The designation of the Amburayan River as a Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) is one goal of the project, Protecting and Defending the Amburayan River Basin and Watershed through Good Governance and Active Peoples’ Participation. A WQMA designation would help ensure the river’s protection as well as provide a structure for the management of its resources.

One requirement for such a designation is the establishment of sampling sites for water quality monitoring. The Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation has been going around project areas in the provinces of Benguet, Ilocos Sur and La Union to validate possible sampling sites and coordinate with Local Government Units to determine issues and concerns which could impact the river’s water quality. This provides insights on the river’s uses and threats which could be the basis for administrative decisions and policies for Amburayan’s protection and development.

Protecting and Defending the Amburayan River Basin and Watershed through Good Governance and Active People’s Participation is a project funded by the USAID through the Gerry Roxas Foundation and is implemented by the Jaime V. Ongpin Foundation Inc. (JVOFI).