The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is urging newly elected city and municipal mayors to prioritize the implementation of environmental laws, notably Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu reminded local officials of their duty under RA 9003, which provides for a systematic, comprehensive and ecological solid waste management program in the country.

The law, according to Cimatu, states that LGUs are primarily responsible for waste segregation and disposal.

“We call on newly elected local officials to give priority to full and strict implementation of environmental laws, particularly on solid waste management,” Cimatu said.

Aside from RA 9003, Cimatu said the DENR is also counting on LGUs for the full implementation of RA 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 and RA 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

At the same time, the environment chief called on local government officials within the Manila Bay region to cooperate with the DENR-led inter-agency task force in charge of the Manila Bay rehabilitation.

“The task force cannot do it alone. We need the full cooperation of LGUs,” Cimatu said.

DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns Benny Antiporda warned that local officials found violating the provisions of RA 9003 could be held administratively and criminally liable.

Antiporda encouraged newly elected officials to report any violation of RA 9003, particularly the presence of open dumpsites in their respective localities.

“By doing so, these officials will send the right signal early on in their administration and that is they do not tolerate any wrongdoing,” Antiporda said.

The DENR official said that failure on the part of the newly elected officials to act or report any irregularities committed by their predecessors would be dealt accordingly.

“We will go after both newly elected and outgoing local officials who violated environmental laws,” Antiporda said. “Violators could face a jail term of up to three years.”

Last week, the DENR issued a cease and desist order against the municipal government of Limay in Bataan province for operating an open dumpsite right beside a creek flowing to Mamala River, which drains into Manila Bay.

Establishment and maintenance of an open dumpsite is strictly prohibited under RA 9003.

The DENR directed Limay officials to immediately stop the operation of the dumpsite and conduct immediate rehabilitation of the affected area. ###

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Published: 19 May 2019

Hiniling ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sa mga bagong halal na alkalde sa buong bansa na gawing prayoridad ang pagpapatupad ng environmental laws partikular na ang Republic Act 9003 o mas kilala sa tawag na Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Pinaalalahanan din ni DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu ang mga lokal na opisyal sa kanilang tungkulin na nakapaloob sa RA 9003 para sa tinatawag na “systematic”, “comprehensive” at “ecological solid waste management program”.

Ayon kay Cimatu, base sa nakasaad sa naturang batas, ang mga local government unit (LGU) ang siyang responsable sa tamang paghihiwalay at pagtatapon ng basura sa kanilang nasasakupang lugar.

“We call on newly elected local officials to give priority to full and strict implementation of environmental laws, particularly on solid waste management,” sabi ni Cimatu.

Bukod sa RA 9003, inaasahan din ni Cimatu na mahigpit din ipatutupad ng mga LGU ang RA 8749 o ang Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999 at ang RA 9275 o ang Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

Kasabay nito, nanawagan din ang environment chief sa mga local government officials na nakasasakop sa Manila Bay na makipagtulungan sa DENR at sa inter-agency task force na naatasan sa rehabilitasyon ng nasabing baybayin.

“The task force cannot do it alone. We need the full cooperation of LGUs,” dagdag pa ni Cimatu.

 Nagbabala naman si DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and LGU Concerns Benny Antiporda sa mga opisyal ng lokal na pamahalaan na maaari silang masampahan ng kasong administratibo at kriminal kapag nilabag ang mga probisyon sa RA 9003.

Hinikayat din nito ang mga bagong halal na opisyal na ipagbigay alam sa tanggapan ng DENR ang anumang paglabag sa RA 9003, partikular na ang pagkakaroon ng open dumpsite sa kanilang mga nasasakupang lugar.

“By doing so, these officials will send the right signal early on in their administration and that is they do not tolerate any wrongdoing,” ayon pa kay Antiporda.

Aniya, maaaring madamay ang mga bagong halal na opisyal sa kasong isasampa sa mga papalitan nila sa tungkulin kapag hindi ipinarating ng mga ito sa DENR ang mga paglabag sa RA 9003 sa kanilang lugar.

“We will go after both newly elected and outgoing local officials who violated environmental laws”. “Violators could face a jail term of up to three years,” saad pa nito.

Matatandaan na noong nakalipas na linggo nang maglabas ng cease and desist order ang DENR sa municipal government ng Limay sa Bataan dahil sa pag-o-operate ng open dumpsite malapit sa creek na patungo sa Mamala River na dumadaloy naman sa Manila Bay.

Ang pagkakaroon ng open dumpsite ay mahigpit na ipinagbabawal sa ilalim ng RA 9003. Agad namang ipinag-utos ng DENR sa mga opisyal ng Limay, Bataan ang pagpapasara sa open dumpsite at ang rehabilitasyon sa mga naapektuhang lugar. ###

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Published: 19 May 2019

Ipagdiriwang ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ang selebrasyon ng International Day for Biological Diversity sa Mayo 22 sa pamamagitan ng isang food fair kung saan itatampok ang mga pagkain mula sa “biological resources”.

Ang gaganaping kasiyahan ay tatawaging “Samu’t Saring Tikim Fair” na may layuning ipakilala at tanggapin ang kahalagahan ng biodiversity bilang pinagkukunan ng pagkain para sa maayos na kalusugan.

Ayon kay DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, napapanahon ang gaganaping selebrasyon ng IDBD 2019 na may temang “Our Biodiversity, Our Food, Our Health”, dahil sa pamamagitan nito ay maimumulat ang sambayanan para sa mga masusuntansiyang pagkain na nagbibigay ng maayos na pangangatawan.

“This year’s celebration offers a timely reminder on the importance of effective management of the country’s rich biodiversity, especially when it comes to achieving food security,” ayon kay Cimatu.

Sinabi pa nito: “As we observe IDBD, we are reminded of the limited resources we have as human beings when it comes to one of the top basic needs—food. We therefore continue to sustainably manage these limited resources for the benefit of our children and future generations.”

Gaganapin ang “Tikim Fair” sa darating na Mayo 22 na idaraos sa Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center sa Quezon City na iisponsoran ng Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) ng DENR.

Kabilang sa mga makikiisa sa gaganaping kasiyahan ay ang mga miyembro ng Asosasyon ng mga Nagkakaisang Magkakapitbahay ng Palanas sa Barangay Vasra, Quezon City; health and biodiversity advocates, DENR at BMB staff at mga miyembro ng media.

Ilan sa mga itatampok sa food fair ay ang cook festival kung saan ay magde-demo ang mga lokal na eksperto sa pagluluto, pagtuturo ng tamang diyeta para sa mga Filipino at ang mga tradisyunal na health practices at nature walk bago magtanghali.

Ilulunsad din sa pagdiriwang ang dalawang bagong libro tungkol sa biodiversity kabilang na dito ang “Public Parks and Green Open Spaces” na pinagtulungang gawin ng DENR at ng non-government organizations na Alliance for Safe, Sustainable and Resilient Environments (ASSURE) at ng Forest Foundation of the Philippines (FFP); at ang “Native Plants of Boracay Wetlands” na gawa naman ng Energy Development Corp at ng BMB.

Bilang bansang kasapi ng Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) ay ipinagdiriwang ng Pilipinas ang IDBD tuwing Mayo 22 kung saan iprinoklama ng United Nations ang kahalagahan ng mga usapin sa biodiversity kasabay din ng petsang ito ang paggunita ng Earth Summit sa Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. ###

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Published: 18 May 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has gained another partner in the effort to rehabilitate Manila Bay after Rotary International District (RID) 3780 agreed to clean up important waterways in Quezon City that drain into the heavily polluted bay.

RID 3780, which is composed of all 104 Rotary clubs in Quezon City, recently signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the DENR for the cleanup of 118 kilometers of waterways within four Quezon City watersheds, covering 14,700 hectares, under the agency’s “Adopt-An-Estero” program.

This covers areas around Barangay Culiat, the vicinities affecting the Pasong Tamo Creek and the Tullahan-Tinajeros River, and several more areas connected with those waterways.

According to DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, the DENR-Rotary partnership will be “a great help in achieving the goals and targets of the Manila Bay rehabilitation program.”

“We are recognizing the role of the private and community sectors when it comes to forging partnerships with them. Without their assistance, we would not be able to achieve a cleaner and safer metropolitan environment,” said Cimatu, who signed the MOA in behalf of the DENR.

RID 3780 officials led by their District Governor Pastor Mar Reyes Jr. also signed the MOA during the local celebration of Earth Day held at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife last April 24.  

Under the MOA, the DENR agreed to provide RID 3780 with technical assistance in reducing pollution in areas covered by the agreement, including strict implementation of the solid waste management law, water quality monitoring, coordination with the local government, and assistance in conducting environmental education activities.

RID 3780, on the other hand, would make sure that each Rotary Club will have a private sector partner-stakeholder that will assist in the implementation of the program through the use of their corporate social responsibility funds.

The organization will also work toward fostering harmonious relationship with the affected communities, expanding the length of the cleanup sites, and replicating the endeavor to other watersheds in Metro Manila.

Established in 2010, the Adopt-an-Estero or Water Body Program is a collaborative undertaking between and among the estero community, donor-partner, local government units, other government agencies and the DENR. 

The program is a response to the continuing mandamus by the Supreme Court for agencies led by the DENR to clean up Manila Bay, particularly through the esteros and waterways that flow directly to the historic bay.

Earlier this year, President RodrigoRoaDuterte ordered a cleanup of Manila and warned establishments surrounding the water body to comply with environmental laws or face closure.

As a response, the DENR launched the “Battle for Manila Bay”, a three-phase program to clean and rehabilitate the bay with the primary goal of reducing the 330 million most probable number (MPN)/100milliliters (ML) of fecal coliform down to 270 MPN or lesser to meet the standard of 100MPN/100ML. ###

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Published: 17 May 2019

Nagsanib puwersa ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at ang Rotary International District (RID) 3780 sa paglilinis ng mga waterways sa Quezon City  na dumadaloy sa Manila Bay, na kasalukuyang dumadaan sa rehabilitasyon.

Ang RID 3780, na kinabibilangan ng 104 Rotary Clubs sa Quezon City, ay lumagda kamakailan ng memorandum of agreement (MOA) kasama ang DENR, na naglalayong linisin ang 118 kilometers na waterways sa apat na Quezon City watershed na mayroong 14,700 ektarya sa ilalim ng “Adopt-An-Estero” program ng ahensiya.

Kasama sa mga lugar na lilinisin ay ang Barangay Culiat, Pasong Tamo Creek, Tullahan-Tinajeros River at iba pang lugar na konektado sa mga naturang daluyan ng tubig.

Ayon kay DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, malaki ang maitutulong ng pakikipagsanib puwersa ng RID 3780 sa isinasagawang Manila Bay rehabilitation program.

“We are recognizing the role of the private and community sectors when it comes to forging partnerships with them. Without their assistance, we would not be able to achieve a cleaner and safer metropolitan environment,” sabi ni Cimatu na lumagda sa MOA bilang kinatawan ng DENR.

Naging representante naman ng RID 3780 si District Governor Pastor Mar Reyes, Jr. na siyang lumagda sa MOA bilang kinatawan ng kanilang mga opisyal sa ginanap na selebrasyon ng Earth Day noong Abril 24 na idinaos sa Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife.

Base sa nakasaad sa MOA, maglalaan ang DENR ng technical assistance sa RID 3780 upang mabawasan ang polusyon sa mga lugar na bahagi ng kasunduan, kabilang na dito ang mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng solid waste management law, water quality monitoring, koordinasyon sa lokal na pamahalaan at ang pagsasagawa ng environment education activities.

Titiyakin naman ng RID 3780 na ang bawat Rotary Club na kanilang nasasakupan ay magkakaron ng private sector partner-stakeholder na kanilang magiging katuwang sa implementasyon ng programa sa pamamagitan ng paggamit ng kanilang corporate social responsibility funds.

Magiging tungkulin din ng RID 3780 na magkaroon ng maayos na ugnayan sa mga apektadong komunidad, pagpapalawak sa sakop ng mga lugar na lilinisin na siyang gagawing modelo ng iba pang watershed sa Metro Manila.

Ang Adopt-an-Estero o ang Water Body Program ay itinatag noong 2010 na layuning magkatulungan ang mga komunidad sa estero, lokal na pamahalaan, iba pang government agencies at ang DENR.

Bahagi din ang naturang programa ng inilabas na “mandamus” ng Supreme Court (SC) na nag-aatas sa DENR at iba pang ahensiya ng gobyerno na linisin ang Manila Bay partikular na ang mga estero at waterways na dumadaloy patungo sa naturang baybayin.

Kamakailan din ay ipinag-utos ni Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte ang paglilinis ng Manila Bay kasabay ng pagbibigay ng babala sa mga establisiyamento sa paligid ng baybayin na sumunod sa mga batas pangkalikasan upang hindi maisara ang kanilang negosyo.

Bilang tugon ay inilunsad ng DENR ang “Battle for Manila Bay” na mayroong tatlong bahagi na ang layunin ay maibaba ang fecal coliform level sa 100 most probable number (MPN)/100 milliliters mula sa 330 MPN/100ML. ###

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Published: 17 May 2019