Event details
- Title: A Community-Government Compact for Sustainable Upland Enterprises and Ecosystem Services in the Upper Amburayan Watershed, Benguet Province
- Speaker: Jose Ernesto R. Wijangco. Director for Environment, Cordillera Hydro-Electric Company
- Date: 23 March 2026
- Time: 16:00 to 17:00 PHT (08:00 to 09:00 BST)
- Location: Online (Microsoft Teams)
The Upper Amburayan River Watershed is a critical hydrological and ecological zone spanning approximately 76,358.50 hectares (per DENR data) across six municipalities in Benguet Province:
- Atok
- Bakun
- Buguias
- Kapangan
- Kibungan
- Tublay
The watershed provides essential ecosystem services, including water provisioning for domestic use, irrigation, and potential hydropower. However, decades of land-use change, primarily the conversion of forestlands, especially mossy forests, to agricultural farmland, have precipitated significant environmental degradation. This has compromised the watershed's regulatory functions, leading to reduced groundwater recharge, increased surface runoff, and heightened vulnerability to soil erosion, landslides, and seasonal water scarcity.
The program is not a substitute for broad national policy reform or large-scale infrastructure projects. Instead, it creates the enabling conditions with evidence, incentives, and local governance mechanisms for sustainable management to be adopted and maintained by communities and LGUs, ensuring long-term impact beyond the project's direct timeline and budget.
Jose Ernesto "Ernie" R. Wijangco is a Filipino environmental management and rural development specialist with over 40 years of professional experience in the Philippines and internationally. He currently serves as Director for Environment and Corporate Social Responsibility at COHECO (Cordillera Hydro-electric Power Corporation) in Benguet Province, where he oversees compliance with the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources and helps maintain harmonious relations with Indigenous communities. Across his career, he has led and supported major programs in community-based watershed and natural resources management, biodiversity conservation, institutional capacity building, and environmental policy development for organizations including the United Nations and USAID. His work has involved managing multi-million-dollar forestry and livelihood initiatives, designing watershed and disaster-risk projects, and drafting environmental laws, standards, and technical guidelines. With a background in plant physiology and agricultural research, he combines scientific expertise with field implementation, community engagement, and program evaluation to advance sustainable resource management and support Indigenous and rural communities.