The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is hosting a forum for leaders of over 300 barangays surrounding Manila Bay to ensure their commitment to the ongoing effort to rehabilitate the heavily polluted water body.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the forum aims to remind the barangay executives of their critical role and responsibility in the rehabilitation effort and give them deeper recognition of the advantages their constituents can gain from having clean waterways, especially in terms of health benefits.

“The success of the rehabilitation effort hinges on the support from the local government units (LGUs), particularly the barangays, which are actually the frontliners in the cleanup, rehabilitation and preservation of the waters of Manila Bay,” Cimatu said.

The barangay leaders represent areas that traverse into three important river systems that empty into Manila Bay, such as the Pasig-Marikina-San Juan Rivers (169 barangays), the Muntinlupa-Paranaque-Las Pinas-Zapote Rivers (40 barangays), and the Malabon-Tullahan-Tenejeros Rivers (68 barangays).

Also invited are leaders from 42 barangays in Pasay City and 18 from Navotas City.

During the forum, the DENR will also discuss how these barangays can take part in the upcoming simultaneous cleanup of esteros and waterways set for March 31 as part of the extended observance of the “World Water Day” on March 22.

Cimatu will keynote the event.

Another highlight of the forum will be the dialogue between barangay officials and DENR senior executives, who were each assigned by Cimatu to monitor a specific estero and waterway leading to Manila Bay.

The DENR officials were also tasked to recommend further interventions needed to ensure compliance with the continuing mandamus of the Supreme Court to cleanup, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay.

In the dialogue, the DENR will have an opportunity to hear from concerned barangay leaders the problems and issues affecting their specific barangays in relation to the overall effectiveness of the government’s effort to revive Manila Bay. ##

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 17 March 2019

The Manila Bay rehabilitation is heading in the right direction more than a month since its launch, according to Secretary Roy A. Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“I can proudly say, we are on the right track,” Cimatu declared when he presided last Wednesday’s meeting of Task Force Manila Bay at the headquarters of the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau in Quezon City.

It was the first meeting of the DENR-led inter-agency body after President Rodrigo RoaDuterte issued last month Administrative Order No. 16, expediting the rehabilitation and restoration of the Manila Bay’s coastal and marine ecosystems and creating the task force.

According to Cimatu, the signing of the administrative order “signifies the full trust and confidence of our President that the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is a doable and achievable mission.”

Prior to the administrative order, the DENR launched on January 27 the three-phase rehabilitation project dubbed as “Battle for Manila Bay” where over 10,000 people joined a massive cleanup activity in various parts of the Manila Bay region.

Cimatu said the unprecedented cleanup activity was made possible by the overwhelming support from local government units, private sector, academe and non-government organizations.

“We were more than 10,000 at that time, all with hearts and minds set to rehabilitate and restore Manila Bay to its former glory,” he said.

Barely six weeks since the launch, Cimatu reported that the DENR and its attached agency, the Laguna Lake Development Authority, have already issued a total of 263 Notices of Violation and 119 Cease and Desist Orders to establishments in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and the Calabarzon that have violated the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 and other environmental laws.

Cimatu said the rehabilitation efforts got a major boost after San Miguel Corp., through its president Ramon Ang, signed a memorandum of agreement with the DENR for the massive cleanup of the Tullahan-Tinajeros River System, which is among the dirtiest river systems in Metro Manila that empties to the bay.

“Mr. Ang generously pledged P1 billion for this project which will positively impact the rehabilitation of Manila Bay,” Cimatu said.

Cimatu said other companies have also expressed their willingness to join the efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay and its tributaries, among them the SM Group for the Parañaque River and Megaworld Corp. for Marikina River.

Addressing the heads and representatives of various agencies involved in the rehabilitation, Cimatu said: “Let us put our minds together, roll up our sleeves, and more importantly, commit ourselves for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay for the present and the future generations.”

He added: “My fellow workers in government, Administrative Order No. 16 has laid down our tasks. We have all been hand-picked to do this job. Let us be brave and courageous enough to accept this colossal challenge of rehabilitating Manila Bay.”

The former military chief said the Manila Bay rehabilitation was not just an environmental issue, but also social and economic issue “as we remove and move people, and weed out industries and structures that violate the law and hinder our work for Manila Bay.”

The rehabilitation will be done in three phases, namely: cleanup and improvement of water quality; rehabilitation; and protection and sustainment. ###

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 16 March 2019

Naniniwala si Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary
Roy A. Cimatu na nasa tamang direksiyon ang tinatahak ng isinasagawang rehabilitasyon ng
Manila Bay na sinimulan mahigit isang buwan na ang nakalilipas.
“I can proudly say, we are on the right track,” deklarasyon ni Cimatu sa pinangunahan
nitong pulong ng Manila Bay Task Force sa Quezon City.
Ito rin ang kauna-unahang pulong ng inter-agency body na pinamumunuan ng DENR
matapos buuin ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte noong nakalipas na buwan ang task force
sa pamamagitan ng Administrative Order No. 16 na magpapabilis sa isinasagawang
rehabilitasyon at restorasyon ng coastal at marine ecosystems ng Manila Bay.
Ayon kay Cimatu, ang paglagda sa administrative order ay nangangahulugan na labis
ang tiwala at kumpiyansa ng pangulo sa mga hakbang na maaaring gawin upang matupad ang
misyon sa rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay.
Bago nilagdaan ang administrative order ay inilunsad ng DENR noong Enero 27 ang
tatlong bahagi ng rehabilitation project na tinawag na “Battle for Manila Bay” kung saan ay
mahigit 10,000 katao ang nakilahok sa isinagawang cleanup activity sa kahabaan sa ibat-
ibang lugar sa Manila Bay region..
Sinabi pa ni Cimatu, ang makasaysayang cleanup activity na ito ay naging posible
dahil na rin sa nakapalaking suporta na ipinakita ng mga local government units, private
sectors, academe at non-government organizations.
“We were more than 10,000 at that time, all with hearts and minds set to rehabilitate
and restore Manila Bay to its former glory,” sabi pa nito.
Matapos ang mahigit anim na linggo, iniulat ni Cimatu na sa pamamagitan ng
Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) ay nakapagbigay na ang DENR at Laguna
Lake Development Authority (LLDA) ng 263 Notices of Violations at 119 Cease and Desist
Orders sa mga establisyamento sa Metro Manila, Central Luzon at Calabarzon dahil sa mga
paglabag sa Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 at iba pang environmental laws.
Malaki rin ang maitutulong sa isinasagawang rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay ang
ginawang paglagda ni Ramon Ang ng San Miguel Corp. sa memorandum of agreement na
naglalayong linisin ang Tullahan-Tinajeros River System na isa sa pinakamaruming river
system sa Metro Manila.
“Mr. Ang generously pledged P1 billion for this project which will positively impact
the rehabilitation of Manila Bay,” ani Cimatu.

Aniya, ilan pang kumpanya ang nagpahayag ng kanilang pagsuporta sa rehabilitasyon
ng Manila Bay at iba pang daluyan ng tubig kabilang na dito ang SM Group para sa
Parañaque River at ang Megaworld para naman sa Marikina River.
“Let us put our minds together, roll up our sleeves, and more importantly, commit
ourselves for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay for the present and the future generations,”
pahayag pa ni Cimatu sa mga pinuno at representante ng iba’t-ibang ahensiya ng gobyerno na
kasama sa rehabilitasyon.
Dagdag pa nito, “My fellow workers in government, Administrative Order No. 16 has
laid down our tasks. We have all been hand-picked to do this job. Let us be brave and
courageous enough to accept this colossal challenge of rehabilitating Manila Bay.”
Ayon din sa dating military chief, ang rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay ay hindi lamang
isyu tungkol sa kalikasan bagkus ay tungkol din ito sa social at economic issue. “As we
remove and move people, and weed out industries and structures that violate the law and
hinder our work for Manila Bay,” aniya pa.
Ang isinasagawang rehabilitasyon ay mayroong tatlong bahagi kabilang na dito ang
“cleanup and improvement of water quality; rehabilitation at ang protection and
sustainment.###

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 16 March 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sees an improving situation in parts of Metro Manila experiencing water service interruptions in the coming weeks with the additional water supply from the National Water Resource Board (NWRB), the Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI), including the water treatment plant of Manila Water Co. Inc. (MWCI) in Cardona, Rizal province.

DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said the DENR has already coordinated with the three water agencies to easen up parts of Metro Manila experiencing water shortage serviced by MWCI with a total additional water supply of 180 million liter a day (MLD) that will be obtained by April.

“Within next week or two, magtutuloy-tuloynayan,” Antiporda said, noting that MWCI’s Cardona water treatment facility is expected to yield 22 MLD by the end of March before reaching a capacity yield of 50 MLD by April.

He also said the three agencies met at the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) office in Quezon City yesterday (March 14) where Maynilad committed to allocate some 20 MLD to MWCI by the end of March, and increasing it to 50 MLD by April.

From the NWRB side, Antiporda said the agency projects an additional allocation of 30 MLD by April with the reactivation of deep wells. The MWSS will be responsible for operating the deepwells, Antiporda added.

He said the NWRB likewise expects another 50 MLD to be sourced from the deepwells after April, for a total of 80 MLD.

“We expect a big improvement in the situation, not go worse,” Antiporda said.

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 16 March 2019

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has called on Filipinos to cut down on the use of plastics that end up in the ocean and pose threat to marine life.

Cimatu noted that plastic pollution is one of the greatest threats to ocean health worldwide as an estimated 8 million tons of plastic waste finds its way into the oceans every year.

“The task of reversing this issue is as big and wide as the ocean, but small actions can make a huge difference,” Cimatu said, as he urged people to become “stewards of marine life” by reducing plastics use.

The environment chief made the appeal as the nation joined the rest of the world in celebrating the World Wildlife Day 2019, which carries the theme: “Life below water: for people and planet.”

According to Ocean Conservancy, 8 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year on top of the 150 million tons of plastic that already circulate in the ocean, contributing to loss of species and contamination of food chain.

Based on the 2017 International Coastal Cleanup report, cigarette butts, plastic bottles and caps, straws and stirrers, among other kinds of plastic bags, were some of the top items found.

The report also indicated that such wastes could harm 1 million seabirds, 100,000 sea mammals, marine turtles and countless fish annually due to ingestion and entanglement.

Citing a United Nations report, Cimatu said the Philippines is one of top 5 contributors of plastic waste in the world’s oceans, accounting for about half of the total plastic leakage.

“We produce 2.7 metric tons of plastic waste every year,” Cimatu said. “Following this trajectory of plastic production and mismanagement, UN reports predicted that by 2050, there will be more plastic in the oceans than there are fish.”

Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)—through its Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB)—gave out 44 medals during the 6th Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards to the men and women who defended the “voiceless wildlife species” against illegal collectors and traders.

The awardees consist of 21 officers from the National Bureau of Investigation; 14 from the Bureau of Customs; six from the Philippine National Police; two from the City Government of Cebu; and one from the Department of Agriculture–Bureau of Animal Industry.

BMB Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez said that annually, the DENR “bestows official recognition to partners who have valuable contributions in the enforcement of wildlife laws, rules, and regulations.”

“For the past five years, the DENR has conferred the Wildlife Law Enforcement Awards to at least 365 men and women,” she said.

The WWD 2019 also featured a formal awarding ceremony for the recipients of grants from the United States Agency for International Development or USAID for graduate students pursuing further studies that are aligned with the project’s research priorities in conserving the biodiversity in the Philippines.

Among the students and their research topics which received grants include Mr. Adrian Luczon (University of the Philippines – Diliman) for his study on the Philippine fruit bats; Ms. Amelita Luna (University of the Philippines – Los Baños) for her study on metallophytes or plants which can thrive in metal-rich soils and how it can be used for mined-out areas; Mr. Adriane Tobias (University of the Philippines – Los Baños) for his study on Rafflesia or a parasitic flowering plant which can be found in the Philippines and its other species; Mr. Yñigo Luis Del Prado (University of Santo Tomas) for his study on the Philippine pit vipers; and Mr. Jayson Caranza (University of the Philippines – Los Baños) for his study on the Capisaan Cave System in Nueva Vizcaya.

The celebration also featured a quiz bee for the Grade 9 students in a bid to encourage the next generation to appreciate the biodiversity and marine wildlife even more. ###

Details

Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Press Releases

Published: 11 March 2019