Bangsamoro to share control of water resources with gov’t agencies, LGUs

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer File Photo

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The future Bangsamoro entity would not have sole jurisdiction over its inland water sources that flow into areas outside of it, according to government chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, citing the contents of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro and the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law.

“For lakes and rivers whose waters cascade down to other municipalities, the jurisdiction over these facilities shall be shared with all the relevant agencies and adjoining local governments,” Coronel-Ferrer said in a media statement.

Earlier, senators sought clarification on who would control waters under the Bangsamoro entity, particularly Lake Lanao – Mindanao’s largest source of electricity.

Ferrer said in the case of Lake Lanao or other hydropower plants that connect to national transmission grid, it would remain under the supervision of the national government even during the full functioning of the Bangsamoro autonomous entity.

But she said that the local governments of host communities to the power plants would continue to get their share from resource use fees.

“Moreover, there will be cooperation and coordination between the two levels of governments (national and Bangsamoro) to ensure harmonious and effective utilization of the waters.”

She said that under the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, the control of waters used for power generation was specifically relegated to the national government.

“The responsibility for the protection and management of Lake Lanao, being an inland water within the Bangsamoro, belongs to the municipal and provincial local governments, as well as that of the regional Bangsamoro government,” Coronel-Ferrer said.

She said the national government and the Bangsamoro government would cooperate and coordinate in the protection and management of the lake and other inland waters through an intergovernmental relations mechanism, which would be put up.

Coronel-Ferrer said the provision in the BBL, which said the Bangsamoro would have the authority to regulate power generation, transmission and distribution referred to future power generation in the form of mini-hydropower plants and the like, which would not be connected to the national transmission grid.

She said the BBL was also specific on water supplies and services, flood control and irrigation systems in the Bangsamoro.

“According to the provision, when these systems connect to or from outside the Bangsamoro, all concerned governance bodies shall coordinate,” she said.

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