Dahilsapatuloynapagtataguyod at pagpapanatilisamalinisnatubig at maayosnakapaligiran ay umabotsa 21 katao, institusyon at programaangpinarangalan at tinawagna “water champions” saginanapna World Water Day Awards 2019.

Ang awards ay ipinagkaloobsaginanapnaseremonyanoongMarso 22 (Biyernes) kasabay ng pagdiriwang ng World Water Day na may temangayongtaonna “Hawak-Kamay, TubigKaagapay”.

AyonkayExecutive Director Sevillo David, Jr. ng National Water Resources Board (NWRB), mas maramiangnabigyan ng award ngayongtaonkumparanoongnakalipasnataonna 18 lamang.

“More and more are becoming our partners for securing our water future. Working hand-in-hand is truly key to addressing challenges in water security,” sabi pa nito.

Ginanapang awarding ceremony sa Novotel Hotel Manila saAraneta Center saCubao, Quezon City. Ito ay inorganisa ng NWRB kasama ng water concessionaire naMaynilad.

Nagingpangunahingtagapagsalitasaokasyonsi Cabinet Secretary KarloNograles kung saan ay tiniyaknitonaprayoridad ng Duterte administration angusapinsatubig.

Ani pa niNograles,gumagawarin ng paraananggobyernoupangmaibsanangnararanasangkrisissatubignamalakiangnagigingepektosakalusugan, food security at economic growth.

Nagmulasaiba’t-ibanginstitusyonangmgaipinamigayna award.

Kinilala ng River Basin Control Office ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ang Pampanga River Basin Committee bilang “Bagani ng Katubigan” dahilsaepektibonitongpamamahala.

Napilinaman ng DENR-National Capital Region bilang “Kampeon ng Katubigan” angMalabon City Environment and Natural Resources Office dahilsaiba’t-ibang greening programs nitokabilangnaangpagmementinasadalawangkilometrongbakawanansalungsod.

Ang Environmental Management Bureau ng DENR ay ipinagkaloobsadalawangindibidwalang Water Leadership Award. Sila ay sina Franco RinoApoyon, coordinator ng Youth for Environment in Schools Organization ng Kabasalan National High School saZamboanga, Sibugay at Armay Jay Dudas, team leader ng Mimaropa Young Leaders nanakabasesa Mindoro.

Ipinagkaloobnaman ng NWRBang Water-Wise Choice Award sa St. Luke’s Medical Center sa Quezon City at Don Pepe Henson Enterprises, Inc. dahilsapagtupad ng mgaitosamgaregulasyon at tamangpaggamit ng tubig.

Ang Laguna Lake Development Authority ng DENR ay napiliangapatna “Kampeon ng Lawa” ngayongtaon. Ito ay angBiñan City Centralized Material Recovery, Waste Processing and Transfer Station ng Laguna; YES to Green Program ni Rizal Governor Rebecca Ynares; Sta. Rosa Sub-Watershed Management Council at ang Alberto Malvar ng Mount Purro Nature Reserve Park saAntipolo City.

Kinilalanamanbilang “Planet-Wise Organization” angCamarines Norte District Engineering Office ng Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)dahilsamga environmental projects nitosamgakomunidadnakanilangnasasakupan. Inisponsoranang award ng NWRB, DPWH at Maynilad.

Ang “KavontogDo’tAweg” ay ipinagkaloob ng AboitizInfracapitalsa Davao City Watershed Management Council. Angpangalan ng award naitoay nagmulasasalitangManobo naangibigsabihin ay “Hero of the Water”.

Ipinagkaloobnaman ng Mayniladang Water Warrior Awards ngayongtaonsa Philippine Science High School Main Campus sa Quezon City para saWater Education category,habangang Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission Executive Director Jose Antonio Goitia ay kinilala para sakategoryangAdvocacy Leadership.

Apatna water districts namanangnakatanggap ng “HuwarangLingkodTubig” awards nainisponsoran ng Local Water Utilities Administration. Ito ay angmga water districts ng Baguio City, Metro Naga, Silay City at Isabela City.

Ang Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System ay nag-isponsor ng tatlong award ngayongtaon. Angmganakatanggapnito ay ang General Nakar Sustainable Integrated Area Development Project para saKaagapaysaTubigKanlungan ng Umiray; Ipo Watershed BantayGubat para saKaagapaysaTubigKanlungan ng Ipo at ang Save La Mesa Watershed Project para saKaagapaysaTubigKanlungan ng La Mesa award.

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Category: Press Releases

Published: 26 March 2019

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu is counting on barangay leaders to do their share in the Manila Bay rehabilitation by cleaning up the esteros, rivers and tributaries that flow into the heavily polluted bay.

“It is the barangay captains who can solve the problem of Manila Bay,” Cimatu said during the recent meeting with executives of barangays within river systems that drain into Manila Bay.

“The cleanup of the bay rests on them. That is how much I trust them,” Cimatu added.

Leaders of more than 200 barangays surrounding the river systems of Pasig-Marikina-San Juan, Muntinlupa-Parañaque-Las Piñas-Zapote, and Malabon-Tullahan-Tinajeros were present during the dialogue held at Bayview Park Hotel in Manila recently.

Aside from Cimatu, the meeting was also attended by other officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

During the dialogue, Cimatu reminded the barangay officials of their duty to enforce environmental laws, particularly the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

“It is the responsibility of the local government units and the barangay captains to implement the environmental laws correctly,” the former Armed Forces chief said.

Cimatu also offered assistance to the barangay officials in fulfilling their mandates, including the relocation of illegal settlers along esteros and rivers.

He told the officials of the need to coordinate with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development in ensuring the relocation of affected informal settler families (ISFs) before their houses are demolished.

“We will give them a chance to self-demolish or move to an appropriate relocation site,” Cimatu said.

There are some 230,000 ISFs in the Manila Bay region, around 56,000 of them live along its coast.

Cimatu urged barangay leaders to exercise political will in guarding against ISFs who would return to riverbanks and esteros despite being given relocation. “If they file a complaint against you, isamaninyoako,” he said.

The DENR chief also enjoined them to take part in the simultaneous cleanup of esteros and rivers around Manila Bay scheduled on March 31. “Once and for all, we will clear the waterways of garbage,” Cimatu said.

He added: “If barangay captains can harness the power of the people to do it, then there will be a show of force to cleanup. Cleaning Manila Bay will be your most important mission as barangay captains.” ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 24 March 2019

Umaasa si Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu sa mga barangay leaders na gagawin ng mga ito ang kanilang papel para Manila
Bay rehabilitation sa pamamagitan ng paglilinis ng esteros, ilog at iba pang daluyan ng tubig na dumidiretso sa Manila Bay.

“It is the barangay captains who can solve the problem of Manila Bay,” sabi ni Cimatu sa ginanap na pulong sa mga barangay executives na nakasasakop sa river system na
dumadaloy patungo sa naturang baybayin.

“The cleanup of the bay rests on them. That is how much I trust them,” dagdag pa ni Cimatu.

Dumalo sa ginanap na dayalogo ang mahigit sa 200 barangay leaders na nakasasakop sa river system ng Pasig-Marikina-San Juan; Muntinlupa-Parañaque-Las Piñas-Zapote at
Malabon-Tullahan-Tinajeros na idinaos sa Bayview Park Hotel sa Manila noong Lunes.

Bukod kay Cimatu, dumalo rin sa pulong ang iba pang opisyal ng DENR at Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

Sa naturang dayalogo, ipinaalala ni Cimatu sa mga barangay officials ang kanilang tungkulin sa pagpapatupad ng environmental laws partikular na ang Ecological Solid Waste
Management Act of 2000 at ang Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

“It is the responsibility of the local government units and the barangay captains to implement the environmental laws correctly,” sabi pa ng dating Armed Forces chief.
Nag-alok din ng tulong si Cimatu sa mga barangay officials upang maipatupad ng mga ito ang kanilang mandato at tungkulin kabilang na dito ang isasagawang relokasyon sa
mga illegal settlers sa kahabaan ng mga esteros at ilog.

Sinabi nito sa mga opisyal na makipagtulungan sa Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development upang matiyak ang gagawing relokasyon sa mga informal settler
families (ISFs) bago pa man gibain ang bahay ng mga ito. 

“We will give them a chance to self-demolish or move to an appropriate relocation site,” sabi ni Cimatu.

Aabot sa 230,000 ang ISFs na naninirahan sa Manila Bay region at 56,000 sa mga ito ang nakatira sa baybayin.

Hinimok din ni Cimatu ang mga barangay leaders na gamitin ang kanilang “political will” laban sa ISFs na babalik sa mga riverbanks at esteros kahit na nabigyan na ang mga ito
ng relokasyon. “If they file a complaint against you, isama ninyo ako,” sabi pa nito.

Nagbigay pa din ng tagubilin ang kalihim sa mga barangay officials na makibahagi sa gaganaping “simultaneous cleanup” sa mga esteros at ilog sa paligid ng Manila Bay sa darating na Marso 31. “Once and for all, we will clear the waterways of garbage,” anang Cimatu.

Dagdag pa nito: “If barangay captains can harness the power of the people to do it, then there will be a show of force to cleanup. Cleaning Manila Bay will be your most
important mission as barangay captains.” ###

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Published: 24 March 2019

Filipinos can look forward to a mercury-free Philippines as soon as the country ratifies the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said this in a message read by Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Atty. Jonas R. Leones following the launch of the country’s Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA) report in Quezon City on Wednesday.

The report, which was prepared by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the DENR, outlines the national requirements and needs for the implementation of the Minamata Convention.

Cimatu expressed hope the release of the MIA report would “serve as a kickoff point for our campaign for a mercury-free lifestyle for a safer environment.”

“Once it ratifies the convention, the Philippines will be protected from being a dumping ground for products containing mercury and will help avoid further risk to the country’s aquatic life, where mercury levels have been increasing,” Cimatu added.

The Minamata Convention is the world’s first legally binding treaty to phase out mercury, a highly toxic substance that poses threats to the environment and human health.

In 2013, the Philippines was one of the 128 countries that signed the convention, which regulates the use and trade of mercury.

The convention is named after the Japanese city where industrial emissions of the toxic substance caused a poisoning disease affecting thousands of people in the 1950s.

The Philippines has yet to ratify the convention, which entered into force in August 2017.

The MIA was prescribed by the convention to establish a baseline report, which will help the county prepare in dealing with mercury once the treaty is ratified by the Senate and its provisions are implemented.

According to the MIA report, the primary anthropogenic sources of mercury in the country or those that result from human activities, is the extraction and use of energy sources. This is followed by the production of primary or virgin metal, which includes mining and gold processing, and the production of other minerals and materials with mercury impurities.

Mercury inventory is one of the important decision-making tools towards mitigating environmental impacts brought about by toxic pollutants such as mercury.

The report identified four areas in the country with confirmed mercury contamination. These are Palawan Quicksilver Mines, Mambulao River in CamarinesNorte, Mabuhay Vinyl in Lanao del Norte, and Lumanggang Creek in Compostela Valley.

It also identified suspected mercury contaminated sites in 11 regions in the country, including the Meycauayan River, Manila Bay, mining sites and gold processing sites in CamarinesNorte and Masbate, landfills in Barangay Inayawan in Cebu City, Consolacion town in Cebu province, Naboc River in Davao, and T’boli in South Cotabato.

Other sites include Agusan del Sur in Caraga region, the decommissioned Bulawan Mine of Philex Gold in Negros Occidental, the towns of Sipalay and Hinoban in Negros, SitioDalicno in Itogon, Benguet and the municipality of Licuan-Baay in Abra.

The MIA report stated that the Philippines is 100-percent compliant with the convention’s Article 16 on health aspects. In 2008, the Department of Health issued Administrative Order No. 2008-021 mandating the gradual phase-out of mercury in all Philippine health care facilities and institutions.

To ensure the effective implementation of the Minamata Convention, it was recommended in the report, the creation of an inter-agency coordinating group composed of mercury focal points from different relevant government and private agencies to be chaired by the DENR.

The review of existing policies and regulations on mercury use and management was also recommended, as well as the creation of legislation to support the banning of mercury mines in the countryin accordance to Article 3 of the MinamataConvention on Mercury.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has warned that mercury exposure can damage the nervous, digestive, respiratory, endocrine and immune systems.

It could also lead to impaired vision and hearing, cause paralysis, affect the development of the fetus, and cause developmental delays in children, the WHO added. ###

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Published: 23 March 2019

Makaaasa ang mga Pilipino na malaki ang posibilidad na maging mercury-free ang Pilipinas sakaling maratipikahan ang Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Ito ang naging mensahe ni Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu sa ginanap na Minamata Initial Assessment (MIA) report
sa Quezon City noong Miyerkules (Marso 20) na binasa ni Undersecretary Atty. Jonas R. Leones.

Ang naturang report na inihanda ng Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) ng DENR ay nagbabalangkas sa mga pangangailangan para sa implementasyon ng Minamata
Convention. 

Umaasa si Cimatu na ang MIA report ang maging susi upang masimulan ng Pilipinas ang pagiging “mercury-free lifestyle” para sa mas ligtas na kapaligiran.
“Once it ratifies the convention, the Philippines will be protected from being a dumping ground for products containing mercury and will help avoid further risk to the
country’s aquatic life, where mercury levels have been increasing,” dagdag ni Cimatu.

Ang Minamata Convention ang kauna-unahang hakbang upang maihinto ang paggamit ng mercury na isang nakalalasong kemikal na posibleng maging banta sa pagkasira
ng ating kapaligiran at makaapekto sa kalusugan ng mga tao.

Noong 2013 ay isa ang Pilipinas sa 128 na bansa na lumagda para sa “convention” na layuning magkaroon ng regulasyon sa paggamit at pag-angkat ng mercury.
Kinuha ang pangalang Minamata sa isang lungsod sa Japan kung saan ay libong katao ang naapektuhan dahil sa paggamit ng nakalalasong kemikal noong 1950s.
Ang MIA ay iniatas ng kapulungan upang makabuo ng baseline report na makatutulong sa bansa na tugunan ang paggamit ng mercury kapag ang kasunduan ay
naritipakahan na ng Senado at ang mga probisyon dito ay maipatupad.

Base sa MIA report, ang pangunahing pinanggagalingan ng mercury sa bansa ay mula sa mga aktibidad ng mga tao partikular na ang labis na paggamit ng “energy sources” na
sinundan ng produksiyon ng mga tinatawag na “virgin metal” kabilang na dito ang pagmimina ng ginto at ang pagkuha ng minerals na nagiging dahilan upang dumumi at masira
ang kapaligiran.

Ang mercury inventory ay isa sa mga importanteng paraan upang mabawasan ang epekto ng mga toxic pollutants sa kapaligiran.

Lumalabas sa ulat na apat na lugar sa bansa ang kumpirmadong kontaminado ng mercury kabilang na dito ang Palawan Quicksilver Mines, Mambulao River sa Camarines
Norte, Mabuhay Vinyl sa Lanao del Norte at Lumanggang Creek sa Compostela Valley.

Pinaghihinalaan din na posibleng kontaminado na ng mercury ang labing-isang lugar sa bansa na kinabibilangan ng Mercauayan River, Manila Bay, minahan sa Camarines Norte
at Masbate, landfills sa Barangay Inayawan sa Cebu City, Consolacion sa Cebu province, Naboc River sa Davao at T’boli sa South Cotabato.

Ang iba pang lugar na pinaghihinalaang kontaminado ng mercury ay ang Agusan del Sur sa Caraga region, Bulawan Mine ng Philex Gold sa Negros Occidental, munisipalidad ng
Sipalay at Hinoban sa Negros, Sitio Dalicno sa Itogon, Benguet at ang munisipalidad ng Licuan-Baay sa Abra.

Nakasaad pa sa MIA report na ang Pilipinas ay sumusunod sa Article 16 ng convention na tumutukoy sa kalusugan. Noong 2008 nang maglabas ng Administrative Order
No. 2008-021 ang Department of Health (DOH) na nag-uutos na tanggalin ang mercury sa lahat ng health care facility at institutions sa bansa.

Upang matiyak ang implementasyon ng Minamata Convention, inirekomenda sa ulat ang pagbuo ng inter-agency coordinating group na binubuo ng “mercury focal points” mula
sa iba’t-ibang sangay ng gobyerno at private agencies na pamumunuan ng DENR.

Inirekomenda rin ang pag-aaral sa mga kasalukuyang polisiya at regulasyon sa paggamit at pangangasiwa ng mercury bukod pa rito ang pagkakaroon ng batas na susuporta
upang maipagbawal ang pagmimina ng mercury sa bansa base na rin sa pagsunod sa Article 3 ng Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Nagbabala na rin ang World Health Organization (WHO) na maaaring makapinsala ang mercury sa ating nervous, digestive, respiratory, endocrine at immune systems.
Maaari din nitong maapektuhan ang ating pandinig, paningin, magdulot ng pagka-paralyse, maapektuhan ang ipinagbubuntis at paglaki ng mga bata. ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 23 March 2019