Nagsanib puwersa ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at Pollution Control Association of the Philippines Inc. (PCAPI) upang linisin ang maruming tubig ng Estero de Marala na direktang dumadaloy sa Manila Bay.

Ang Estero de Marala na may habang 2.7 kilometro ay matatagpuan sa boundary ng mga lungsod ng Navotas at Manila. Nakaugnay ito sa Estero de Vitas sa timog (south), Estero de Maypad sa hilaga (north), at Estero de Maypajo sa silangan (east).

Sa ginanap na memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing sa pagitan ng DENR at PCAPI, ipinunto ni Environment Secretary Roy. A. Cimatu ang kahalagahan ng pagtutulungan ng national government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), local government units (LGUs) at komunidad sa isinasagawang rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay at ng iba pang daluyan ng tubig na diretsong dumadaloy sa makasaysayang baybayin.

“The parties to this (MOA) will develop a comprehensive program to reduce the degradation of this estero. But because this estero is linked to other water bodies, their cleanup, too, will be part of the equation,” pagdidiin ni Cimatu.

“That will also require coordination with other barangays and LGUs, and the communities along the banks of these water bodies,” dagdag pa niya. 

Ayon naman kay PCAPI President, Engr. Gretchen Fontejon-Enarle, ang pagbibigay ng proteksiyon sa kalikasan ay hindi lamang nakaatang sa gobyerno bagkus ay sa lahat ng stakeholders.

“This partnership signifies the importance, the essence of PCAPI, and hoping it will become a benchmark for other associations and organizations to do the same and take part in different environmental advocacies in order to address current environmental issues,” ani Fontejon-Enarle.

Ang PCAPI ay isang non-stock, non-profit at non-government organization na itinatag noong Hunyo 1980 at naging kabahagi ng pamahalaan sa pagbibigay ng proteksiyon sa kalikasan at sa pagpigil ng paglala ng polusyon sa lupa, hangin, at katubigan.

Nabuo ang pakikiisa ng DENR at ng naturang ahensya sa pangangalaga ng Estero de Marala sa ilalim ng programang Adopt-an-Estero ng DENR, na may layuning mapalakas ang pagtutulungan ng mga komunidad malapit sa estero, mga donor partners, LGUs, DENR at ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan.

Napagkasunduan ng dalawang partido sa MOA na palawakin ang programa upang mabawasan ang paglala ng kalagayan ng Estero de Marala at magkaroon ng ugnayan ang bawat isa para sa regular na pagpaplano, implementasyon ng mga napagkaisahan sa pagpupulong at matukoy ang bilang ng mga informal settlers na naninirahan sa naturang lugar.

Kabilang din dito ang pagtukoy kung kinakailangang magkaroon ng cleanup, dredging at desilting sa mga ilog bilang bahagi ng mga hakbang upang maibalik ang kaayusan at kalinisan ng Estero de Marala.

Kasama sa mga responsibilidad ng DENR ang pagtiyak na maisasakatuparan ang mga hakbang upang mabawasan ang polusyon sa estero, paggawa ng gabay para sa buwanang water quality monitoring, pagbibigay ng technical assistance, information at education para sa komunidad, at ang pag-monitor sa mga industrial at commercial establishments sa paligid na maaaring nagtatapon ng dumi sa tubig. ###

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Published: 25 July 2019

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has called on Southeast Asia’s top forestry officials to strike a balance between preserving the region’s limited forest resources and meeting the needs of its growing population.

“We need to strike a balance between meeting the demands of the people and stability of the environment,” Cimatu stressed in his message delivered by DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones during the 22nd meeting of ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) held in Makati City on June 18.

Cimatu said that ASEAN forestry leaders “must transform into actions the strategic direction of sustainable forest management, competitiveness for foreign products, forest rectification, forest law and enforcement in government, and other forestry concerns.”

ASOF is a multinational body that aims to discuss policy matters, and formulate and implement regional cooperation activities and approaches in international and regional forestry fora.

Its basic objective is to formulate and implement regional cooperation activities to enhance the international competitiveness of ASEAN’s forestry products. It also aims to further strengthen the forestry arrangement in the region and joint positions in international fora.

According to Cimatu, forests are also integral to the pursuit of global sustainable development goals or SDGs, particularly SDG 6-Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 13-Climate Action, and SDG 15-Life on Land.

SDGs are a collection of 17 global goals, each with a list of broad based and interdependent targets. The SDGs were set by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015 with 2030 as the target year.

“Forests will lead to the achievement of multiple SDGs, including poverty alleviation, food security, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources,” Cimatu pointed out.

“Accordingly, SDGs require stronger commitment to restore, protect, and promote sustainable management of forests and other terrestrial ecosystems,” he added.

Meanwhile, DENR Assistant Secretary for Staff Bureaus and concurrent Biodiversity Management Bureau Director Ricardo Calderon noted that while “ASEAN forestry continues to grow because of the integration and cooperation,” it is “somehow overshadowed by the growing concern on biodiversity conservation.”
Calderon said it should be emphasized that the forest provides a wide range of goods and services for the people and a major backbone as far as the economies of the ASEAN member-countries are concerned.

He likewise emphasized that deforestation and biodiversity loss in Southeast Asia is “a scenario which is not all discouraging,” as he expressed optimism for change and development in the future.

“This is a major challenge to ASOF, the ASOF leaders, and our dialogue partners to work harder and walk the extra mile towards achieving the strategic direction and action plans and operationalize these at a national level,” Calderon said. #

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Published: 23 July 2019

Hiniling ni Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu sa top forestry officials ng Southeast Asia na gumawa ng paraan upang maging balanse para maipreserba ang forest resources sa rehiyon at ang pangangailangan ng mga tao na patuloy ang paglaki ng bilang.

“We need to strike a balance between meeting the demands of the people and stability of the environment,” ayon sa mensahe ni Cimatu na binasa ni DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and Internal Affairs Jonas Leones sa ginanap na 22nd meeting ng ASEAN Senior Officials on Forestry (ASOF) na idinaos sa Makati City nitong Hulyo 18.

Sabi pa ni Cimatu sa ASEAN forestry leaders, “ You must transform into actions the strategic direction of sustainable forest management, competitiveness for foreign products, forest rectification, forest law and enforcement in government, and other forestry concerns.”

Ang ASOF ay isang multinational body na layuning tumalakay sa mga polisiya, gumawa at magpatupad ng regional cooperation activities para sa international at regional forestry.

Layon din nito na mapalakas ang international competitiveness ng ASEAN forestry products at maisaayos ang pagkakaroon ng pinagsamang posisyon sa international fora.

Ayon kay Cimatu, mahalaga ang kagubatan para sa global sustainable development goals (SDGs), partikular na ang SDG 6-Clean Water and Sanitation, SDG 13-Climate Action at SDG 15-Life on Land.

Ang SDG ay ang pinagsama-samang 17 global goals na may kanya-kanyang hangarin. It ay binuo ng United Nations General Assembly noong 2015 at “target” ang katuparan nito sa taong 2030.

“Forests will lead to the achievement of multiple SDGs, including poverty alleviation, food security, conservation and sustainable use of natural resources,” pagdidiin pa ni Cimatu.

“Accordingly, SDGs require stronger commitment to restore, protect, and promote sustainable management of forests and other terrestrial ecosystems,” dagdag nito.

Samantala, sinabi naman ni DENR OIC Assistant Secretary for Staff Bureaus at kasalukuyan ding Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) Director Ricardo Calderon na kahit na “ASEAN forestry continues to grow because of the integration and cooperation,” it is “somehow overshadowed by the growing concern on biodiversity conservation.”

Aniya, malaking bagay ang naitutulong ng mga kagubatan partikular na sa pagbibigay ng pangangailangan ng mga tao at ito rin ay isa sa tinatawag na “backbone” kung ang pag-uusapan ay ang ekonomiya ng ASEAN member-countries.

Binigyang-diin pa nito na ang deforestation at ang pagkawala ng biodiversity sa Southeast Asia ay hindi dapat ikahina ng ating loob bagkus ito pa ang gawing batayan para sa malaking pagbabago sa hinaharap.

“This is a major challenge to ASOF, the ASOF leaders, and our dialogue partners to work harder and walk the extra mile towards achieving the strategic direction and action plans and operationalize these at a national level,” sabi ni Calderon. ###

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Published: 23 July 2019

Southeast Asia’s environment, health and climate ministers will gather in the Philippines next week for a high-level roundtable discussion on clean air, health and climate change.

Happening on July 24-25 at The Peninsula Manila, the ASEAN Ministerial Roundtable Discussion on Clean Air, Health and Climate is co-hosted by the Philippine government—through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)—together with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Climate and Clean Air Coalition of the United Nations.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the roundtable meeting will provide “a platform for an interactive discussion, in a high-level setup, on the opportunities and challenges of coming up with a regional approach to air pollution and climate change.”

The two-day event, he said, will also bring together experts and scientists in the ASEAN region and beyond to share local initiatives and insights toward global climate action, clean air and health that can simultaneously meet the goals of the landmark 2015 Paris climate agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development through the nationally determined contributions (NDCs) of each country.

During the event, ASEAN member-countries will be called upon to respond collectively to the Special Report on Global Warming 1.5°C published by the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in October 2018.

The report emphasized the need for early action on all climate forcing emissions, including short-lived climate pollutants (SLCP) as part of the pathway to stay well below 2°C as agreed by the parties to the Paris accord.

In terms of air pollution and its effect on public health and development which many of the ASEAN countries still experience as a challenge, the “Air Pollution in Asia and the Pacific: Science-Based Solutions” report identified 25 clean air measures which if implemented across the region would result in 1 billion people enjoying clean air at the strictest ambient standards of the World Health Organization by 2030.

Further, this would also deliver 0.3°C reduced global warming relative to 2015 – reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 19 percent, methane by 44 percent, and black carbon by 77 percent by 2040-2050.

The event will commence in the morning of July 24 with the ASEAN Ministers Roundtable Discussion to be led by Secretary Cimatu, Health Secretary Francisco Duque and Secretary Emmanuel De Guzman of the Climate Change Commission.

A Senior Officials Workshop will proceed in the afternoon until the following day. It is comprised of four sessions marked with several presentations dealing with scientific studies and findings on the link between air pollution and climate change, clean air measures for Asia and the Pacific, benefits and tools for integrated action and SLCP mitigation, and initiatives on enhancing NDCs from select ASEAN member-states.

Outputs and results arising from the initial discussion are expected to prepare the region to collectively bring forth commitments and potential options to upscale climate actions during the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Action Summit in New York and in the 15th ASEAN Plus Three Environment Ministers Meeting, both in September this year.

The discussion is likewise expected to serve as an impetus for greater action and ambition on air pollution, health and climate that could significantly contribute to the High-Level Officials Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Regional Forum on Health and Environment. #

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Published: 21 July 2019

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has assured that there will be no letup in the fight against climate change and disaster risks as building resilient communities remains a top priority for the government.

“Sa mga darating na araw at buwan, patuloy nating palalakasin ang ating mga programa at polisiya. Patuloy nating titiyakin ang katatagan ng kinabukasan ng ating bansa,” Cimatu said during the pre-State of the Nation Address (SONA) Forum held in Davao City on July 17.

The forum came five days before President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his fourth SONA on July 22.

As a way forward, Cimatu said the Duterte administration will continue to pursue policy reforms that integrate climate and disaster risk considerations into development policies, strategies, plans and programs.

Cimatu said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will continue to coordinate closely with other line agencies under the Cabinet Cluster on Climate Change Adaptation, Mitigation and Disaster Risk Reduction (CCAM-DRR) to ensure that they work together toward the goal of establishing adaptive and resilient communities.

The DENR chief co-chairs the cluster with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, while the Climate Change Commission acts as the cluster secretariat. The members include the Executive Secretary, the Cabinet Secretary, and the heads of the Presidential Management Staff, the Department of Budget and Management, the National Economic and Development Authority, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), the Department of Finance, and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

Other members are the secretaries of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Energy (DOE), the chairpersons of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, and the heads of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, Presidential Communications Operations Office, National Security Council, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Cimatu said the Cabinet cluster supports the creation of the Department of Disaster Resilience and other legislative proposals that promote disaster and climate resilience, such as the proposed National Land Use Act, Land Administration Reform Act, Integrated Coastal Management Act, and National Building Code of the Philippines.

“With the help of Congress, we intend to adopt a national land use policy that will optimize balanced development,” Cimatu said. “We hope to achieve this through rational and just allocation, utilization, management and development of our country’s land resources under the proposed National Land Use Act.”

This policy, he said, will be complemented by the planned delineation of forest limits, which would enable the DENR to sustainably manage, conserve and protect the country’s remaining forests from further depletion.

Meanwhile, Cimatu said the proposed Land Administration Act seeks to improve the land sector as a driver to sustainable development, economic growth and poverty alleviation.

“Hindi lamang pangangalaga sa kalikasan ang pakay natin,” Cimatu explained. “Misyon din natin na mapakinabangan ng mamamayan ang likas na yaman sa mas mahabang panahon para lalo pang mapabuti ang kalagayan nila sa buhay.”

Cimatu said the cluster will work for the swift enactment of the Integrated Coastal Management Act, which would ensure optimum and sustainable resource utilization of coastal and marine environment.

He said the establishment of a department devoted to disaster resilience is necessary to help the government manage broader climate-disaster governance arrangements, and oversee the implementation of disaster risk and vulnerability reduction and management.

The cluster, according to Cimatu, also supports proposal to prohibit the conversion of irrigated lands as it would address the threats to the country’s food security.

He said that crucial to the government’s strategy was the proposed National Building Code of the Philippines, which aims to provide a framework for minimum standards and requirements for all buildings and structures so that government can regulate and control their location, site, construction, use, occupancy and maintenance.

At the same time, Cimatu said the government will provide the ability to generate, synthesize and disseminate knowledge, methodologies and decision-making tools to ensure climate resilience.

To cite an example, Cimatu said the DOST commits the installation of more than a dozen doppler weather radars and high frequency doppler radar networks in various parts of the country.

The DOST, he added, is also set to install several flood forecasting and warning systems in major river basins, a borehole seismic station in Kanlaon Volcano in Negros Island, and a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis in Metro Davao.

On the other hand, the DICT will implement programs on communications technology to prepare the communities and local government units in case of disasters.

“Lahat po ito ay gagawin natin para mabigyan ng panahon ang ating mga kababayan na lumikas bago pa man dumating ang bagyo,” Cimatu said.

“Sisiguruhin natin na walang pamilyang Pilipino ang nasa peligro sa panahon ng kalamidad,” he added.

Cimatu also revealed that the DOE will intensify development of renewable energy in off-grid areas for wider access of populace.

The government will continue to mainstream the use of alternative fuels and energy technology in the transport sector, as well as monitor the implementation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Act, Cimatu said.

To ensure quick restoration of energy services during and after calamities, Cimatu said the government will strengthen energy systems and facilities through the energy resiliency program.

He also said that the government will provide financial assistance for disaster mitigation, preparedness and rehabilitation of damaged electric cooperatives. #

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Published: 20 July 2019