The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that cleaning up and rehabilitating Manila Bay is “not an impossible mission” if citizens would do their share.

DENR Undersecretary Benny D. Antiporda said that the lack of discipline among Filipinos could be the single biggest obstacle to the success of the rehabilitation.

“Iisa lang ang nakikita naming balakid: ang kakulangan ng disiplina ng taumbayan,” Antiporda said in an interview. "Ang kailangan natin ay disiplina.”

He added: "We are not only cleaning up the bay. Nililigtas natin ang isang bagay na mamamatay dahil kung hindi ay mas maraming mamamatay na tao.”

In 2008, the Supreme Court issued a mandamus directing the DENR and 12 other government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay and to restore and maintain its water quality to a level fit for swimming and other contact recreation.

Antiporda lamented how the efforts of mandamus agencies to clean up the bay have not been visible or felt during the 10 years the high court directive has been in effect.

He attributed previous unsuccessful efforts to "weak coordination and collaboration among mandamus agencies."

This time, however, Antiporda said the DENR and other government agencies have the full backing of President Duterte, allowing them to effectively enforce the law and ensure compliance of local government units with their mandate towards environmental protection.

He added that the DENR is coming up with interventions that would hasten the improvement of Manila Bay’s water quality.

At the same time, Antiporda allayed fears that the rehabilitation would result in loss of jobs and livelihood within the Manila Bay area.

"Ang DENR ay hindi berdugo. We are here to prevent pollution from making it into the sea," he stated.

While he acknowledged that the cleanup would not be completed under Duterte's term, Antiporda said the public could expect "a drastic change that would give the next administration no choice but to carry on current efforts." ###

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Published: 19 January 2019

The Manila Bay rehabilitation project requires a coordinated and integrated effort to clean up all water bodies draining into the bay and deal with the sources of pollution, according to Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu.

“All of these efforts for the cleanup are integrated. We plan to clean the Manila Bay including all the esteros and rivers connected—the Pasig River and the Laguna Lake,” Cimatu said.

Cimatu said the regional offices of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Metro Manila and the Calabarzon region, as well as its provincial offices in Pampanga and Bataan, will be involved in the rehabilitation efforts.

He also underscored the need to “clean the water source, so as to put an end to pollution.”

“We need to find out where the outfalls come from individually, because in just one estero we can find lots of outfalls,” Cimatu pointed out.

“We have seen the problem closely this time, and we have already laid out a detailed solution,” he added.

The DENR’s goal, he said, is to bring down the coliform level in all esteros to 100 most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters (mL).

At the same time, Cimatu said that water concessionaires Maynilad and Manila Water, which are catering to commercial and residential establishments in Metro Manila, will also undergo inspection.

Reforestation of mangrove areas in the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area or LPPCHEA is also included in the rehabilitation plan, he said.

The unveiling of the new Manila Bay rehabilitation plan will be on January 27, in which the DENR will also reveal the establishments initially found to be non-compliant with effluent standards under the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004. ###

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Published: 17 January 2019

Nanawagan si Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu sa sama-samang pagsisikap upang matanggal ang basura sa tubig at iba pang pinanggagalingan ng polusyon sa Manila Bay at iba pang daluyan ng tubig na patungo sa baybayin.

“All of these efforts for the cleanup are integrated. We plan to clean the Manila Bay including all the esteros and rivers connected—the Pasig River and the Laguna Lake,” sabi pa ni Cimatu .

Aniya, bukod sa tanggapan ng DENR regional offices sa Metro Manila, kasama rin ang mga opisina ng Calabarzon region (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon), Pampanga at Bataan sa gagawing rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay.

Idinadag pa nito, kailangan ding linisin ang pinanggagaling ng maruming tubig upang mapigilan ang polusyon.

“We need to find out where the outfalls come from individually, because in just one estero we can find lots of outfalls. “We have seen the problem closely this time, and we have already laid out a detailed solution,” sabi pa ng kalihim.

Layunin ng DENR na maibaba ang coliform level sa lahat ng esteros sa 100 most probable number (MPB) per 100 milliliters (ml).

Maging ang water concessionaires na Maynilad at Manila Water na nagsusuplay ng tubig sa mga commercial at residential establishments sa Metro Manila ay dadaan din sa inspeksiyon.

Kasama rin sa gagawing proyektong rehabilitasyon ng Manila Bay ang reforestation ng mangrove sa Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA).

Sa darating na Enero 27 ay sisimulan na ang Manila Bay rehabilitation plan kung saan ay ihahayag din ng DENR ang mga establisiyamentong hindi sumusunod sa Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004. ###

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Published: 17 January 2019

Mahigpit na ipatutupad ng Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR) ang Clean Water Act upang maging matagumpay ang gagawing paglilinis sa Manila Bay.

Ayon kay DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, ang mahigpit na pagpapatupad ng Republic Act 9275 o mas kilala bilang Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 ay isa sa mga paraan upang maresolbahan ang problema sa maruming tubig sa makasaysayang karagatan.

Kamakailan ay nagsagawa ng ocular inspection si Cimatu sa Estero de San Antonio de Abad sa Malate, Manila at nadiskubre na direktang itinatapon ng mga establisiyamento ang kanilang maruming tubig sa Manila Bay.

“Establishments have to put up their own sewage treatment plants (STPs). They cannot discharge their wastewater in the esteros. “We are giving them three months to put up their own STPs,” sabi pa ni Cimatu.

Aniya, sisimulan ang gagawing rehabilitasyon sa Manila Bay sa pamamagitan ng pagtingin kung saan nanggagaling ang maruming tubig na napupunta sa Manila Bay.

Tatlong bahagi ang gagawing rehabilitasyon sa Manila Bay kung saan ay sisimulan ito sa “water quality improvement” susundan ng rehabilitation at ang pangatlo ay ang protection at sustainment.

Sinabi pa ni Cimatu na sisimulan ang Phase 1 ngayong taon sa pamamagitan ng paglilinis sa mga esteros at iba pang daanan ng tubig patungong Manila Bay, pagbabawas sa fecal coliform at nakalalasong kemikal mula sa mga establisiyamento, paglalagay ng temporary sanitation facilities para sa mga informal settlers na nakatira sa mga esteros at tabi ng Manila Bay kung saan plano ring ilipat sa mga relocation sites ang mga naninirahan sa paligid ng Manila Bay.

Nagsagawa na rin ng inspeksiyon si Cimatu sa Parañaque at Don Galo rivers na parehong patungo ang tubig sa Manila Bay at nadiskubre ang mataas ng fecal coliform level ng tubig sa mga ito.

Noong 2008 nang maglabas ng kautusan ang Supreme Court (SC) na nag-aatas sa DENR at 12 pang kagawaran ng gobyerno na kinabibilangan ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Education, Health, Agriculture, Public Works and Highways and Budget Management, Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police Maritime Group, Philippine Ports Authority, MMDA, MWSS at Local Water Utilities Administration upang linisin ang Manila Bay hanggang sa maaari na itong mapaliguan ng mga tao.

Sa kasalukuyan ay umaabot sa 330 million MPN (most probable number) kada 100 milliliters ang fecal coliform level ng tubig sa Manila Bay habang ang katanggap-tanggap na lebel ay 100MPN/100ml at plano ng DENR na maibaba ito sa 270 pagsapit ng December 2019. ###

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Published: 16 January 2019

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu on Tuesday rallied all stakeholders to work together and be part of history by fully supporting renewed efforts to rehabilitate the heavily polluted Manila Bay.

“I wish you join us in making history in our country,” Cimatu told some 200 representatives of the 12 other mandamus agencies and other government agencies, local government units and the civil society during the stakeholders’ meeting hosted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) at its central office in Quezon City.

Cimatu led the meeting, along with Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat.

Cimatu said the task of bringing back the historic bay to its former glory would not be totally impossible if all stakeholders will take part in the undertaking.

“This mission is not impossible. This mission calls for dedication and hardwork from all those who will help us in this operation,” Cimatu said.

The DENR secretary said the Manila Bay rehabilitation will be a “all hands on deck” effort among several government agencies led by the DENR.

He vowed that DENR personnel will be “at the front row” to achieve the goal of making the coastal waters of Manila Bay fit for swimming again.

Although Manila Bay is still known for having one of the most beautiful sunsets, its waters are considered the most polluted in the country due to domestic sewage, toxic industrial effluents from factories and shipping operations, and leachate from garbage dumps, among others.

Cimatu said the waters along the Roxas Boulevard, which has the best view of the sunset, is even “worse than Boracay.”

The former Armed Forces chief said the government is prepared to show political will to enforce the 2008 Supreme Court mandamus to cleanup Manila Bay and its tributaries.

The government is all set to kick off the Manila Bay rehabilitation on January 27.

Prior to this, Cimatu conducted an ocular inspection of Estero de San Antonio Abad and the Manila Zoo, which was found directly discharging untreated wastewater to waterway leading to the bay.

The DENR has also started identifying establishments that are non-compliant to environmental laws, particularly the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

“We expect these establishments to comply. Otherwise, we will do something to them that will bring the message to the Filipino people that this operation is an operation of political will,” Cimatu warned.

He added: “I assure that it will happen. We will not only clean it, we will be able to do something better for our countrymen and for the next generation.”

Cimatu said he considers the Manila Bay rehabilitation as the “biggest challenge in my life.”

Malacañang has approved a budget amounting to P42.95 billion for three years. This amount will cover cleanup of priority waterways, relocation of informal settler families (ISFs), and implementation of temporary sanitation facilities in ISF communities prior to relocation.

Joining Cimatu in the mission is Año, who was also personally handpicked by President Rodrigo Duterte to undertake the rehabilitation. #

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Published: 15 January 2019