DOST ensures water security in Baguio and La Trinidad thru groundwater recharge facility

From the DOST public archive. Original source publication date: 2025-08-15. Captured 2026-09-04. Read the original DOST source.

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The Department of Science and Technology turned over two facilities that will enhance the water security of Baguio City and La Trinidad through groundwater replenishment technology.

Called the Artificial Groundwater Recharge Facility for Drought and Flood Mitigation Facility (AGRF), the facilities will have a capacity of 44 cubic meters, equivalent to 44,000 liters of water and are equipped with a cloud-based real-time monitoring system for both water quality and quantity ensuring safe aquifer replenishment and organizational transparency.

The AGRF is a science-based solution designed to address recurring challenges related to water scarcity, flooding, and extreme weather events. It aims to enhance groundwater resources and improve water security in vulnerable areas through a sustainable and climate-resilient approach to water management.

The pilot facilities are located at the Athletic Bowl in Burnham Park, Baguio City and at the Strawberry Farm in Betag, La Trinidad, Benguet.

According to Minda S. Odsey, Center Head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau-Watershed and Water Resources Research, Development, and Extension Center (DENR-ERDB-WWRRDEC) the project will be the start of an inter-agency collaboration against the impact of climate change. 

“We are hopeful that this will only be the start and that this will be replicated and duplicated in other areas and regions,” she added.

AGRF project leader, Glady Mae. V. Vijjandre explained that the process is the opposite of a water extraction. AGRF aims to supply water resources on the ground by filtering rainwater collected through impounding tanks then injecting it to the ground through deep wells. She added that the injected water will not be directly supplied to local water districts but will be injected directly into the ground which is the source of water distribution facilities.

The system works by artificially injecting clean rainwater into aquifers through wells during the rainy season, thereby increasing groundwater infiltration and storage. This process reduces flood risks, minimizes damage to agriculture and property, and helps ensure a reliable water supply for domestic and agricultural use year-round.

“A huge problem of Baguio City's water supply. Right now, the average (per household) is 2 days of water per week, hopefully in the next months it will be 3 days average per week,” said Baguio City Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong during the turnover ceremony coincidentally happened at the 2025 Regional Science Technology and Innovation Week (RSTW) and Handa Pilipinas sa Bagong Pilipinas held in Baguio.

Magalong added that the project will be one of the solutions in solving the water supply issue of the city that experienced drought last year and made a huge impact on the lives of the locals. He also thanked DOST for its initiative in the city.

On the other hand, Roderick C. Awingan, Mayor of La Trinidad, Benguet expressed his appreciation to DOST for supporting the AGRF project, which will be a big help to the livelihood of the Strawberry Capital of the Philippines.

“This may be a very small program, but the impact is very large,” Awangin said. He is hopeful that DOST will support more programs that will help the local government in the future.

The AGRF is a component project under the Program Boondock: A Mountain Engineering Center Towards Sustainable Infrastructure and Upland Water Security, a special mountain engineering intervention that aims to provide sustainable engineering solutions that support community development and enhance the competitiveness of the mountainous terrain of Cordillera in the field of agriculture, tourism, mobility, and disaster mitigation.

Funded by DOST, the technology was implemented by the DENR-ERDB-WWRRDEC under the DOST Niche Centers in the Regions for Research and Development (NICER) Program and is monitored by the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry, Energy, and Emerging Technology Research and Development (DOST-PCIEERD)

Handa Pilipinas sa Bagong Pilipinas and the 2025 RSTW are among the many initiatives of the Department of Science and Technology aimed at providing science-based, innovative, and inclusive solutions across four strategic pillars: human well-being, wealth creation, wealth protection, and sustainability. These pillars embody the mantra OneDOST4U: Solutions, Opportunities for All. For more information, visit dost.gov.ph and nstw.dost.gov.ph. (By Carl Miguel A. Lusuegro, DOST-STII)

Photo shows (L-R) DOST Central Luzon Regional Director Julius Caesar Sicat, DOST Undersecretary Teodoro Gatchalian, DOST-MIRDC Director Robert Dizon, DENR-ERDB-WWRRDEC Center Head Minda Odsey, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., DOST CAR Regional Director Nancy Bantog, and DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit show the AGRF at the Baguio City turnover ceremony.(Photos from Patrick James Lee Alfonso, DOST-STII)

Photo shows (L-R) AGRF Project Leader Glady Mae Vijjandre, DOST-PCIEERD Executive Director Enrico Paringit, DOST Undersecretary Teodoro Gatchalian, DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr., La Trinidad, Benguet Mayor Roderick Awingan, DENR-ERDB-WWRRDEC Center Head Minda Odsey, and DOST CAR Regional Director Nancy Bantog graced the turnover ceremony of the AGRF to La Trinidad, Benguet LGU.