Bukidnon Watersheds: The Main Life Support System of Mindanao? by Raoul T. Geollegue 1 Considered the watershed of Mindanao 2 , the Province of Bukidnon fittingly deserves the tag - the main life support system of the Island. The myriad of springs flowing from its tall mountains nourish and define the lay of the land around it: the foaming white waters cascading the northwestern slopes of Mt. Kitanglad dug the precipitous ravines and canyons to Macajalar Bay; the salug river flowing from the high reaches of pantaron range shaped the river bends meandering towards Davao Gulf; and from the mountain ranges in the south, pulangi river created the gullies that drain to the fertile plains of south- central Mindanao. There it joins Kabacan river to form the famous Rio Grande which first settle across the vast expanse of liguasan marsh before emptying into the Moro Gulf. The quality of life support system that watershed provides is measured in terms of quality, quantity, and timing of water generated. Technical people uses the acronym QQT for brevity. And not just QQT but the right QQT. For water is not desirable if it is polluted (Quality), if it is not enough to meet our needs or if there is more than what is wanted (Quantity) and lastly, if it is scarce when needed (Timing). Watersheds therefore are managed for sustained delivery of water at the right QQT. Watersheds are natural divisions of the landscape . It is the sum area of land from which water can drain, via a river system to a common outlet point which could be a larger river, lake or the sea. Following this definition, the province of Bukidnon has six major watershed divides drained by Tagoloan, Cagayan, Agusan-Cugman, Davao-Salug, Pulangui (Upper and Lower) and Maridugao Rivers. Discharge from these river systems drain into 3 cities (Davao City, Cotabato City and Cagayan de Oro City) and 4 provinces (Davao del Norte, North Cotabato, Lanao del Sur and Misamis Oriental). 3 The people of Bukidnon and a large population of the surrounding provinces depend directly on the mountain watersheds of the Province for water to grow food, generate energy, propel industrial growth, meet domestic needs and provide protection from natural hazards like flooding. This dependence is anchored primarily on the ecological, economic, socio and cultural functions of the watersheds A watershed densely covered with multi-layered forest trees naturally retains more precipitation than barren slopes. But more of a rule than an exemption, most watersheds in Bukidnon, just like any typical watershed in the country today, are wanting of forest cover. Their slopes had given way to extensive commercial plantations of pineapple, banana, and corn, swidden agriculture and expanding settlements. Timber poaching and encroachment had degraded the headwaters of Cagayan, Maridugao and Lower Pulangi rivers while land mis-use and unsustainable farming had marginalized the mountain headwaters feeding Tagoloan and Salug-Davao rivers. Without forest cover, the integrity of these watersheds as a life support system is compromised. 1 Former DENR Regional Execuve Director, currently consultant in Protected Area Management Planning and Integrated Ecosystem Management 2 Source: Wikipedia 3 Cecille M. Egnar, Situaoner on Watershed Systems in Bukidnon and its Effects to the Neighboring Provinces 1