Covering a total area of 83,884 hectares, the Muleta watershed is located in the Upper River Basin of Bukidnon, specifically in the southwestern part of the province and extending to Carmen town in North Cotabato covering 79,029 hectares and 4,855 hectares, respectively.

The watershed traverses the municipalities of Pangantucan, Talakag, Maramag, Don Carlos, Dangcagan, Kitaotao, Kadingilan, Kibawe, Damulog and the city of Valencia in the Province of Bukidnon and Carmen in North Cotabato.

During the initial stakeholders meeting for Muleta protection and development planning, Pangantucan Mayor Miguel Silva shared in his message the influence and value of the Muleta Watershed with its headwaters emanating from Mt. Kalatungan flowing through Bukidnon to Carmen, North Cotabato. “Muleta has sustained life and livelihood to the communities here thru the years. I am glad that with the RCI-SRD, the time has come to organize and come up with a workable plan to continue preserving and protecting the Muleta watershed,” Silva said. Among the 11 towns, Pangantucan has the largest political jurisdiction over the watershed with 18,906 hectares of the total 83,8844 hectares.

The RCI-SRD, together with communities, the private sector, and other key stakeholders shall work on the Muleta Convergence Area Development Plan (CADP) as a comprehensive framework for holistic and sustainable management of all resources within the Muleta watershed. The CADP shall also define the complementation of resources and functions from the four rural development government agencies – the DA, DAR, DENR, and DILG for plan implementation. 

As the local chief executive of Pangantucan, Mayor Silva appreciated the RCI-SRD’s framework which goes mutual with the intents of the local government of Pangantucan in preserving and protecting the natural splendor of Muleta.

Leading the development discussion for the formulation and implementation of the Muleta CADP were Agriculture consultant Joel Rudinas, Pangantucan Municipal Mayor Miguel Silva together with the municipal planning, agriculture, tourism heads, the Bukidnon provincial agriculture office, and provincial operations center, and the members of the technical working groups from the DA, DAR, DENR, and the DILG. The Muleta watershed shall be the fourth RCI-assisted area in the Northern Mindanao region in addition to the Mt. Balatukan Cluster in the province of Misamis Oriental, Mt. Inayawan- Illana Cluster, and Royale Cluster both in Lanao del Norte. ###