The Sustainable Sanitation Center (SuSan Center) is a multidisciplinary convergence center of Xavier University – Ateneo de Cagayan involving the 3 Xavier University Colleges: School of Medicine, College of Engineering and the College of Agriculture.

The SUSAN center is committed to a science-based and multi-sectoral engagement in sustainable sanitation aiming to achieve a cleaner and healthier environment and promoting human dignity for peaceful and sustainable development in Mindanao, the Philippines and the wider Southeast Asian region. The SUSAN centers core activities include capacity development of communities, policy makers and other institutions on sustainable sanitation and to support the development and implementation of various sustainable sanitation technology solutions.

The XU Sustainable Sanitation Center was formally launched in June 2010 manifesting the strong existing collaboration between the School of Medicine and the Colleges of Agriculture and Engineering of Xavier University. The SUSAN Center draws on the knowledge of the former Peri-Urban Vegetable Project (PUVeP), which has been active in the field of urban agriculture and reuse-oriented sanitation for many years. The SUSAN Center is an autonomous unit under the umbrella of the Research and Social Outreach Cluster of the University.

The SUSAN Center’s programmatic focus is on the safe use of urine and feces in agricultural production, public health implications of sustainable sanitation systems, sustainable sanitation technology design and capacity development.

Vision

A clean and healthy environment through sustainable sanitation

Mission

A holistic science-based interdisciplinary center under the Jose P. Rizal School of Medicine committed to a multi - sectoral engagement to promote sustainable sanitation in order to achieve human dignity and peaceful sustainable development

Goal

1. To build capacities of communities and policy makers on sustainable sanitation, water management, and post – disaster sanitation solutions.
2. To conduct research on sustainable sanitation, water management, and post – disaster sanitation solutions.
3. To initiate the development and implementation of various sustainable sanitation technology solutions.
4. To provide expertise to government and other institutions both local and international in aid of legislation.
5. To develop the capacity of future doctors to prevent diseases related to water and sanitation especially after disasters.
6. To provide a venue for expertise – based internships on sustainable sanitation, water management and sanitation solutions after a disaster for local and international students.

The region-wide environmental campaign dubbed as Valuing Ecosystem Services Together (VEST) of Xavier University highlights people’s participation toward a paradigm shift to the “new normal,” preventing another catastrophe from inflicting Northern Mindanao. VEST is an offshoot campaign grounded upon the principles of Payment for Ecological Services (PES) where communities and different sectors are encouraged to participate in a “rewarding mechanism” for the rehabilitation and preservation of Mt Kalatungan. VEST targets five sectors to take part in this ecological undertaking, namely, the corporations, cooperatives, the academe, religious groups and the households.

PES acts as a “rewarding cycle” designed to protect our forest in the highlands of Mindanao so that when it rains, the water will not be devastating by the time it reaches urbanized areas such as Cagayan de Oro City. The project is piloted within the ancestral domain of the Miarayon-Lapok-Lirongan-Tinaytayan Tribal Association (MILALITTRA), one of the 12 lumad communities in the protected area of Talakag, Bukidnon where Mt Kalatungan stands. This rehabilitation effort ensures the provision of the ecological services of preventing further flooding in the region and adequate water supply, while economic incentives will be rewarded to the indigenous people community for being the forest managers.

Supported by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), this project is frontlined by XU Research and Social Outreach, McKeough Marine Center and Xavier Science Foundation (XSF), together with other public and private institutions across Region 10.

Cagayan de Oro Riverbasin Management Council (CDORBMC) is a multi-sectoral group of concerned individuals, agencies and institutions who dedicate themselves in protecting, preserving, rehabilitating and managing of the Cagayan de Oro riverbasin.

Mission

To oversee and catalyze multi-stakeholders for the protection, preservation, rehabilitation and management of the CDO river basin.

Vision

A rehabilitated, sustainably protected and preserved, and well-managed CDO river basin in 2020.

Brief History

Cagayan de Oro Riverbasin Management Council (CDORBMC) is a multi-stakeholder group of Government Agencies (NGAs), Local Government Units (LGUs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs), private sectors, religious groups, People’s Organization/Indigenous People (PO/IP), Security and Academes that converge together to protect, preserve, rehabilitate and manage the watersheds, rivers, and forests of the Cagayan de Oro riverbasin. The CDORBMC seeks to improve the quality of life of the stakeholders by upholding and implementing appropriate interventions to enhance better utilization of natural resources and to boost biodiversity along the watersheds and the rivers. It also encourages all other stakeholders to become part of the formulation of management plans and strategies for the riverbasin.

The CDORBMC was created in November 16, 2010 during the “Multi-Stakeholders Meeting and Workshop” held at Philtown Hotel. The said activity was spearheaded by the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro (ACDO) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Different stakeholders participated and signed the “Co-Management Agreement” among the members. There were eight (8) sectors that represent CDORBMC: NGA, LGU, NGO, Business, PO/IP, Religious group, Security group and Academe. The roles and responsibilities of each of the aforementioned sectors were stipulated on the agreement which was later revised and improved by the Xavier University – Center for Legal Assistance (XU-CLA) in 2013.

During its early start, CDORBMC was chaired by ACDO and DENR with DENR at the same time acting as the ad hoc secretariat for the council. ACDO and XU were also part of the secretariat through Myrna Siose and Fr. Mars Tan, S.J., respectively. Later on, as the council continues its advocacies, Xavier University - Research and Social Outreach (XU-RSO) with the help of the Ecosystem Alliance – International Union for Conservation of Nature (EA-IUCN) volunteered to preside as the council’s official secretariat in November of 2011 to further strengthen the operation and management of the CDORBMC through facilitation of meetings, consolidation of council documents and coordination with other member agencies/groups.

Since XU volunteered as secretariat, the CDORBMC has undergone several improvements especially on its organizational structure. As of now, the council has the Board of Stakeholders (BoS) as the “policy-making body” and the Executive Committee (ExeCom) which is the “implementing body”. The BoS is composed of different agencies and institutions that represent all the other sectors within the council. These were either nominated or were invited and/or endorsed by the Chairs. On the other hand, members of the ExeCom are the Chairs of the council (ACDO, DENR and DILG), Chairs of each Technical Working Group (TWG) and the mayors of the four (4) major LGUs/City within the riverbasin: Libona, Baungon, Talakag and Cagayan de Oro City. Please refer to Diagram 1 and 2 below for changes in CDORBMC’s organizational structure. Currently, the council has this set up and is continuesly moving to formulate its masterplan for the rehabilitation, protection and management of CDO riverbasin.