The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has exceeded its year-end targets for environmental programs on solid waste management, clean air and clean water, which comprised the top priorities of Secretary Roy A. Cimatu under his term.

The agency’s program on solid waste management topped the list of its major accomplishments in 2018, having exceeded its target for the implementation of rehabilitation and closure plans for open and controlled dumpsites by 22 percent.

Through its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), the DENR was supposed to monitor only 535 closure and rehabilitation plans of local government units (LGUs) this year, but it ended up monitoring 654 as of November.

It also successfully monitored 919 materials recovery facilities (MRFs), which is around 11 percent higher than the original target of 829 MRFs for 2018. Both the implementation of closure and rehabilitation plans and the establishment of MRFs by LGUs are mandated under Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.

Also this year, the National Solid Waste Management Commission—an interagency body chaired by the DENR—was able to approve a record 322 solid waste management plans (SWMPs) of LGUs, bringing to 806 the total number of approved SWMPs since the enactment of RA 9003.

The DENR also surpassed its 2018 targets in connection with the implementation of RA 8749, or the Clean Air Act of 1999.

It registered a 102 percent accomplishment in terms of monitoring the compliance of industries to emission standards set by the EMB. A total of 16,117 industries were monitored for their emissions in 2018.

There was also 100 percent accomplishment in the formulation and updating of 22 airshed action plans and maintenance of 98 air quality monitoring stations (AQMS) across the country. Properly maintained AQMS are crucial to the monitoring of air quality in Metro Manila and other urban centers.

As part of its implementation of RA 9275 or the Clean Water Act of 2004, the DENR was able to monitor the compliance of 8,664 firms or industries, equivalent to 122 percent of the annual target of 7,123.

The DENR had also entered into 92 agreements with LGUs under the Adopt an Estero or Water Body Program, instead of the original target of 64.

Six new water quality management areas (WQMAs) were also designated this year. These are Lower Amburayan River System; Dupong, Matlang, and Merida; Malabon-Navotas-Tullahan-Tinajeros River System; Iyam-Dumacaa Rivers; and Las Piñas-Parañaque River System.

According to Cimatu, WQMA is a significant tool in enforcing the country’s clean water law. It aims for the improvement of water quality to meet the guidelines under which water bodies have been classified or to improve their classification and meet their potential use, he added.

As soon as he assumed the DENR post in May 2017, Cimatu vowed to prioritize environmental protection through full implementation of existing laws on clean air, clean water and solid waste management. #

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Published: 20 December 2018

2018 proved to be a banner year for the Philippines as a member of the six-nation partnership to protect the Coral Triangle after making significant headway in effectively managing its marine protected areas (MPAs) and fisheries.

“The year 2018 was a good one for the Philippines in terms of our efforts and achievements as a member of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF),” said Director Crisanta Marlene Rodriguez of the Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership of six countries—Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and the Philippines—working together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources in the region known as the “global center of marine biodiversity” by addressing crucial issues such as food security and climate change.

According to Rodriguez, the country has delivered on its commitment to create more MPAs with the enactment of Republic Act 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act, earlier this year.

The E-NIPAS Law has brought to 43 the total number of nationally-managed MPAs and 1,816 locally managed MPAs, all covering 1.4 percent of the country’s total sea area.

“One of the milestones of the Philippines is the legislation of additional 10 (nationally managed) MPAs under the (E-NIPAS Act),” Rodriguez said.

MPAs are areas in seas and oceans where human activity is regulated for conservation and protection of the natural resources within them.

Rodriguez also reported the full implementation of the Coastal and Marine Ecosystems Management Program, which covered activities such as habitat assessment for the NIPAS MPAs, MPA networking technical assistance for local government units, support to 25 MPA networks and some 200 biodiversity-friendly enterprises, and inclusion of ocean acidification baseline study in select MPAs.

She added that coastal stability assessment, mapping, impact monitoring, resiliency studies and updating of coral reef baseline data were conducted in the West Philippine Sea and the Philippine Rise, formerly known as Benham Rise.

Other accomplishments of the country in MPA management include the establishment of a two million hectare MPA in northeast Palawan, approval of MPA management plan for Davao Gulf, and creation of five-province MPA and MPA network within the Verde Island Passage, which has been dubbed as the “center of the center of marine shorefish biodiversity in the world.” The five provinces are Batangas, Marinduque, Romblon, Oriental Mindoro and Occidental Mindoro.

Rodriguez noted that effective MPA management is one of the five targets under the country’s National Plan of Action (NPOA) for the CTI-CFF.

“Among the NPOA goals, that of the MPA truly mirrors how much we have achieved in terms of implementation and regional cooperation,” Rodriguez pointed out.

Aside from MPA management, Rodriguez said the country was also successful in adopting the ecosystem approach to fisheries management (EAFM), another goal set by the Philippines in its NPOA.

She said the country had intensified its effort to combat illegal fishing nationwide, with the end view of improving food security and livelihood.

To strengthen law enforcement on the country’s coastal waters, Rodriguez said a Committee on Illegal, Unregulated and Unreported Fishing was created through Executive Order No. 154.

Of the 24 EAFM programs initiated, Rodriguez said six have been completed while 18 are on-going.

The BMB chief said the Philippines also made progress on its 3 other NPOA goals, namely: establishment of seascapes, achieving climate change adaptation measures, and improved status of threatened species.

The Philippines also ends 2018 on a high note with its successful hosting of the CTI-CFF Ministerial Meetings and Senior Officials Meeting on December 9-15, which served as culminating activities for the country’s two-year chairmanship of CTI-CFF.

Rodriguez, meanwhile, called for continued support for the country’s initiatives to protect its coastal and marine resources.

“We look forward to the continued support of our development partners as we embark on the progress of the next Regional Plan of Action (RPAO). This then leads us to tackle issues on marine debris, nature-based ecotourism, blue carbon, and sustained financing for the CTI-CFF goals,” Rodriguez said. ###

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Published: 20 December 2018

Buoyed by the success of the Boracay rehabilitation, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is preparing to embark on a highly ambitious and more complicated endeavor: restoring Manila Bay to its pristine state.

Although Manila Bay is 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.

DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said he was keen to have Manila Bay rehabilitated, restored and maintained to a level fit for swimming, skin diving and other contact forms of recreation.

“We are preparing for an all-out strategy to bring the coliform concentration in Manila Bay to a safe level so that millions of people who reside in the bay region and neighboring areas will enjoy its waters and marine resources without fear of getting sick,” Cimatu said.

Cimatu said the DENR hopes to replicate what has been achieved in Boracay which, prior to undergoing six-month rehabilitation, was described as a “cesspool” by no less than President Rodrigo Duterte.

The environment chief said the government will show the same level of political will in cleaning up the bay that spans three major regions—National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon and CALABARZON or Region 4A—as it did in Boracay, a tiny island in Western Visayas.

A 2017 report by the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau showed that the fecal coliform level in Manila Bay reached as high as over 330 million most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters. The safe level is only 100 MPN/100ml.

According to Cimatu, part of the DENR’s strategy is to ensure the compliance with environmental laws among all local government units (LGUs) surrounding Manila Bay.

“I am calling on all LGUs to step up their efforts in cleaning up the bay because it is their own constituents who will benefit (from a rehabilitated Manila Bay),” Cimatu said.

He revealed that a Manila Bay Command Center under the DENR NCR regional office would be created to oversee the zonal operations of four field offices to be set up in six coastal cities of Metro Manila, namely: Malabon-Navotas, Manila, Pasay-Parañaque, and Las Piñas.

These field offices would be manned by personnel, who would closely coordinate with city or municipal environment officers to ensure that cleanup activities and programs are being carried out and sustained.

To address problems on human waste arising from the presence of informal settlers along the bay, the DENR is looking at technologies that would treat water of pollutants, whether directly discharged into the bay or through toilets.

Cimatu said the DENR would also seek assistance from law enforcement agencies in going after violators of environmental laws, especially those who discharge untreated wastewater into the bay.

In 2008, the Supreme Court issued a continuing writ of mandamus ordering 13 government agencies to clean up Manila Bay and restore its water quality to Class SB, or safe for recreational activities such as swimming.

Class SB waters are also suitable for commercial propagation of shellfish and as spawning areas for milkfish and other similar species. ###

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Published: 16 December 2018

Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu called for strengthening of regional cooperation to protect the Coral Triangle and its marine resources from the devastating effects of climate change.

Cimatu made the call during the 7th Ministerial Meeting of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CIT-CFF) in Makati City on Friday.

According to the environment chief, regional cooperation has never been more important in the context of the immense challenges the Philippines and five other nations face from climate change, which is the single greatest threat to the coral-rich region.

“This is the value of the Coral Triangle Initiative. I see this partnership as a long-term solution not only for our region, but also for all of civilization mainly because of the fact that we are protecting the nursery and the center of the center of marine biodiversity,” Cimatu said.

The CTI-CFF is a multilateral partnership of six countries working together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources by addressing crucial issues, such as food security, climate change and marine biodiversity.

Aside from the Philippines, the Coral Triangle is also composed of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste.

Cimatu said several progress have been made in the last decade but CTI-CFF nations must not become complacent, especially in the face of climate change.

“We have made progress indeed but we are far from celebrating what is supposed to be a victory for our people—the sustainability of our coastal and marine resources,” Cimatu said.

“A lot has yet to be done and we want nothing less for the future generation than for them to experience what we have enjoyed so far from our oceans,” he added.

Cimatu rallied member nations to continue supporting CTI-CFF’s “cause of empowering communities and providing them with options that will address their needs amidst the emerging impacts of climate change.”

“Rest assured, our governments will be working hand in hand to get things done,” he stressed.

Although highly diverse and rich because of abundance of coral reefs, tropical fishes, mangroves and seagrass, Cimatu said the Coral Triangle will be one of the very first regions that will feel the impact of climate change.

Cimatu noted that in the past 10 years, the region experienced unprecedented rates of droughts, extreme rainfall and weather, coral bleaching, and ocean acidification due to changing climate.

He lamented that climate change had hampered “not only the individual lives of the families living along the coastlines, but also of the economy of our entire nations. ###

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Published: 14 December 2018

The Philippines is ending its two-year chairmanship of the Coral Triangle Initiative on Coral Reefs, Fisheries and Food Security (CTI-CFF) with a call for nations within one of the world’s biggest and most important marine regions to scale up efforts to achieve widespread impact.

“Moving forward, we must shift our focus on actions that can really deliver higher level of outcomes such as poverty reduction and improved food security,” Undersecretary Jonas Leones of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said in his opening remarks during the 14th CTI-CFF Senior Officials Meeting in Makati City.

The two-day meeting is one of the culminating activities for the Philippine chairmanship of CTI-CFF, a multilateral partnership of six countries working together to sustain extraordinary marine and coastal resources by addressing crucial issues, such as food security, climate change and marine biodiversity.

The six countries are Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor-Leste and the Philippines, collectively known as Coral Triangle 6 or CT6.

Leones, chair of the CTI-CFF Committee of Senior Officials, said the chairmanship of the Philippines for the past two years was not easy because it has been challenged with a number of difficulties that caused a small hiccup in the organization.

The region, he said, also suffered from natural disasters that have cost lives and economic losses among CT6 nations, further aggravating what has already been a difficult sector to manage.

“Our coastal communities which have always relied on the richness of our seas remain highly vulnerable to an ever changing environment, which is why there is a need to develop programs and initiatives that are more adaptive and sustainable,” Leones said.

Leones, however, believed the region has already moved on from “difficult times” and was now “eager to keep on working to achieve our common goals.”

But before the CT6 adopts a new regional plan of action, Leones said working groups, such as coordination mechanism, monitoring and evaluation, must gain grounds.

He said this is to make sure “everything is in place and all we have to do is to implement what will be decided upon by the CTI-CFF.”

Leones also shared some of the efforts done by the Philippines to protect its coastal and marine resources, including its “bold and decisive moves” in connection with the world-famous Boracay Island.

He said the six-month closure of Boracay served as an eye opener for local government units, coastal communities and national agencies on the effects of unsustainable tourism practices.

“Moreover, this initiative has rippled through all of our provinces and municipalities, triggering an increased environmental consciousness to those living along the country’s coastline,” Leones added.

The DENR official said the country also expanded the coverage of the National Integrated Protected Area System or the NIPAS that established and reinforced additional terrestrial and coastal protected areas spread across the country.

He also cited the signing of Presidential Proclamation 489 declaring a portion of the Philippine Rise, more commonly known as Benham Rise, as a resource reserve.

The underwater region located off Luzon was found to harbor significantly large contiguous coral reefs in pristine condition, prompting the Convention of Biological Diversity to declare it as an “ecologically and biologically significant area.”

Leones said the Boracay rehabilitation, expansion of NIPAS coverage, protection of Philippine Rise and other coastal and marine conservation and protection activities signify the country’s continued commitment to international agreements, such as the CTI-CFF.

“Being an archipelagic country, we cannot emphasize further how important it is for our government to prioritize our seas,” Leones said. “The country recognizes the interconnectedness of our neighbor countries’ activities and management initiatives, which is why we continue to collaborate and strengthen our ties with existing regional cooperation.”

Leones assured that the Philippines, as a member of these regional cooperations, “shall give its utmost service and response to the call of other nations with regard to preserving our natural resources.” ###

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Published: 13 December 2018