The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) spearheaded the Philippine Water Week that takes place on (23-29 March), as part of the local observance of the World Water Day.

The 814th Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Squadron is one of the non-government organizations that participated in one of the major activity that the DENR –XI had lined up.

The national observance of the World Water Day and the Philippine Water Week carried a global theme of “Shared Water, Shared Opportunities” with the local theme of “Makibahagi at Pagyamanin, Tubig Natin”.

The local theme highlights the importance of collaboration among various sectors as it presents the importance of water as a natural resource that needs to be protected and sustain ably developed.

One of the major activities of the observance of the Philippine Water Week is simultaneous national clean up of our major rivers last 29 March 2009. For Davao, the clean up was undertaken at the Davao River particularly covering the areas from Bolton Bridge downstream.

The 814th Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary Squadron believed the importance of the advocacy and responded to the call of the office of the DENR-XI along with the various organizations of private, government sector and the academe.

The concerted action of the various organizations aims to send strong encouragement and gather support from everyone in the protection and preservation of the country’s decreasing quality of water resources.

This important resource of life may continue to decrease its quality if not averted from indiscriminate activities in the river basins that result to pollution of water resources and improper disposal of solid and liquid wastes into our rivers, lakes, canals, streams, marshes, and swamps that eventually contaminate ground aquifers and coastal waters. (CDR ALBERT D CAHILOG PCGA)