Dr. Vida Carandang and Dr. Rex Victor Cruz, along with the team, met with the Sangguniang Bayan of San Gabriel LGU to present the Situational Analysis of San Gabriel and to discuss the Memorandum of Agreement between the Municipal Government of San Gabriel and the DOST-PCARRD funded UPLB project “Institutionalization of Guidelines on Watershed Integrated Area Land Use Planning Towards Resiliency” (WILUP). The meeting was held on October 10, 2022, with Vice Mayor Ramolito Guinomma and members of the Sangguniang Bayan, including the Chairman of the Land Use Committee, Mr. Jerry Fernandez, in attendance. Some municipal key officials as core members of the TWG, such as MENRO, MAO, MDRRM, and Tourism Officer, are also present at the discussion.

Dr. Rex Cruz emphasized once again the significance of the Ridge-to-Reef Approach to Watershed Management in drafting land use plans for San Gabriel.  As stated by the watershed expert, the management decision in San Gabriel should be based on the goals and objectives of the watersheds that encompass the municipality. From the Situational Analysis prepared by the WILUP Team, Dr. Cruz underlined the watersheds that encompass San Gabriel and their brief profiles. The Baroro Watershed, Amburayan, Bauang, and two smaller watersheds, Gatay and Maragayap, are among the five watersheds within the LGU of San Gabriel. Scientific principles should be employed in developing management plans, particularly zoning plans within these watersheds. Therefore, San Gabriel LGU should be aware of it in order to craft plans that are best suitable for their area. In addition, Dr. Cruz stated that San Gabriel LGU should validate the area’s existing land use and should outline targets for future use.