Giving Water Resources an Economic Dimension
OZAMIZ CITY - The study, titled Valuing the Water Ecosystem Services of Mount Malindang Range Natural Park: An Application of the Contingent Valuation Method, examined how much households near the park would be willing to contribute toward conserving its water ecosystem services. Published in the Philippine Journal of Science in April 2026, the research surveyed 1,962 households and estimated an average monthly willingness to pay of PHP35.01 per household. The researchers calculated a potential annual contribution of about PHP17.7 million under the study's assumptions. Rather than treating water benefits as an abstract environmental concept, the research gives policymakers measurable information about how communities value the resource and its continued protection.
From Research Paper to Proposed Policy
The interesting part of the story is what happened after the research was completed. Misamis University said the study was presented to stakeholders in Misamis Occidental, after which the Mt. Malindang Range Natural Park Protected Area Management Board supported the development of a Payment for Ecosystem Services scheme. A technical working committee was subsequently formed, and Misamis University and the DENR Protected Area Management Office participated in workshops and technical meetings. The university reported that the committee eventually finalized and endorsed a draft provincial ordinance on Payment for Ecosystem Services. This illustrates a less visible side of research: findings can become reference material for discussions about how environmental protection might be financed.
Ozamiz’s University Adds Research to a Regional Conversation
For Ozamiz City, the story is also about the kind of work being produced by an institution based in the city. The project brought together researchers from Misamis University, Clemson University, the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College, DOST-PCAARRD, and ES FOCUS LLC. The Philippine Journal of Science identifies several Misamis University researchers among the authors and describes Mt. Malindang as a crucial watershed providing ecosystem services to surrounding communities. The research does not mean that a PES charge is already being collected or that the proposed ordinance is already law. What it demonstrates is more measured: research associated with Ozamiz is supplying evidence for an ongoing policy process concerning conservation and water resources.
