Upang palakasin ang pagpapatupad ng environmental laws ay magdaragdag ng apat na field offices sa Metro Manila ang Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) dahil na rin sa patuloy na paglobo ng populasyon sa Kalakhang Maynila na aabot na ngayon sa mahigit 12 milyong residente.

Ayon kay DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, ang hakbang na ito ay base na rin sa pagsisikap ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte na ilapit sa tao ang serbisyo ng gobyerno partikular na ang mga naninirahan sa National Capital Region (NCR).

“The creation of the four field offices in the DENR-NCR aims to strengthen the enforcement of environment and natural resources laws and promote focused and area-based operations,” nakasaad pa sa nilagdaang DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-02 ni Cimatu kamakailan.

“Thus, this brings the programs, projects, and services of the department closer to the public,” dagdag pa nito.

Kasabay nito, sinabi pa ni Cimatu na ang pagdagdag ng mga bagong field offices ay upang magkaroon ng koordinasyon ang DENR at ang iba pang ahensiya ng gobyerno kabilang na dito ang mga local government units (LGUs) sa Metro Manila na naatasan ng Supreme Court (SC) na linisin ang Manila Bay.

Ang bawat field office ay may kanya-kanyang hurisdiksiyon sa 16 na lungsod at isang munisipalidad sa Metro Manila.

Magiging hurisdiksiyon ng DENR-North Metro Manila Field Office ang CAMANAVA area (Caloocan-Malabon-Navotas-Valenzuela) habang ang South Metro Manila Field Office naman ay hahawakan ang Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Muntinlupa at Pateros.

Ang Quezon City naman kasama ang Marikina City at Pasig City ay mapapaloob sa East Metro Manila Field Office samantalang ang mga lungsod ng Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati at Pasay ay mapapasama sa West Metro Manila Field Office.

Sinabi pa ni Cimatu, bukod sa east office, magkakaroon ng sub-station ang bawat field offices para sa implementasyon ng mga aktibidad ng isinasagawang rehabalitasyon sa Manila Bay.

Ang apat na field offices ay direktang mamanduhan ng DENR Regional Executive Director for NCR, ang bawat isang tanggapan ay pamumunuan ng Chief Environmental Officer at deputy nito, na magkakaroon ng tatlong sections na kinabibilangan ng Monitoring and Enforcement Section, Conservation and Development Section at Permitting and Regulation Section.

Tungkulin ng Monitoring and Enforcement Section ang pagmonitor kung sumusunod sa batas sa forestry, wildlife at iba pang environmental laws ang bawat lugar. Kabilang din sa trabaho nito ang magsagawa ng surveillance at investigation activities.

Magiging obligasyon naman ng Conservation and Development Section ang mga aktibidad sa protected areas and biodiversity, urban forestry, coastal resource and foreshore at community relations development.

Ang pag-iisyu naman ng permits at iba pang kinakailangang dokumento para sa forestry at wildlife ang magiging gawain ng Permitting and Regulation Section.

Lumalabas sa isinagawang survey ng national census noong 2015, umabot na sa 12,877,253 ang populasyon ng Metro Manila na may pinakamaliit na region sa bansa kung ang pag-uusapan ay ang land area. ###

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Published: 31 January 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has created four field offices in Metro Manila to strengthen enforcement of environmental laws in the country’s most densely populated region that is home to over 12 million Filipinos.

This move, according to DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, is also part of the Duterte administration’s ongoing effort to make government services more accessible to the people, particularly those in the National Capital Region (NCR).

“The creation of the four field offices in the DENR-NCR aims to strengthen the enforcement of environment and natural resources laws and promote focused and area-based operations,” Cimatu said in DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-02, which he signed recently.

“Thus, this brings the programs, projects, and services of the Department closer to the public,” he added.

At the same time, Cimatu said the new field offices would enhance coordination between the DENR and other agencies, including local government units (LGUs) in Metro Manila, which were tasked by the Supreme Court to clean up the heavily polluted Manila Bay.

Each field office would have separate jurisdiction over the region's 16 cities and one municipality.

The DENR-North Metro Manila Field Office would cover the CAMANAVA area, or the cities of Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon and Navotas. The South Metro Manila Field Office would have jurisdiction over the cities of Taguig, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and Muntinlupa, and the lone municipality of Pateros.

Quezon City, Marikina City and Pasig City would fall under the East Metro Manila Field Office, while the cities of Manila, San Juan, Mandaluyong, Makati and Pasay would be covered by the West Metro Manila Field Office.

Cimatu said that, except for the east office, a sub-station would be set up in each of the field offices to scale up the implementation of activities to rehabilitate Manila Bay.

While all four field offices would be directly supervised by the DENR Regional Executive Director for NCR, each would be headed by a Chief Environmental Officer and his deputy. Every field office will have three sections.

The Monitoring and Enforcement Section would monitor compliance with forestry, wildlife and other environmental laws, as well as conduct surveillance and investigation activities.

The Conservation and Development Section would undertake activities for protected area and biodiversity, urban forestry, coastal resource and foreshore, and community relations development.

Issuances of permits and other requirements for forestry, wildlife, and patents would be handled by the Permitting and Regulation Section.

Metro Manila, the country’s smallest region in terms of land area, has a population of 12,877,253 based on the 2015 national census. ###

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Published: 31 January 2019

Pangungunahan ng Forest Management Bureau (FMB) ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ang kauna-unahang Wood Summit na layuning magkaroon ng komprehensibong stratehiya upang palakasin ang forestry at wood products sector at mapalago ang industriyang ito.

Gaganapin ang summit ngayong bukas (Enero 29) sa EDSA Shangri-La Hotel sa Mandaluyong City na may temang “Sustainable Forest Management: The Role of Wood Industry in Nation-Building” kung saan ay dadaluhan ito ni DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu.

Ayon kay FMB Director Nonito Tamayo, ang okasyong ito ay base na rin sa nakasaad sa Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 na naglalayong palakasin ang wood industry sa bansa.

Aniya, kabilang sa agenda ng summit na ito ay ang pagtalakay sa pagbaba ng kontribusyon ng wood industry sa gross domestic product sa kabila ng malaking pangangailangan nito sa wood at wood-based products.

Sinabi pa ng FMB chief, layunin ng DENR na palakasin ang wood industry at pasiglahin ang kagubatan sa pamamagitan ng implementasyon ng Expanded National Greening Program (E-NGP).

“The summit will gather different industry players to present and discuss the current policy environment, business trends, and ways forward of the sector in order to develop and implement an effective regulatory and investor-friendly regime that ensure the sustainability of the wood industry in the Philippines,” sabi pa ni Tamayo.

Kabilang sa mga dadalo sa okasyon ang mga pinuno ng Community-Based Forest Management People Organizations (CBFM-POs), Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA), Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines Inc. (CFIP) at Industrial Forest Managers of the Philippines Corp. (IFMP).

Kasama rin sa mga dadalo ay ang mga representante ng iba’t-ibang government agencies tulad ng National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) at Department of Trade and Industry.

Sa mga nakalipas na taon, umaasa ang Pilipinas sa imported wood upang mapunan ang pangangailangan ng bansa sa kahoy dahilan upang maubos ang ating dollar reserves. Nitong 2006 hanggang 2015 ay 25% lamang o 1.5 cubic meters ang ating domestic wood requirements habang ang 75% o 4.5 million cubic meters ay nagmumula sa ibang bansa. ###

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Published: 28 January 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is holding the first-ever Forestry and Wood Industry Summit that aims to come up with a comprehensive strategy to revitalize the forestry and wood products sector and transform it into a growth industry.

With the theme “Sustainable Forest Management: The Role of Wood Industry in Nation Building,” the summit will be tomorrow (January 29) at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City. DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu is expected to keynote the event.

Director Nonito Tamayo of the DENR’s Forest Management Bureau (FMB) said the event is pursuant to the 2017-2022 Philippine Development Plan, which highlights the need to strengthen the wood industry through improved funding schemes to support growth, increased promotional and marketing efforts, and expanded research on key issues.

High on the agenda is the declining contribution of the wood industry to the country’s gross domestic product despite the constantly increasing demand for wood and wood-based products, Tamayo said.

According to the FMB chief, the DENR’s combined interest of revitalizing the country’s wood industry and improving the country’s forest health through the implementation of the Expanded National Greening Program or E-NGP “has led to this ground breaking event.”

“The summit will gather different industry players to present and discuss the current policy environment, business trends, and ways forward of the sector in order to develop and implement an effective regulatory and investor-friendly regime that ensure the sustainability of the wood industry in the Philippines,” Tamayo said.

Among the summit participants are the heads of the Community-Based Forest Management People Organizations (CBFM-POs), Philippine Wood Producers Association (PWPA), Chamber of Furniture Industries of the Philippines Inc. (CFIP), and the Industrial Forest Managers of the Philippines Corp. (IFMAP).

Representatives from government agencies, such as the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), are also attending the summit.

Over the years, the Philippines has been dependent on imported wood to meet its domestic wood requirements, causing a huge drain in the country’s dollar reserves. During the period 2006-2015, locally-sourced wood accounted for only 25 percent, or 1.5 million cubic meters, while 75 percent or 4.5 million cubic meters are imported. ###

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Published: 28 January 2019

On January 27, 2019, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu officially declared the start of the Manila Rehabilitation at the Baywalk in Manila. On hand to witness the declaration, and also joined in the earlier event of Solidarity Walk from the Quirino Grandstand to the staging area (Baywalk), were about 5,000 individuals, mostly representing the 13 Mandamus agencies, local government units, and private sector.

Calling it the “Battle for Manila Bay,” Cimatu, a former Armed Forces chief, said: “This is one battle that will be won not with force or arms, but with the firm resolve to bring Manila Bay back to life.”

He added: “With the commitment and determination of every Filipino to do his share in this rehabilitation effort, we have already won the battle for Manila Bay.”

Manila Bay Rehabilitation

Phase 1- Cleanup/Water Quality Improvement

• Cleanup of designated esteros and waterways;
• Reduce fecal coliform level and toxic discharges from houses and establishments by causing connection to existing STPs and requiring STPs for gov’t, commercial, industrial, and educational establishments;
• Inspect and repair leaks in old sewer lines;
• Provide temporary sanitation facilities to informal settlers residing along esteros and shorelines pending relocation;
• Implement solid waste management; and
• Start planning for the relocation of informal settlers

Phase 2 – Rehabilitation and Resettlement

• Rehabilitation of old sewer lines in NCR
• Relocation of informal settlers
• Ensure completion of 340 MLD of Maynilad and Manila Water by 2022

Phase 3 – Education and Sustainment

• Continuing education of citizens to protect the gains
• Sustained law enforcement and monitoring
• Fast tracking/ Earlier completion of the sewerage system in Metro Manila from 2037 to 2026

The Manila Bay Area:

1. The Manila Bay area covers eight (8) provinces and 178 local government units in three regions of the country, namely: National Capital Region (NCR), Region III, and Region IV-A. Of the eight provinces, four are coastal (Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite and Pampanga); four are non-coastal (Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Rizal and Tarlac).
2. Its drainage area covers 1,994 km2, or 199,400 hectares.
3. Its coastline measures some 190 kilometers.
4. There are 17 principal river systems draining to Manila Bay, namely:

• Angat River
• Bocaue River
• Sta. Maria River
• Marilao River
• Meycauayan
• Meycauayan-Valenzuela River
• Pasig River
• Parañaque River
• Imus River
• Ylang-ylang River
-more-
• Rio Grande
• Cañas River
• Obando River
• Navotas-Malabon-Tinajeros-Tullahan River
• Talisay River
• Guagua River
• Pampanga River

SC Mandamus on Manila Bay

1. On Dec. 18, 2016, the Supreme Court issued SC Mandamus on Manila Bay (G.R. 171947-48) directing 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay, and restore and maintain its waters to SB level to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation.

2. DENR Administrative Order No. 34 of 1990 defines coastal and marines waters under Class SB classification as areas regularly used by the public for bathing, swimming and skin diving, etc., and as spawning areas for Chanos chanos or bangus abd similar species.

3. The 13 Mandamus agencies are as follows:

1. DENR
2. DILG
3. DepEd
4. DOH
5. DA
6. DPWH
7. DBM
8. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
9. Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG)
10. Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)
11. Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
12. Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)
13. Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)

4. For the DENR, the SC ordered the agency to:

• Fully implement its Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy (OPMBCS) that are within its mandate pursuant to Executive Order No. 192, s. 1987;
• Regularly coordinate with mandamus agencies and other concerned agencies involved in management of Manila Bay on effective implementation of OPMBCS;
• Pursuant to Sec. 19 of RA 9275, manage water quality of Manila Bay thru standards setting, regular monitoring and determination of Water Quality Management Areas (WQMA).

5. The Mandamus likewise orders the dismantling and removal of illegal structures along the following waterways:

• Pasig-Marikina-San Juan Rivers
• NCR (Paranaque-Zapote, Las Pinas) Rivers
• Navotas-Malabon-Tullahan-Tinajeros and connecting waterways and esteros in Metro Manila
• Rivers in Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite and Laguna de Bay and other rivers connecting waterways and esteros that discharge wastewater into the Manila Bay

6. Other facts and figures about Manila Bay

• Only 15% (2.4M/16.3M) of the water-served population in the NCR are connected to a sewerage system and about 3.84% (187,000/4,863,938) of water served population outside the NCR are provided with sanitation services;
• Almost 233,000 informal settler families (ISFs) are residing along the waterways of the Manila Bay area, directly discharging their wastes to the water;
• Only about 76% (135/178) of LGUs have approved 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plans

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Published: 27 January 2019