC Late June / early July 2004 15 July 2004 Who will prepare / submit? Who will consolidate? Who will receive the report? By when?

Mayors Office Planning and Resource Mobilization (Local Water Security Agenda) Budget call with attached progress City Budget Mayors Office to approve the 13 Department

15 July

report and proposed water investment priorities Proposed departmental water development plans and activities for the next calendar year Annual city water operational and investment plan Proposed annual city water departmental work program and budget Program development and external resource mobilization for proposed activities not incorporated in the citys departmental budgets

Office

budget call document

heads

2004

Lead convenors of working groups

SWIM technical working group

CPDO, Plans and Programs Division City Budget Office

CWGC for adoption or approval Mayors Office and CDC

Department heads

SWIM technical working group

SWIM technical working group (especial working group on external resource mobilization)

External support agencies, national sources, discretionary funds of councillors, congressional funds, special education fund, local health fund, etc. CDC for approval

Between 15 July and 15 October 2004

Proposed consolidated city water annual budget

Mayors Office

Between 15 July and 15 October 15 October 15 December 2004

Legislative Council for review with the Local Finance Committee for budget hearing/ deliberations Annual water work program with approved budgets Legislative Council Mayors Office, then to the Department of Budget and Management Budget Authorization DBM, then to Mayors Office Department heads CWGC

31 December 2004

Early January 2005 January 2005

Update on funded programs and activities for the

SWIM technical working group

CPDO

14

annual water plan (locally and externally resourced activities) Annual State of the Water Report with approved annual budgets/ secured resources and work program Plan implementation Budget execution for city budgets All agencies Beginning of 2005 CPDO with SWIM technical working group The City Mayor, City Water Governance Committee January 2005

Monitoring and evaluation Annual monitoring plans, water plans and budgets Water goal achievement evaluation report State of the Citys Water Report Mid-term City Water Operational and Investment Plan SWIM technical working group SWIM technical working group, CPDO CPDO-Plans and Programs Division CPDO CWGC End of June 2005

SWIM technical working group SWIM technical working group SWIM technical working group

CWGC, CDC

CPDO

CDC, Regional Development Council

Every three years

2.2 Practice in operation

A series of consultations from September 2004 to August 2005 resulted in (i) the State of the Water Report, (ii) a mid-term operational and investment plan, (iii) an institutional mechanism and (iv) the Local Water Code. The water report finalized in 2004 as a situational analysis indicates a move toward transparency and information sharing across sectors. It became the basis for capacity development and devising a local water agenda, regulatory framework and organizational mechanism. The report also will serve as basis for establishing a monitoring and tracking system to support evaluation and further planning. The information generated by the report facilitated the formulation of water goals for 2005-2008. The goals refer to concerns such as equitable access to safe water, reducing negative impacts on groundwater resources, improving water basin conditions, reducing vulnerability to floods and other water-related disasters, optimizing resources and making responsive plans and programs for water, adopting the Local Water Code, and creating a functional local water coordinating and governance mechanism. An eight-point water agenda was adopted. It seeks to do the following.

15

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii)

Ensure sustainable access to safe water for the remaining 25 per cent of the city's population that do not already have it. Reduce non-revenue water from 38-45 per cent to 20-30 per cent. Increase forest cover in all watershed areas around Baguio City by at least 20 per cent. Reduce waste in Balili River by 25 per cent and reduce BOD levels by 15 per cent. Optimize investments for the city's water treatment facility and expand coverage of connection to prevent pollution. Mainstream gender issues and apply community-based approaches in water management. Enact a common water agenda and adopt a Local Water Code. Harmonize actions and work together towards water security.

The City Water Operational and Investment Plan 2005-2010, approved by the CDC, notes action areas and indicative resource requirements. At least 93 per cent of the estimated resource requirements relate to water infrastructure. The remaining 7 per cent relates to the environment, human development and development administration. Investment priorities budgeted PHP258.185 million for a water infrastructure program and PHP15.37 million for a water research, planning and development program. A portion of the projects identified in the investment plan have already been funded, and are being pursued by the city government, BWD and NGOs. Separately, BWD is implementing a PHP780 million rehabilitation and expansion program funded by an Australian loan to cover 147 kilometres of water lines in the aim of increasing coverage from 60 per cent currently to 80 per cent. Two barangays were expected to gain fully operational access to the piped system by July 2007 (five barangays are still not connected). This will increase by 10 per cent the number of households served by the piped system. The rehabilitation of the pipeline, including an intensified campaign against pilferage, had reduced non-revenue water by 5 per cent at the end of the third quarter of 2006. Administrative Order No. 461 (November 2004) initiated the working arrangements for the project. Executive Order No. 04 (2005) legitimized the City Water Governance Committee (CWGC) and its technical working group, thus putting into effect an implementation framework and mechanism to operationalize the SWIM project. A Guide to City and National Government Office Functions for Baguio City complemented this order. The office functions listed in the guide were drawn from the stakeholder consultations and local water dialogues. Administrative Order No. 066 (2005) created the Local Drinking Water Monitoring Committee. The Baguio Association of Purified and Mineral Water Refillers (BAPMWR), initiated by the Department of Health to promote easier monitoring of drinking water quality, formed in February 2005 and has 208 members. Task Force Balili, headed by DENRs Environmental Management Bureau, was revitalized to conserve and protect the Balili River and its watershed. The Baguio Regreening Movement and the Regional Multisectoral Forest Protection Monitoring Committee aim to protect and rehabilitate the city's forest and watershed areas and raise awareness about the links between water security and forest cover. The citys draft Local Water Code outlines the enabling national and local policies for the city government to address quickly the water needs of present and future citizens. The code is under review by the city council's Committee on Laws to determine how best to integrate the fee structure. Issues in the code include the following. (i) A City Water Resources Board (CWRB), a regulatory body of the CDC and a deputized agency of NWRRB, will be created to attend to local water concerns, specifically in granting water rights. The local government unit will have authority 16

to grant or not grant permits for water sourcing projects that fall within its jurisdiction should the project have negative impacts on the citys resources. The city government should be able to respond to water concerns and act appropriately in a timely manner before water resources are depleted. The CWRBs creation is authorized by the Local Government Code 1991. (ii) Local water permits will be issued for all types of drillers and excavators, including households. They are intended to address the proliferation of extractors and control indiscriminate wastewater dischargers. The Local Government Code 1991 designates the city government as a co-custodian of water resources within the citys territorial jurisdiction. The city has to keep track of extractive and polluting water operations without sacrificing minimum water service requirements of the city. Water establishments will be required to produce an annual environmental monitoring report to complement provisions in DENR Administrative Order 96-37. The requirement attempts to address weak monitoring and evaluation of water establishments that have secured permits to operate. The report would be part of applications to renew business permits and would aid in improving environmental compliance in the longer term. In the interim, a memorandum of understanding with NWRB would address the policy enforcement challenges confronting the city. The memorandum is important to bridge any gaps should the city not succeed in adopting the Local Water Code within the target timeframe. A local environmental water user's fee will be imposed as a prerequisite on yearly payments of real property taxes and business permits for water extractors and waste dischargers. The fees can be used to fund local water projects. Water access options will be diversified through the local water business permit system, where connection to the water district is not feasible.

(iii)

(iv)

(v)

The mayor has officially endorsed integration of the City Water Operational and Investment Plan into the city's medium-term development plan for 2006-2010.

2.3 Challenges and responses

A significant challenge in ensuring the success of this project was to manage the risks of political change during the projects timeframe. The process had to ensure sustained interest and commitment of stakeholders to participate in the reforms. The dialogues proved critical in sustaining interest and building commitment. Organizing information in order to streamline reforms was difficult, especially when proposed reforms ran counter to politically-charged decisions. Other specific challenges and responses are addressed below. A constant dialogue was needed among stakeholders to enable local government authorities to adapt perspectives and mechanisms from a sectoral approach to an integrated approach. Gradual expansion of stakeholder groups involved in the dialogues (from government, to the private sector and then to civil society) allowed for changes in perspectives to sink in among local government team members, who then influenced other stakeholders to promote an integrated approach. However, the involvement of more stakeholders slowed the progression of the dialogues. Water information disclosure was very sensitive and had to be handled delicately. The dialogues consistently pointed to water supply and access as the main issues for discussion, indicating dissatisfaction with current water services. As more stakeholders became engaged, different claims and perspectives were added to the situational analysis and then validated. The analysis then allowed the technical working group to link the water agenda 17

with land use, solid waste, basin management, infrastructure (for example, drainage) and socio-economic planning (for example, water access). Process management was central to ensure sustained interest and an expansion of stakeholders and to overcome resistance. Process management expertise was especially required to resolve contentious issues (such as dissatisfaction over the performance of water districts) and to direct dialogues toward designing better management systems, roles and functions. The executing agencys neutrality was important in assuring participants that the project was not politically motivated. It was also important to clarify at the Baguio Water Summit that the city undertook the project because of its commitment to the ICLEI water campaign. Communicating this information was particularly important in engaging private sector partners who would potentially be affected by any policies on water fees and bids for water supply services. Resistance to integration depended on how offices and officers related to each other. This poses a great challenge for the designated coordinating office to perform its functions. Getting the executive order adopted entailed an arduous process of ensuring agencies understood their mandates and roles, as a basis for rationalizing relationships among various entities. Documentation of agreements was important to secure political support. Meeting fatigue had to be managed so that stakeholders remained engaged. The dialogues had to reiterate the message that the push for reform was geared toward improved coordination with national agencies and water districts, water users and water polluters, as well as local interpretation of national laws to ensure efficiency in water services and protection of water resources. Facilitated discussions and a clear understanding of the direction of the dialogues were critical. The notion of subsidizing water was evident in the dialogues. Helping stakeholders to understand the difference between the value and the cost of water (supply, access, treatment and resource protection), and that free water services are not sustainable, was a challenge. The projects cost recovery section helped to highlight sustainable water financing in water governance.

2.4 Focus on the poor

The SWIM project was not specifically geared to directly improve access of the poor to water. Rather, it focused on good local water governance as a base consideration to address water security. Access by the poor to safe water, however, is a necessary byproduct of good local water governance based on participation by multisectoral groups and village representatives. There is no clear indication that water tariffs have been reduced for the poor as a result of forming a water haulers association, but the poor do now have access to safe quality water. The Baguio City Water Code refers to indigenous and community based management as a principle covering the recognition of effective traditional practices in the development, utilization, management as well as the right and duty of local communities to conserve and protect the water resources within the city jurisdiction. Another principle in the code refers to efficient and equitable access, referring to participatory and transparent management, including support for an effective water users association, involvement of marginalized groups and consideration of gender issues. Indigenous and community-based management is reflected in the investment priorities in terms of local networking and coordination with other barangays to monitor water quality through a community volunteer project to guide sustainable water consumption, as well as community-based watershed management which targets women as water managers. Efficient and equitable access is reflected in the investment priorities through the water infrastructure program, which includes water 18

sourcing, promotion of sustainable water consumption, reduction of non-revenue water, prevention of pollution and disaster management and a water governance and institutional mechanism encompassing transboundary water, watershed councils, a water management and information system, and a water advocacy program. BWD has identified three possible sites for the development of a Level 2 water system for the poor: Saclit Village (part of Asin), Cordillera Village (part of Quezon Hill) and Buyog Watershed, near Dreamland subdivision. The planned Level 2 system is intended to service 150 households.

2.5 Finance
The SWIM project cost $47,000 to produce five major outputs. Baguios local government provided a small amount for holding some of the dialogues. An in-kind contribution of staff time was made by the city government and the regional government representative. Half the costs were fees for technical experts while 20 per cent was spent on workshop and training activities and dialogues. A significant contribution of SWIM is the mainstreaming of sustainable water financing in the citys water governance strategies. Sustainable water financing incorporates cost recovery and polluter pays principles in the design and implementation of water programs and projects, especially those that are capital intensive. Reforms have implications for improving collection systems and setting fee structures that internalize access, sanitation and resource management. An important finding is that users are willing to pay for safe water and steady supply. Willingness to pay is related to understanding the benefits of sewage services, water recharging and preservation. In the barangays not connected to the main pipeline, the cost of water ranges from PHP400 to PHP1200 a month. However, weak understanding of the actual cost of water (access, cost-recovery and environmental damage) and the perceived efficiency of water services affect willingness to pay. A cost recovery study of the citys sewage treatment facility provided some basis for sustainable water financing, based on willingness to pay and groundwork to improve financial systems. This action would pave the way for a much larger investment opportunity to finance capital-intensive water infrastructure to achieve water security in the long term. For the sewage treatment facility, the following findings are supported by the regressions results: Low-income households (less than PHP10,000 in monthly income) are willing to pay only PHP40.62 (PHP9.99 less than the average). However, households that already know that a sewage facility exists are wiling to pay PHP20.32 more than the average (individuals are willing to pay more if they are aware of what they are paying for and are able to assess the benefits). This result suggests that better collection can be expected if people are better informed about the treatment facilities and related services. Currently, CEPMO has programs where students tour the facilities, but more campaigns to inform the general public of the existence and benefits of a sewage treatment plant should be strengthened. Meanwhile, households with the worst water quality are willing to pay PHP3.89 more for water (this can be seen to stem from dissatisfaction or a greater need for wastewater services) while households with more toilets are willing to pay only PHP0.81 more than average (indicating that the number of toilets does not correlate with greater willingness to pay). A proposed Local Water Environmental Trust Fund aims to establish a revolving fund through mandatory contributions from water operators. This mechanism would be based on corporate responsibility for the use and pollution of water resources. Setting the fee structure may be difficult, especially if the national government imposes other proposed water-related 19

fees. Resistance is also anticipated from users and water operators. An initial assessment of investment requirements indicates that 93 per cent of payments would be needed to support infrastructure. A benchmark range of 0.4 to 7 per cent could be set for the fund. Strengthening the role of the Local Finance Committee will significantly assist sustainable water financing by ensuring greater financial accountability. Consistent with its mandate stipulated in the Local Government Code 1991, the Local Finance Committee conducts a review before loan applications related to water infrastructure are considered by the City Legislative Council, or Sanggunian. Cost-recovery schemes need to be in place before the committee seeks approval for any loan guarantees, applications or grants. The committee will ensure that priority water programs and projects are included in the citys annual budget. Sources of water financing may come from different sectors including the regular departmental operations budget, the socioeconomic sector (poverty alleviation and basic small-scale water supply projects), the infrastructure sector (medium to large-scale projects), the environment sector, development administration, the local health fund (for water potability), a special education fund, fees and charges from existing water and sanitation utilities, and support funds from national agencies and external support agencies. Immediate action points include (i) improving CEPMOs capacity to manage the sewage treatment plant, (ii) intensifying collection and inventory through the barangays, and (iii) instituting a centralized database collection and revenue system for fees related to the treatment plant.

2.6 Legal structure

(i) The City Water Governance Committee The CWGC operates within the CDC to assist in functions related to water development planning and management, policy review and advocacy. The CWGC assists the council to give priority attention to the citys water security agenda. The committee is based in the CPDO. Its specific functions include, but not limited to, the following.

Upon the SWIM technical working groups formulation and review of proposed waterrelated programs, projects and activities, policies and resource requirements, the committee was to endorse the water development and investment plan and send it to the CDC for approval by the City Legislative Council. Ensure that proposed water programs and policies are consistent with the citys water priorities, development plan and national development thrusts, and address the citys water issues updated annually in the Citys State of the Water Report. Harmonize the local executive and legislative agenda for water resource management and governance. Execute the plan, decide and act on the recommendations of the SWIM working group. Endorse to local special bodies such as school and health boards any priority water investment programs that fail to secure appropriations from the annual budget. Support the mayor as chairman of the CWGC and CDC in justifying plans and proposed budgets to the CDC and the City Legislative Council. In matters concerning inter-local governmental and regional arrangements, review issues and endorse decisions to the mayor as a member of the Local Area Water 20

Quality Governance Board, should this body become functional as mandated by the Clean Water Act, and other city representatives sitting as members of regional bodies such as, but not limited to, the Regional Multisectoral Mineral Protection Committee. (ii) The SWIM technical working group The SWIM technical working group acts as the technical committee and coordinating group of the CWGC charged with overall coordination, consolidation and harmonization of the citys water plan components and activities. Tasks include, but are not limited to, informationexchange, agenda harmonization, monitoring and evaluation, priority-setting and investment programming, policy review and advocacy, and water profiling. The group is based in the CPDO and led by the Program Development, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. NGO and private sector participants may be invited by the working group to participate in discussions, planning, monitoring and evaluation. Aside from its mandated functions, the working group articulates agreements made at group meetings, reports progress to the SWIM CPDO, communicates agreements to the relevant agencies and working groups, participates in reviews (for example, project proposals, environmental impact assessments and environmental monitoring) and attends meetings convened by the CPDO. Within the technical working group, there are three general categories of working groups and subgroups, organized as follows.

Resource management: This category deals with overall planning, coordination, management and evaluation of the citys water resources, covering different types of water (for example, groundwater, surface water). In particular it is responsible to prevent depletion of groundwater resources as the citys main freshwater source and other potential sources (such as river systems) while enabling access to safe water and ensuring water security. Core functions include water resource evaluation and assessment, technical support, policy review and advice, enforcement and evaluation, tracking of agreed-upon key water resource indicators and targets, and direction-setting. The working groups within this category provide technical and programmatic advice to the SWIM technical working group and/or the CWGC on integrated water resource management and governance. Area-based management: This category covers geographic and ecosystem planning and management units. It deals with area-based planning to include problem and measures analysis and identification, preparation of plans and project proposals, assessment of the impacts of proposed interventions, plan implementation and monitoring, advocacy, policy enforcement and regular reporting of progress to the SWIM technical working group. The working groups in this category are based on distinct areas identified by the technical working group. Social mobilization: This category covers cross-cutting and enabling functions, namely media advocacy, education, partnership-building, resource mobilization, community preparation and local government mobilization. Actions that enable stakeholders to perform their tasks and contribute to water security include capacity building, awareness-raising and advocacy activities, localization, resource mobilization, partnership-building and networking.

The lead convenors of the working groups are based in city government offices while the coconvenors are mostly staff from national agencies. The heads of subgroups do not necessarily come from the citys offices. Aside from core members, the groups may also include non-government and private sector representatives as necessary. Secretariat functions are performed by the city offices serving as lead convenors.

21

Lead convenors are the main staff of city government agencies and divisions in charge of specific water issues. They are authorized to act on behalf of the mayor to perform regular functions for the SWIM project. They may be called upon by the mayor, the SWIM technical working group or the CGWC for any information related to water concerns. A convenor outlines meeting agendas and ensures the participation of relevant agencies. He or she may reconstitute their working group according to issues for discussion and is responsible to ensure appropriate representation from other working groups and agencies as necessary. Lead convenors are core members of the SWIM technical working group. Co-convenors assist in the tasks described above. Most of the working groups have national agency representatives as co-convenors, mainly from DENR. The purpose is to ensure harmonization and a clear understanding on national and local enforcement policies, programs and resources. Co-convenors are core members of the SWIM technical working group. The secretariat of each working group is based in the lead convenors agency.

2.7 Stakeholder accountability

The rationale for the working groups and subgroups is based on several factors. Specific issues or projects require specialized analysis. The city government recognizes the importance of organizing experts and advisory groups in aid of deeper analysis and assessment of local policy and decision-making. Assigning specific issues to a working group strengthens institutional accountability and ensures continuity in addressing and resolving issues. Regular activities to assure accountability increases institutional wisdom in making informed decisions and sustained actions. In the SWIM project, the city government recognizes the challenges in implementation and, by setting up the groups, acknowledges the competencies of national agencies and affirms the role of civil society and private sector stakeholders as important partners in achieving an integrated water plan for the city. The SWIM project has enabled CEPMO to improve and shape its role since 2004, when it was set up. CEPMO is now is the biggest office of the city government, with 324 employees. CEPMO has rationalized the functions of the CWGC in relation to the CDC, the proposed Area Water Quality Governance Board (of the Clean Water Act) and the other water-related task forces. The creation of a Local Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Committee within Baguios Local Water Quality Management Group and existing watershed task forces were clarified. The significant role of the Local Finance Committee was strengthened. (See Section 2.5)

2.8 Community involvement

Almost all sectors, including the private sector, NGOs, the media, academics, national agencies and village heads participate in the technical working group and its subgroups. Special workshops were conducted specifically for the leaders of the 129 barangays in Baguio affected by water service problems. They were consulted on potential solutions and their roles in implementing the eight-point water agenda across the city. The village leaders made a commitment to continue to advocate for the SWIM project and mainstream water issues in their local planning. This commitment was declared at the Baguio Water Summit in August 2005. The summit and a final dissemination activity held at the offices of the ADB highlighted the focus group discussions and consultations conducted for the project. The projects outputs were presented publicly at the summit and stakeholders pledged to help achieve the eightpoint agenda by the end of 2008. The neighbouring municipalities La Trinidad, Itogon, 22

Sablan and Tuba participated in the undertaking. The final dissemination activity involved representatives of 26 local governments across the Philippines assessing potential replication of the project elsewhere. Twenty-two local water dialogues were conducted from September 2004 to August 2005. These dialogues were central in mainstreaming and democratizing the project, essentially steering stakeholder participation and consensus-building on reforms and mechanisms. The dialogues allowed intersectoral, multisectoral and community-based stakeholder groups to set up protocols for communication, coordination and problem-solving. The consensus gained on the need for water reforms strengthened the push for political officials to adopt the reforms.

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SECTION 3: OUTCOMES
3.1. Effectiveness
Actions to lock in political commitment for water governance reforms included (i) gaining an executive order that adopted the citys eight-point water security agenda and the implementing mechanism, (ii) gaining endorsement and approval for the draft local water ordinance, approved by the City Council on 15 May 2006, and (iii) gaining endorsement for the $1.3 million water investment plan for 2005-2010 from the CDCs Executive Committee. The mayor endorsed 80 per cent of projects in the water investment plan for prioritization and inclusion in the citys 2006 annual investment plan. A budget was allocated for 2006 as a mobilization fund for transboundary water and watershed co-management with the municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba, convened by the City of Baguio. The Busol Watershed Council which oversees management of the Busol watershed has expanded its role to cover seven other city watersheds. BWDs implementation of the PHP780 million rehabilitation and expansion program funded by an Australian Government loan has so far increased by 10 per cent the number of households served by the piped system. Of seven barangays, San Carlos, Irisan and part of Asin are not served by the system. Rehabilitation of the pipeline, including an intensified campaign against pilferage, had reduced non-revenue water by 5 per cent at the end of the third quarter of 2006. The City Health Services Office (CHSO) initiated the formation of the Baguio Association of Purified and Mineral Water Refillers (BAPMWR), which is intended to prevent unscrupulous practices among its 208 members. Members are encouraged to be truthful in labelling their products, especially in terms of sources, pricing and quality. With CHSO, the association conducts regular inspection of all drinking water refilling stations in the city to ensure compliance with health and sanitation guidelines. In a resolution on 23 August 2006, the association asked the city government to enact an ordinance creating a regulatory body to address problems caused by some unscrupulous refillers. Issues include reasonable pricing, operating without a business licence, incomplete purifying or mineral water systems, false advertising regarding medicinal attributes, misrepresentation of water sources and lack of a sanitary permit. Water haulers have organized to address the needs of the seven barangays, or 25 per cent of the population, without access to water. They coordinate with the citys Water Quality Monitoring Board on regular testing of water sources to ensure the quality of water being delivered. The SWIM project has encouraged the interest of stakeholders to analyze other options in water sourcing, particularly rain water, to limit groundwater extraction which may result to subsidence. Moreover it has increased the awareness and understanding of stakeholders about the need to regulate water resources. Partnerships have been forged with the water district and barangays and coordination has improved among NWRB, LWUA, NGOs, media and the business sector. Civil society participation in water governance is provided for in the policies and institutional mechanisms established. Local government staff used the framework for planning and project development, which serves as a model for the citys planning process. As an aside to the consultations for the situational analysis, the city profiled barangays not connected to the main water pipelines. Village leaders have since become program champions and made a commitment to help implement the water development agenda in their village development plans.

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3.2 Efficiency
Funds were used efficiently, according to the ADB-approved budget lines. Lack of expertise at the local level meant technical experts had to be hired, accounting for 48.84 per cent of fees and services. Workshops, training and focus group discussions sought to keep extraneous expenses to a minimum.

3.3 Innovation
The SWIM project is an investment in establishing a common ground for working together as a team at the local level. This project invested in shifting mindsets from a sectoral approach to an integrated approach. Mainstreaming SWIM sought to see stakeholders recognize (i) the environmental impacts of water supply and sourcing, (ii) access issues and (iii) the need to account for the cost of services and resource depletion. With growing demands that complicate the management of growth, mainstreaming SWIM aimed to enable stakeholders to understand the risks and threats of human actions (for example, inefficient water use, deforestation, mining activities and increased pollution, poor planning and poor drainage systems) and natural phenomena on water sources, public health, productivity and local economic security.

3.4 Unexpected outcomes

Key stakeholders who participated in the focus group discussions initiated other local actions and policies that are supportive of the SWIM project, as follows. (i) Ordinance No. 01, 2006, which declares June to September each year as Citywide Tree Planting Months. (ii) Ordinance No. 03, 2006, which encourages city residents to plant fruit-bearing and other trees. (iii) The citys Ecological Solid Waste Management Plan is being prepared, based on RA 9003. (iv) The city enrolled in the City Development Strategy Project, where SWIMs findings on the state of water were corroborated. Expert advice reiterates the need for the regulation and monitoring of water extraction. (v) Ordinance No. 3, 2005, which institutionalized gender equality and development. (vi) Continuous local media coverage of water-related issues and concerns.

3.5 Expansion of the practice

Baguio is pursuing talks on transboundary water with the neighbouring municipalities of La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba, which share geo-political jurisdiction over the citys watersheds. This move was well-received by municipal leaders and augurs well for interlocal government collaboration on water issues.

3.6 Key operational lessons learned

The framework for local water governance should not assert that water resources within a local government's political jurisdiction are solely owned or controlled by the local government. Rather it should demonstrate that local managers and leaders are working together to resolve conflicting demands, balance competing interests and harmonize global and national policies so that local communities improve their quality of life. Owing to the complexity of water governance, there is a risk that local governments may ignore their responsibilities, especially where sources are already stressed, or claim power to decide rights to water resources within their jurisdiction.

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The consistent participation of national agencies in the SWIM project, notably NWRB, LWUA, DENR and BWD, was crucial in the process. Their participation shed light on working arrangements between local and national governments. One milestone was the proposed creation of a CWRB as a local special body envisioned to complement the capacity of NWRB to attend to local water concerns, specifically in granting water rights.

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SECTION 4: SUSTAINABILITY
4.1 Degree of sustainability
Baguios city government has adopted the SWIM project as a core program, which is now included in its development plan and planned to be integrated in barangay development plans. Exchanges and deliberations of different stakeholder groups resulted in an extensive list of the roles and mandated functions of the different offices involved in water issues. These offices now better recognize the institutional challenges to perform their functions effectively and efficiently. CDC approved the City Water Operational and Investment Plan 2005-2010, with investment priorities budgeted at PHP258.185 million for a water infrastructure program and PHP15.37 million for a water research, planning and development program. A portion of the projects identified in the investment plan has already been funded and is being pursued by the local government, BWD and NGOs. Approval of the investment plan ensures that envisioned activities will be funded and implemented.

4.2 Achieving greater sustainability

It is urgent and necessary that the Local Water Code be enacted and implemented as the framework policy of sustainable water integrated management and governance. Without the code, implementation of the reforms initiated by SWIM will depend largely on the commitment of individuals and organizations that participated in its formulation. Budget allocation for priority water investments will be compromised if locally elected officials are not convinced of the urgency of the water governance reforms. BAPMWRs proposal for an ordinance to create a regulatory body to address issues of standards among drinking water refillers should be pursued to eliminate unfair competition and ensure the distribution of safe drinking water.

4.3 Challenges ahead

Changes among elected local government officials as a result of elections in 2007 may affect the momentum of the reform, depending on whether reform supporters remain in their positions. Among the eight issues in the water agenda plan, the proposal to increase forest cover in all watershed areas in Baguio by at least by 20 per cent will be very challenging given the presence of illegal and moneyed settlers in large portions of six of the eight watersheds (Buyog, Camp 8, Lucnab, Crystal Cave, Sto. Tomas and Busol). The Crystal Cave Forest Reserve, proclaimed in 1922, no longer serves its purpose because it is now a residential area. The citys efforts to evict and relocate illegal settlers have so far been unsuccessful. In the Sto. Tomas Forest Reserve, the largest of these watersheds in terms of area, 70 per cent of its 3,121 hectares is classified as denuded. Sto. Tomas Rain Basin, one of BWD's water sources, is located in this watershed. More land in the city has been converted to residential, commercial and industrial use without regard for maintaining green spaces for infrastructure needs and vegetation and forestry purposes. Decreasing vegetation and forest cover diminish the land's water-holding capacity, rate of absorption and recharge, which can further aggravate the availability of freshwater resources. The enactment and implementation of the Water Code remains an issue.

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SECTION 5: POLICY IMPLICATIONS

5.1 Potential for replication
The networking and dissemination activities resulted in four other local governments (Naga, Bohol, Palawan and Iloilo City) also adopting water agendas during the project timeframe. Naga adopted a four-point priority agenda for 2005-2007 to minimize waste flows to the Naga River. Bohol Province sought to improve water access and supply, and to institute an integrated water governance mechanism. Baguio, La Trinidad, Itogon, Sablan and Tuba agreed to revive a coordination mechanism and share responsibility for all watersheds and river systems within their government areas. ICLEI-SEA strongly advises local governments that wish to replicate the mechanisms introduced by this project not resort to cutting and pasting the outputs. The outputs are customized to Baguios needs, dynamics and topography. Designing mechanisms to respond to local conditions would require stakeholders gather together and institute mechanisms that could work for them. This is the essence of institutional development.

5.2 Expansion
ICLEI-SEA has lined up potential activities to scale up the lessons learned from the PDA. Resources are being mobilized to undertake the following. (i) Continue the local water dialogues in the Philippines and elsewhere in Southeast Asia and beyond. Collective water actions by local governments underpin ICLEIs water campaign to protect water as a global good. Explore twinning opportunities with other regions in Africa, Australia and South Asia). ICLEI-SEA intended to disseminate lessons learned from the PDA in 2006 to the World Water Forum in Mexico, ICLEIs World Congress, and the Mayors Asia-Pacific Environmental Summit in Australia. Through these venues, ICLEISEA hopes to strengthen partnerships with other ICLEI offices and facilitate twinning arrangements with local governments in other regions. Strengthen private sector partnerships with participating local governments. The PDAs success in integrating partnership-building in the institutional development process is worth using in other water governance projects. The concept of transforming stakeholders into shareholders would be interesting to pursue to lock in corporate responsibility in water and sanitation, and water supply and access, and strengthen market-based mechanisms for sustainable water financing. Introduce the Water ecoBudget as an environmental management tool to ensure continual improvements in local water governance within more local government areas. The budget builds on financial budgeting procedures that were initiated in Europe and trademarked by ICLEI-Europe. It is a system for steering the economic use of natural resources and environmental quality that allows local governments to predict, plan, control, monitor and report the use of natural resources. The idea is to manage natural resources in the same way and as economically as artificial resource money, without using monetary values.

(ii)

(iii)

(iv)

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5.3 Necessary changes in policies and institutions

Given the complex and dynamic concerns pertaining to water governance, policies and institutions need to be open to changes that promote integration, coordination, participation of various stakeholders and sharing of limited resources straddling geo-political boundaries. Seemingly weak knowledge among local officials regarding powers and authority over water management and regulation highlights an urgent need for capacity building and participatory processes. A concern is that it is a common practice of local government officials in the Philippines to replicate good initiatives such as SWIM without consideration for the context. For example, they may not encourage and organize participatory processes, such as those used for SWIM. Where this happens, failures occur and poorly constructed reforms can be difficult to unravel. There is a need to rationalize the inter-relationship and working arrangements of existing and prospective intersectoral bodies that deal with water issues, respecting existing local government structures and processes, optimizing the competencies of different offices and agencies, harmonizing national-local agency functions and mandates, and strengthening the conduct of mandated functions. An institutional mechanism should be put in place as a guide for local and national implementers to note accountability issues for improving local water governance; to aid partnership-building and coordination; to access technical support; and to set the mechanism in motion. Local governments need to be guided by the principle of user pays or polluter pays to enhance accountability in water usage. The movement toward self-reliant local governments factors in cost recovery as a key element of good local water governance. Applying the user pays principle will increase the responsibility of users. User charges will serve as an incentive to conserve water and can be used to rehabilitate denuded watersheds and maintain the sustainability of water resources across generations. There is a need for local governments to formulate Local Water Codes as a proactive approach to local water governance.

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SECTION 6: INFORMATION SOURCES AND VERIFICATION

6.1 Contacts
Ms Cordelia C. Lacsamana, OIC-CEPMO, [email protected], (m) 63-920-9618-744 Mr Salvador Royeca, Assistant Manager, Baguio Water District, [email protected], (m) 639183087037, (b) 074-4424-228 Cr Erdolfo Balajadia, Sanguniang Panglungsod, Baguio City Hall Ms Nelly Olairez, President, BAPMWR, [email protected], (m) 63-927-2044-188 Ms Maria Rosario Lopez, Executive Director, Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation, [email protected] Mr Rolando C. Reyes, Chief, Pollution Control Division, EMB-DENR-CAR, [email protected], (m) 63-921-6404-176 Mr John C. Retuya, DMO III, CPDO, City Planning Office, City Hall, Baguio City Ms Hanita F. Banez, OIC Assistant Department Head, CEPMO, (m) 63-915-5706-313 Mr Raymundo Q. Ruaro, PEO III, CPDO, [email protected], (m) 63-919-3604-755

6.2 Sources of information

SWIM Project Report. 25 October 2005. SWIM List of Annexes, Vol. 2, Part 5. 26 August 2005 DENR Administrative Order 35. 1990.

6.3 Additional information likely to become available

Documentation of the legal structure Documentation of financial arrangements Budget information Documentary evidence of success in achieving the practice's objectives Documentary evidence of impacts on and benefits to the poor Other

6.4 Gaps in available information and documentation

There are data gaps on poverty and the situation of the poor mainly because the poverty data of Baguio City is consolidated with the province of Benguet. In addition, most of the data provided by the city was not updated. With yearly updating of the water situation analysis and the maintenance of a water information database, the data gaps could be quickly addressed.

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6.5 Verification
The documentation process began with a consultation with Victorino E. Aquitania, the Regional Director of ICLEI-SEA in Manila. He provided a briefing on the project, copies of the final report and annexes, and the contact details of key stakeholders (see Section 6.1). A half-day focus group discussion was held with this group on 16 January 2007 at the CEPMO office. Visits were made to the Busol and Buyog watersheds, noting the extent of illegal settlers in the area.

6.6 Independent evaluation

No independent evaluation has been made of the practice. The results were shared with various stakeholders at the Baguio Water Summit and an ADB meeting in August 2005.

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SECTION 7: CERTIFICATION
7.1 Starting and completion dates
This documentation work began on 27 December 2006 and was completed in one month.

7.2 Principal author and contact details

Ms Minerva G. Gonzales Board of Trustees, ESCR-Asia Rm. 6, Mezzanine Fl., Manila Observatory Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights, Quezon City (b) 4265921/114 (f) 4266141 Email: [email protected], [email protected]

7.3 Relationship of author with the practice

The consultant has a strong relationship with ICLEI.

7.4 Certification of documentation

I/we certify that to the best of my/our knowledge this documentation provides an accurate account of the practice named in Section 1.

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