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Ytaisre Department of Environment and Neural Resources IRROR 2 7:JUL ?019 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION INITIATIVES SERVICE - SALAMIN NC KATOTOHANAN - DATE DENR-PCAPI, NAGSANIB-LINIS SA ESTERONG DIREKTA SA MANILA BAY NAGSANIB puwersa Environment Secretary sociations and organiza- ang Department of En- Roy Cimatu ang kabala- tions to do the same and vironment and Natural gahan ng pagtutulungan take part in different envi- Resources (DENR) at ng national government ronmental advocacies in Pollution Control Asso- agencies, non-government order to address current ciation of the Philippines organizations (NG0s), environmental issues," Inc. (PCAPI) upang lini- local government units ani Fontejon-Enarle. sin ang maruming Whig (LGUs) at komunidad sa Napagkasunduan ng Estero de Marala na isinasagawang rehabilitas- ng dalawang partido sa direktang dumadaloy sa yon ng Manila Bay at ng MOA na palawalcin ang Manila Bay. iba pang daluyan ng tubig programa upang maba- Napag-alamang ang na diretsong dumadaloy sa wasan ang paglala ng Estero de Marala in may malcasaysayang baybayin. kalagayan ng Estero de habang 2.7 kilometro ay Ayon naman kay Marala at maglcaroon ng matatagpuan sa boundary PCAPI President Engr. ugnayan ang bawat isa ng mga lungsod ng Navo- Gretchen Fontejon- pan sa regular na pagpa- tas at Manila at nalcaugnay Enarle, ang pagbibigay ng plano, implementasyon ito sa. Estero de Vitas sa protelcsiyon sa lcalilcasan ng mga napadkaisahan sa timog (south), Estero de ay hindi lamang nakaatang pagpupulong at naatukoy Maypad sa hilaga (north), sa gobyemo bagkus ay sa ang bilang ng mga infor- at Estero de Maypajo sa lahat ng stakeholders. mal settler na naninirahan silangan (east). "This partnership sig- sa naturang lugar. Sa memorandum of nifies the importance, the Nabuo ang pakikiisa agreement (MOA) sign- essence of PCAPI, and ng DENR at ng naturang ing sa pagitan ng DENR hoping it will become • a ahensiya sa pangangalaga at PCAPI, ipinunto ni benchmark for other as- ng Estero de Marala sa
bang upang maibalik ang ilalim ng programang nidad malapit sa ester°, ang pagtukoy kung ki- kaayusan at kalinisan ng Adopt-an-Estero ng donor partners, LGUs, nakailangang magkaroon DENR, na may layuning DENR at iba pang ahen- ng cleanup, dredging at Estero de Marala. BENEDICT mapalalcas ang pagtutu- siya ng pamahalaan. desilting sa mga ilog hi- ABAYGAR, JR. lungan ng mga komu- Kabilang din dito tang bahagi ng mga hak- STRATEGIC THE PHILIPPINE UPPER PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION 14. STORY STORY elk INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER SERVICE 27 JUL 2019
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DOT eyes rehab, ill not closure of El Nido The Department of Tourism (DOT) report (from the DILG and DENR), but is pushing only the rehabilitation and the DOT side as of now, I'm only pushing not the closure to tourists of El Nido, for rehab," Puyat said. Palawan, according to Tourism Secretary The members of the interagency task Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. force inspected El Nido and Panglao in Puyat told The STAR that the heads November last year. Concerned local gov- of an interagency task force composed of ernment units (LGUs) were given until the DOT and Departments of the Interior last May to comply with environmental and Local Government (DILG) and Envi- and easement laws. ronment and Natural Resources (DENR) Puyat said El Nido and Panglao would meet on Aug. 1 to come up with a "too big to dose." decision on El Nido. She had earlier said the islands would She was reacting to reports that the be rehabilitated not with the same strict DILG is recommending the closure of six-month closure implemented in Bo- Corong-Corong and Bacuit Bays in El racay, but through closer partnerships Nido due to fecal coliform levels. with LGUs. "The three of us are waiting for the — Catherine Talavera
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EL NIDO RESORTS ISASARA NC 3 BOWAN ATAPOS ang. than 3,4M MPN (most by the presence of infor- views into. Boracay ay probable number)/Igo mal settler families, non- Ang Borapay ay Mu- Mang Hang ba- ML," nakasaad sa ddku- enforcement of easement ting binuksan --noong I agi unman ng El Nido rnentong ipinalabas ng regulations on outfalls, and October 2018 matapos , sa Palawan ang isasaila- DILG sa Department of unregulated dry-docking ang six-month closure I m sa rehabilitasyon ng Environment and Natu- and mooring activities," alinsunod sa kautusan pamahalaan. ral Resources (DENA) at nakasaad pa an dokumento. ni Panguldtig Rodrigo Inirekomenda ng De- Department of Tourism Partikular na nais Duterte na iirehabilitate partment of the Interior (DOT). ipagbawal ng DILG ang ang isla, Ga tinawag n and Local Government Ayon kay Interior water activities upang ma- yang 'cesspool'. (DILG) ang three-month Undersecretary Epimaco pangalagaan ang lugar at . Kalaunan ay inanun- closure para sa Bacuit Bay Densing, inirekoraenda ng hindi magkaaakit ang mga siyo ng inter-aggpey task at Coropg-Corong Outfall ahensiya ang pagpapasara turista at local. force an piano nitong dahil sa poor Water quality dahil nais malaman ng Ang Bacuit Bay ay isailalim sa rehabilitasyon sa nasabing mga lugar. mga awtoridad kung saan kilalang puntahan ng ang top Palawan destina- "It Was found that nanggagaling ang maru- island-hoppers dahil sa tions El Nido . at .Coron. Bacuit Bay and Corong- ming tubig. Aniya, ang Hg- turquoise waters at ma- Nauna na ring ipinasara ng Corong Outfall are in Ins na lebel ng tubig pan yamang marine life nito, environment officials atig dreadful condition with sa swimming ay 1001npn habang ang Corong- ilang establisimiyento sa one entail's fecal coli- lamang. Co oug ay sikat sa lun- El Nido dahil sa paglabag. form level reaching more "This is compounded tiang kagubatan at sunset sa envirtitunelital laws. WM ana edengandyahoo.com error
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El Nido up next in gov't cleanup drive pers, as it boasts turquoise By CNN Philippines Staff waters and rich marine life. Corong-Corong,onthe oth- AFTER Boracay, portions departments. er hand, is known for its Interior Undersecretary of El Nido in Palawan are lush forests and sunset up next in the govern- Epimaco Densing said the views. ment's cleanup drive. department recommended The move comes after a The Department of the the closure as authorities Tourism official earlier this Interior and Local Govern- aim to find out the source month said there will be no of the dirty water. The safe ment (DILG), in a docu- more closure of tourist-lad- ment dated July 15 and level for swimming is only en island destinations, in- 100mpn, Densing added. released yesterday, has cluding El Nido and Coron "This is compounded by recommended a three- in Palawan, Panglao in month closure for Bacuit the presence of informal Bohol, and Siargao. Tour- settler families, non-en- Bay and Corong-Corong ism Assistant Secretary Outfall due to poor water forcement of easement reg- Roberto Alabado had said ulations on outf ails, and quality in the areas. unregulated dry-docking that authorities will in- "It was found that Ba- and mooring activities," stead go after non-compli- cuit Bay and Corong-Coro- ng Outfall. are in dreadful the document further read. ant resorts and establish- The Interior Department, in ments in the said areas. condition with one out- Boracay reopened in Oc- fall's fecal coliform level particular, wants to ban reaching more than 3.414 water activities "to pre- tober 2018 after a six- MPN (most probable serve the area and prevent month closure on President tourists and locals from Rodrigo Duterte's order to number)/100 ML," read have the island, which he the document, which was contracting diseases." I " reha- addressed to both the En- Bacuit Bay is a popular vironment and Tourism destination for island-hop- bilitated. - The inter-agency task force later on announced its plans to rehabilitate top Palawan destinations El Nido and Coron. Environ- ment officials earlier shut down shut down several establishments in El Nido after they were found vio- lating environmental laws. CNN Philippines' Carolyn Bonquin contributed to this report.
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Pagsasara ng hang beach resort sa El Edo, Palawan inirekomenda ng OILS INIREKOMENDA ng Epimaco Densing, nakasaad Department of Interior and sa rekomendasyon ang pag- Local Government (DILG) papasarang hindi bababa sa ang pan samantalang pag- tatlong buwan sa rnga resort sasara ng rlang beach resort sa tatlong barangay sa Ba- sa El Nido, Palawan. cult Bay at isang Barangay Ayon kay DILG Usec. sa Corong-Corong. Ito ay makaraang matuldasan ang mats na fecal coliform levels sa ti- big sanasabing mga lugar. Inizekomendadin ng DILE ang pagbuo ng inter-agency task force para sa El Nido Imams ang Department of Tourishn (DOD at Depart- ment of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
UPPER PAGE! BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION 1=I STORY STORY INMATIVES PAGE LOWER •••••••41 STRATEGIC SERVICE Buaesslfirror Ih rfh illftthri Inr.cm 27 JUL 2019 rAGE I/ DATE Desalination: The future of wate BY JONATHAN L. MAYUGA Both companies were com- pelled• to implement rotational MAGINE this. An almost limitless water service interruption despite partially sourcing water from La- supply of water for Metro Manila's guna de Bay and deep wells, as the National Water Resources Board- 14-million-plus population with supply al- I (NWRB) reduced water location coming from Angat. spare to boot for our city gardens, Because of the water supply nearby farms and swimming pools. shortage, concerned government officials have called on the public .nrieummiemsentswArptacirEnnrc.or. to conserve water and suggested rainwater harvesting for non- 3. Post-treatment (stabilizing the pH level) 4. Freshwater storage essential water uses to reduce the demand for clean water coming 2. Reverse osmosis — from Angat Dam. 1. Pretreatment Joh, Solutions, solutions, solutions Desalinated water WHILE the Duterte administra- tion, through the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), is developing various short-, medium- and long-term wa- ter source projects that can boost potable water supply for the ever- growing population in Metro Ma- nila, the provision of water using an assortment of water-treatment tech- Concentrated seawater disposal nologies—for domestic, commercial and industrial uses—is gaining trac- DESALINATION PROCESS ence severe water shortage. More tion. One such technology, desalina- rains and water at Angat may soon tion, is becoming the buzzword. The proposal to introduce wa- reach normal operating level. The One company is pitching the ter desalination to supply Metro question is, how much longer? call for the adoption of desalina- Manila's growing need for the tion technology and tapping the previous commodity cropped up Severe supply shortage country's unlimited supply of this at the height of a severe water cri- THE supply shortage this year is precious economic resource from sis that plagued the Metro cities the worst the National Capital the ocean to provide adequate last summer. Region (NCR) has experienced in fresh water. But there's a catch. We may recent years. First felt in the East Through desalination, a pro- mineral com- have to spend much more to en- Zone—the concession area of Ma- cess that takes away joy the luxury of water abundance nila Water Co. Inc. with about 6.8 ponents from saline or saltwater,. with the desalination option. million customers last March 6— the provision of fresh water, pos- the water supply shortage started sibly tap or clean drinking water, Rain dance to affect the close to 9 million cus- however, is very expensive; hence INFREQUENT monsoon rains over tomers of Maynilad Water Services also a lucrative undertaking. the past few days have started to Inc., which covers the West Zone increase the water level at Angat Concession Area last month. Dam, inching slightly above the critical level but still below the nor- mal operating level. As of 6 a.m. Tuesday, water at Angat was 161.56 meters—a good sign that the water shortage prob- lem may soon come to pass. While it is now above the critical level of 160 meters, it is still way below the 180-meter normal operating level, which means residents of Metro Manila, with a population 9f over 12 million, will continue to experi- c STRA I I UPPER PAGE 1 UØIN DITORIAL CARTOON COM MI I N L I R IN STORY TORY INITIAL I YIN PAGE LOWER OENVICE i or ,impos Bum' essNlirr —Let IlIIEW TII1. htym 27 41111i 2013 TITLE! PAGE I/ P- a ve5,11 ria-f-rirv, : 71,1 e r-wil4rfa 1,- tuct-f-gle 1, logical advance in water treatment (itimately,Ul we need to through desalination is already ripe and may yet provide a lasting consider: Who will foot solution to the perennial water the bill for the investment shortage in Metro Manila and oth- and the extra costs? Will consumers er parts of the country. Cebu, a province facing severe be willing to pay for it [desalination]? ' shortages in the future, is now a Are they also willing to explore other leading consumer of desalinated options that are within their means water, Tompar said. to address? And do they have access The Mandaue, Cebu-based firm is one of the leading water- to these options?" technology solution providers in the country. Its biggest water system is a ENGR. ANTONIO TOMPAR 22,000-cubic-meter per day (CMD) President and chief executive officer of Mactan Rock Industries Inc. seawater facility in South Road Properties in Cebu city that sup- Undersecretary Benny Anti- plies SM Seaside and City de Mari It entails the use of more en- porda, deputy spokesmanof DENR of Filinvest. ergy, the steady supply of which re- Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, said the The company offers "build, mains a big challenge for the Phil- cost of producing desalinated wa- own, operate and manage," or ippines. ter will be burdensome to consum- BOOM, scheme to institutions or ers who would surely shoulder the private and exclusive subdivisions, Extremes: Supply shortage, cost of production. or "bulk water" supply to water dis- excessive mint& "Desalination means money. It tricts. ARTURO TAHUP, associate for low requires a huge amount of mon- carbon communities of the Insti- ey. You will only make the people Gaining traction tute for Climate and Sustainable of the Philippines poorer because it TOMPAR said desalination is gain- Cities (ICSC), said cities will always is expensive" said Antiporda, also ing traction not only Cebu but in have to grapple with how to meet DENR's undersecretary for solid I other areas where water scarcity or their water needs. waste management and local gov- 1 supply shortage is a problem, citing "In the case of Metro Manila, ernment unit concerns. three big projects lined up in Ma- we are facing both extremes—peo- Instead of pushing for de- nila. ple do not have enough water flow- salination, Antiporda said he is "I have more projects now in ing into their faucets, yet an hour's keen on rainwater harvesting to desalination," he said. He confided worth of continuous rain will cause mitigate, the effect of water supply that when the company started de- flooding." shortage and, at the same time, put salination way back 25 years ago, it According to Tahup, beyond in place a flood-control measure required around 5 kilowatts of elec- securing the limited supply of fresh that has become a perennial prob- tricity to desalinate I. cubic meter water, people need to improve the lem in low-lying areas. of seawater. "Now as a standard, it management of demand. "What we need is to build is half of that, [and] in some cases, "Water usually flows out of water-impounding facilities in va- less than 2 kilowatts is enough," he the faucet then goes directly to the cant areas to harvest rainwater," he said. drains and ends up in sewerage, said. Tompar plans to seek an au- untreated—this illustrates not For instance, Antiporda said dience with Energy Secretary Al- only the gravity of our wastewater spaces like road crossings can be fonso Cusi to discuss how the cost problem but also an opportunity developed for water impounding of desalination can be further re- to improve our management of de- underneath these. duced. mand," he said. "By harvesting rainwater, we'll He said there are power com- reduce the pressure on Angat and panies that are willing to work Expensive, unaffordable— we'll have plenty of water to use," with the company "to give power at OMR exec he said. PG per cubic meter." • FOR the Department of Envi- "I will ask him, through a let- ronment and Natural Resources 'Ripe for the taking' ter of intent, to bring down the (DENA), while the technology is SOUGHT for comment, Engr. An- power cost," he said. already available, desalination tonio Tompar, president and chief" Tompar noted the Philippines is something that needs further executive officer of Mactan Rock is surrounded by seawater and study. Industries Inc., a pioneer in de" :/ there are several hotels, some with salination, said that the techno_ shopping malls along bay areas like those in Cebu, that are already us- ing desalinated water. In Cebu, he said, groundwater is already contaminated by sewage, thus making desalination very fea- sible. "Come to think of it, desali- nation is now very competitive," he added. "In Mactan, conservatively, more than half of the water there STRATEGIC UPPER PAGE 1 BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICMION STORY STORY JNFrTATIVES PAGE TOWER 3ERVICF. Businessliirror II 46 6 Aro Alm' hwonn 2 7 JU TITLE: PAGE 1/ TE F-, D Mc, piA ua.4-e( is desalinated. In the bay area in even in the Philippines, even those Cebu, more than 50 percent is de- coming from MWSS, Maynilad and salinated. In our company alone, Manila Water, they don't declare it we are producing about 30,000 Cu. as potable. They give bottled wa- m. of desalinated water," he said ter; he said. With less pollution, in Laguna 'Brackish' water desalination de Bay and Pasig River, desali- TOMPAR said he is eyeing a project nation can provide cheap water, in Metro Manila where the com- he said. "But water from Manila pany will turn brackish water, like Bay will cost a little more than that from Pasig River, into potable brackish." Nevertheless, he said, water. The desalination of brackish because of the need, three more water will require less power, he big installations await near the said, compared to removing miner- bay, citing the company's offer for als from saltwater. affordable water supply. "One project we would like to "We are cheaper by P1.0 per cu. do in Metro Manila is brackish wa- m. by industry standard. We don't ter. It requires only one-half kilo- extract directly from the sea. We watt per Cu. m.," he said. extract seawater from deep water That means a lower cost of just P5 per cubic meter because brack- near the sea. There are chemical ish water's salinity is lower. pollutants ' but the desalination According to Tompar, some process cleans it. I have several de- portions of Laguna de Bay have salination projects in Manila. Our very low salinity. "We can already company's brackish bulk water supply water from Laguna de Bay costs only about P7.78 per cu. at very low prices," he said. he said. Mactan Rock, he added, is manufacturing its own desalina- Optimizing freshwater tion plants, which is why its cost is resources lower. "We pioneered this 30 years ACCORDING to Tahup, desalina- ago. Right now, we are just import- tion is one proposal among a range ing component parts that are not of options to consider in optimiz- available in the Philippines [like] ing existing fresh water resources. membrane, pumps.... But the struc- "Water desalination is not ture, assembly, pipes and technol- new, and technology will continue ogy, we already have it. I am build- to improve and become energy- ing more desalination [units] in the and cost-efficient. However, the bay area not only in Mactan but in country is also currently chal- Metro Manila," Tompar stated. lenged in securing enough power, Industry-wise, he said, some which large-scale desalination private companies also buy import- would require vast amounts of. In ed equipment but added that, mod- the meantime, water conservation, esty aside, "when it comes to open gray-water recycling and rainwater bidding when there are fair bidding harvesting are already feasible and chances for desalinated water sup- [are] practical options in urban ar- ply, we will win. We are the lowest eas such as Metro Manila," he said. bidder." Whether or not desalination is a viable option depends on the spe- Less pollution, less cost cific context of each community, he ACCORDING to Tompar, govern- pointed out. ment efforts to rehabilitate water Desalination, Tompar said, bodies are important to reduce the works in communities struggling cost of desalination, or any water treatment method, for that matter. with water scarcity, drought and "In Laguna de Bay, Manila salinization. However, he said, the Water and Maynilad also have de- cost implication and efficiency, as salination. Sometimes, when the well as waste management, would salinity is high, they do desalina- need to be factored in should a de- tion," he said. cision be made to replicate it on a Given the opportunity or ac- scale such as Metro Manila's. cessibility, he said water from Pasig "Ultimately, we need to con- River can be extracted by the firm, sider: Who will foot the bill for the which will clean it up and put it in investment and the extra costs? desalinated brackish water for in- Will consumers be willing to pay dustries. for it? Are they also willing to ex- "We are not going to supply it, I plore other options that are within will make it potable but I will sell their means to address? And do it as nonpotable for flushing CR, they have access to these options?" cleaning toilets, etc. Hotels now, he asked. t& STRATEGIC Eli CI e UPPER'. PAGE 1 BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION STORY STORY INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER SERVICE Businesstor II rusir, M1 rri loihn, I iiivniA '2 7 JUL-,;;AcE. 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THE bay area in Cebu. The province is now a leading consumer of desalinated water. ALEXEY KORNYLYEY I DREAMSTIME COM
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DENR INAUGURATES FIRST WILDLIFE RESCUE CENTER IN SOCCSKSARGEN ISULAN, Sultan Kudarat: The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, General Santos City) Region, in partnership with the Sultan Kudarat State Univer- sity (SKSU)-Lutayan Campus, on Wednesday formally opened the first Regional Wildlife Rescue Center at the SKSU Campus in Barangay Blingkong, Lutayan Municipality. Dr. All Hadjinasser, DENR-12 Conservation and Development Division chief, on Friday said that the facility is in compliance with Republic Act 9147 or the "Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act" to ensure the welfare of wild- life. The 2500-square meter facility will also serve as a venue for public education and training ground for wildlife enthusiasts on handling, care and management of wildlife in captivity within Region 12. JULMUNIR I. JANNARAL STRATEGIC LII BANNER COMMUNICATION PER PAGE I EalTORIAt CARTOON STORY STORY ea INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER YNRIRRINNIMISIR. ERVICE MANILAPBULLETIN N•10". S THE NATION'S LEADING NEWSPAPER - .27 mil ?ma TITLE PAGF / DATE
A "win-win" approach to tapping SCS resources
HE clashing claims of the Philippines in oil exploration and test drilling in disputed wa- and China in the South China Sea ters. China warned Vietnam it would take action (S CS) , particularly in the 200-mile to stop the drilling. Vietnam was later reported to T Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of have scrapped the project. the Philippines which we have renamed West The problem arises from the fact that the two Philippine Sea, continues to dominate public nations have conflicting claims in the South China discussions. Sea. Vietnam, like all other coastal states in the In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) last region, has a 12-mile territorial sea plus a 200-mile Monday, President Duterte reiterated that he has Exclusive Economic Zone, as provided by the UN an agreement with China President Xi Jinping al- Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). But lowing Filipinos and Chinese to fish in the disputed China does not recognize the UNCLOS; it claims waters. He cited the ruling of the Permanent Court instead sovereignty over 80 percent of the South of Arbitration in The Hague allowing fishermen of China Sea, based on a nine-dash-line map it pro- various nations to fish at Panatag which is within duced in 1948. our EEZ, as it is a traditional fishing ground. China's foreign ministry has stated that "The Vietnamese, the Taiwanese, Chinese, China's position on the South China Sea is "clear Japanese, even Koreans, and Filipinos," Malay- and consistent.... China resolutely safeguards its sians, and Indonesians - they can also fish because sovereignty and maritime rights." Any dispute they have always been there," Defense Secretary with another country may be settled via negotia- Delfin Lorenzana said after critics questioned the tions and consultations, it said. President's verbal agreement with China, insist- President Duterte has chosen to negotiate ing that only Filipinos should be allowed to fish in rather than fight like Vietnam once did. Vietnam the Philippine EEZ. has since joined the other Association of Southeast Many critics have suggested that the Philip- Asian Nations (ASEAN) in agreeing to the draw- pines take a cue from Vietnam's tough approach in ing up of a Code of Conduct to guide the various dealing with China. In 1974, the South Vietnamese nations surrounding the South China Sea, with navy clashed with Chinese naval forces in the Para- the goal of preventing violent confrontations and cels for control of one area, resulting in one Viet- settling disputes instead through consultations namese warship sunk, three damaged, 53 Vietnam- and diplomacy. ese soldiers killed, and 48 taken prisoner. In 1988, The Philippines and China will start later this the Socialist Republic of Vietnam navy clashed year an oil exploration and development project with Chinese forces in the Spratleys and suffered in the Calamian area west of Palawan, with a 60-40 64 killed, 11 wounded, 9 captured, two transporters sharing agreement in favor of the Philippines. This sunk, and one landing craft destroyed. is part of the win-win strategy that the Philippines In recent years, Vietnam has been more sub- has chosen in its dealings with China as they move dued. In 2017, Petro Vietnam and the Vietnamese to develop Asia's natural resources that have long government engaged the Spanish company Repsol been exploited by outside nations. STRATEGIC UPPEy PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION A1 STORY STORY vimastS INITIATIVES I et I - _ PAGE LOWER "mis0110111.1111rar SERVICE Standardm 27 JU'.
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(Psalm 8:4-9) Winning against black Live simply, minimize consump- tion and actively promote ecological awareness and action through integral r environmental issues waste segregation and by minimizing the use of plastic and paper, by elimi- bility for others and the world, and that nating single-use plastics, polystyrene and the like, from our homes and insti- EAGLE being good and decent are worth it. We have had enough of immorality and the tutions. EYES Prevent and reduce biodiversity -•••••••••-••••- • mockery of ethics, goodness, faith and TONY honesty. It is time to acknowledge that loss by growing indigenous plants and ' A VINA light-hearted superficiality has done us trees, expanding forests through rain no good. When the foundations of so- forestation, resisting destructive mining, IN MY column last Saturday, I wrote cial life are corroded, what ensues are dirty energy, the unbridled construction about the black environmental issues— battles over conflicting interests, new of roads and dams, as well as projects the climate emergency, the massive ex- forms of violence and brutality, and ob- that cut into forested and protected ar- tinction of species already under way, stacles to the growth of a genuine cul- eas. Implement programs that will allow large scale mining and big dam proj- ture of care for the environment." the growth and recovery of forests, eco- ects, and the destruction by China of the Pope Francis then quoted Saint systems and biodiversity. West Philippine Sea—that are threaten- Therese of Lisieux who "invites us to Promote diversified and sustainable ing human well-being and the health of practice the little way of love, not to agriculture. Avoid the genetically modi- our planet and our country in particular. miss out on a kind word, a smile or fied agricultural products propagated in any small gesture which sows peace plantations and monoculture produc- These. problems, I said, are not just se- nous or catastrophic but existential. If and friendship." This is what integral tion, which destroy biodiversity and we not address them urgently, and effec- ecology is made up of: "Simple daily threaten indigenous lands. tively, we doom our planet, our country, gestures which break with the logic of Participate in efforts to protect and and ourselves to a terrible future. But violence, exploitation and selfishness. preserve our seas, oceans and fishery re- the reality that the black environmental In the end, a world of exacerbated con- sources. issues pose enormous challenges does sumption is at the same time a world Protect our watersheds while at the not mean we are helpless before them. which mistreats life in all its forms." same time using fresh water wisely, pro- There is no need to reinvent the. moting and establishing massive rain- wheel to reverse environmental degra- water collection, and putting a stop to dation. Magic bullets are not necessary infrastructures that can be detrimental to win against the black issues. What Let us accept our to the preservation of ecological balance is needed are excellent science so we ft and biodiversity. know what we are up against, imagina- inter-generational Push for an immediate transition tive thinkers who can provide us inno- responsibility H to safe, clean, and affordable energy. vative and creative technical and policy Ensure just and fair transition to renew- solutions to the problems we are facing able energy sources and reject false so- with, consensus building approaches lutions; support the use of solar power that bring us all together to act united The latest pastoral letter of the Catho- in our homes and institutions (dioceses, and collectively against the roots of the lic Bishops' Conference of the Philip- churches, schools, seminaries); pro- environmental crisis, strong political pines entitled "An urgent call for eco- will so we can aim higher to truly solve logical conversion, hope in the face of the problems we are facing, and strong climate emergency" provides the ele- public and private institutions that can ments of such an approach: carry on the intergenerational work that "The Earth is our home. We are to needs to be done. care for our common home. We are to But underlying all of these must be a act in order to protect all life forms on philosophy of integral ecology, as elab- Earth, from ridge to reef... orated by Pope Francis in his 2015 en- We are connected to the Earth, just as cyclical Laudato Si that can guide and our lives and the life of all other beings make coherent all our efforts. In that are interconnected with each other." encyclical, the Pope emphasized that: The CBCP also commits to the fol- "Care for nature is part of a lifestyle lowing concrete ecological actions: which includes the capacity for living "I. Integrate the care of creation together and communion. . . We must as our common home in our teaching , regain the conviction that we need one and practice of Christian discipleship. another, that we have a shared responsi- Unto AS
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mote, advocate and invest in renewable but irresponsible industries. energy (solar, hydro, wind' and geother- Respect, recognize, and support mal power); join the campaign to im- the rights of indigenous peoples in pro- mediately phase out coal-fired power tecting their ancestral domains and pro- plants and all other plants dependent on moting sustainable development. fossil-fuel, including coal mining. Strengthen adaptation measures Do not allow the financial resources and disaster risk management and re- of our Catholic institutions to be invest- duction for our vulnerable communities. ed in favor of coal-fired power plants, Advocate the prioritization of govern- mining companies and other destructive ment budget allocation for climate resil- extractive projects. Divestment from ient adaptation programs." such investment portfolios must be en- Transformation must be happen at all couraged. levels—global, national, local, commu- Integrate Laudato Si in the cur- nity, corporate, family, and individual. riculum and strategirpIans of Catholic One can see this happening for example educational institutions including semi- in the issue of plastic where there is an naries and religious formations. Popu- emerging consensus that a global ban larize and integrate the understanding of on single use pf plastic is both neces- climate change and its mitigation in our sary and doable, and where parliaments formation programs. and other legislative bodies, including Organize and educate people local councils, are adopting measures in into a well-informed and empowered support of such a ban. But without the citizenry using all means available active support of the private sector and including mainstream and social me- a commitment by families and individu- dia platforms for the passage of into als to reject the familiar the effort will law of bills aimed at protecting our not succeed. common home, such as the Rights of This transformation can happen if we Nature Bill, Forest Resources Bill, accept our intergenerational responsi- Alternative Minerals Mining Bill and bility. Again, I quote from Pope Francis: National Land Use Act, as well as "Once we start to think about the kind the implementation of environmental of world we are leaving to future gen- laws, such as, Clean Air Act, Clean erations, we look at things differently; Water Act and the Ecological Solid we realize that the world is a gift which Waste Management Act. In the initia- we have freely received and must share tives to amend the 1987 Constitution, with others. Since the world has been any move that poses a threat to the in- given to us, we can no longer view real- tegrity of creation, justice and peace, ity in a purely utilitarian way, in which should be opposed. efficiency and productivity are entirely Network with international bodies geared to our individual benefit. Inter- to create a groundswell of worldwide generational solidarity is not optional, pressure powerful enough to convince but rather a basic question of justice, multinational institutions to lower emis- since the world we have received also sions and to actively engage in environ- belongs to those who will follow us." mental actions for the protection of our common home and on behalf of the poor Facebook: deantonylavs who are most threatened by aggressive Twitter: tonylcrvs STRATEGIC PAGE I BANNER E0110RIAl GARMON COMMUNICATION SLOP Y STORY. 4-4 - . _ alga INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER mose•Ii• me SERVICE Zime5 27 JUL 7niq DATE TITLE PAGE I
For her part, Villar questioned the seeming contradiction between the administration's stated aim to decentralize the hditorial country and the centralization of land use policy. "So we're going to remove the power from them and Congress should pass centralize it? No Congress will do that," Villar said. This would seem to be a shortsighted view of the the Land Use Act problem, because Congress has it within its power to modify the scope of any piece of legislation, the ONTRARY to a senator's view that the National NLUA included. As lawmakers, it is the responsibility Land Use Act (NLUA) works against the interests of congressmen and senators to craft a proper balance Cof local governments and should not be passed between national and local priorities, and in the case by Congress, this piece of legislation is a necessity for of the NLUA, that is precisely what Senator Villar and efficient, sustainable development throughout the her colleagues should do. country. President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly asked The benefit of the NLUA is that it will establish a Congress to consider it a priority bill. broad set of standards for land use. These will, in turn, On Wednesday, Sen. Cynthia Villar rejected the call provide a basis for the development of local land use made by the President in his fourth State of the Nation plans, while still providing a level of consistency across Address (SONA) to pass the bill. She said that would the entire country. It is not necessary that the NLUA take unfairly remove the power to determine land use from away the discretion of local governments, and in fact it local governments and provoke "the ire of all the mayors should be carefully designed to avoid that. in the Philippines." Local governments are in the best position to manage The proposed Act is currently stalled in the Legislature land according to local needs. A common foundation as House Bill (HB) 5240. The measure aims to resolve and set of benchmarks, however, helps to level the play- land use conflicts, mandate the formulation of land use ing field for potential investors. This, in turn, works to plans at the national and local levels, and integrate and the benefit of local governments by giving them all the monitor developments on land use. same opportunity to attract investors, at least so far as The NLUA creates a national land use authority to the important factor of land management is concerned. oversee a national land use plan that classifies land Likewise, the NLUA will greatly facilitate development according to its use, such as infrastructure, agriculture that straddles different local jurisdictions. and fisheries production, land conservation, residential While Congress need not accept any land use frame- developments, industrial or commercial developments work from the administration at face value, it should re- and others. consider its rejection of the NLUA, and pass the needed The bill has been a legislative priority for both the legislation as the President has asked. Duterte administration and the previous administration under former president Benigno Aquino 3rd, who certi- fied it as urgent in 2013. President Duterte has used the occasion of his SONA in three successive years to ask Congress to pass the measure, so far to no avail. In his SONA this past Monday, Duterte urged Congress to urgently pass the NLUA this year to allow the country to "meet the demands of the investors coming in" and "serve as basis for the LGUs in crafting respective de- velopment plans and help disperse economic activities for the countryside." STRATEGIC 171 El] COMMUNICATION /PP It PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON STORY STORY &A INITIATIVES pEOPLES 4 PAGE SERVICE JOURNAL Anierar Ever ybody-s Newspaper 27 JUL 71114
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EDITORIAL Keeping commitments TRUE to his mission, the guy has hit the ground running. And he is bent on getting the job well done in record time. Indeed, the essence of public service is speedy and favorable results or outcome. And this is precisely what the gentleman from Eastern Visa- yas intends to deliver. . Thus, House Majority Leader Martin Romualdez has ex- pressed high hopes that the House of Representatives will approve "in record time" about a third of the 26 priority mea- sures, which were outlined by President Duterte in his 2019 State-of-the-Nation Address. Romualdez said his optimism was bolstered by a meeting he had with House officials onhow to hasten the legislative process. _In compliance with the Speaker's directive to hit the ground running, ImetHol iseSecretariat officials involved in the commit- tee and plenary deliberations of bills already filed. We discussed ways on how to expedite the approval of pending legislative measures from the committee level to plenary," he said. "With the innovations that we are planning to implement in committee deliberations, I am optimistic that we can approve about a dozen of the President's priority measures inrecord time. Hopefully, the committee reports on these measures will be out for plenary deliberations by the first week of August," the Leyte lawmaker said. Among these measures are the National Land Use Act; De- partment of Disaster Resilience; Coconut Levy Fund; TRABAHO bill; excise tax on alcohol products; property valuation; Capital Income Tax; Mandatory ROTC for Grades 11 and 12; Govern- ment Rightsizing bill; Energizing Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises; National Transport Act; and Nuclear Regulatory Commission. ' Of these measures, Romualdez said only the National Trans- port Act and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission were not specifically mentioned by the President in his 2019 SONA. However, the two measures were among the priority measures specified in the 2018 SONA, he said. "All these measures are expected to face easy sailing in the committee deliberations as these were already approved by the House of Representatives in the 17th Congress," Romualdez said, citing Section 48 of the House rules Section48 provides that: "In case of bills or resolutions thatare identified as priority measures of the House, which were previ- ously filed in the immediately preceding Congress and have already been approved on third reading, the same may be dis- posed of as matters already reported upon the approval of majority of the Members of the committee present, there being a quorum." "Once constituted, the committees responsiblefor these mea- sures may meet for just one session and immediately refer the committee reports for plenary deliberation. This is possible if they invoke Section 48 of the House rules," the Leyte solon said.
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EDITORIAL !sang `win-win approach' para mapakinabangan ang yaman ng South China Sea A NG nagkakatalong pag-aanglcin ng Filipinas at China sa South China Sea, partikolar ang 200-mile flExclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) ng Pilipinas na pinalitanng pangalan bilang WestPhilippine Sea, ang patuloy na nangingibabaw sa mga talakayan Sa kanyang State of the Nation Address (SONA)nitong Tunes, muting binanggit ni Panguking Duterte .namay Icasunduan siya kayaina President Xi Jinping na nagpapahintulot sa mga Pilipino at mga Chinese in mangisda sa pinag-aagawang Icatubigan.Binanggit niya ang naging desisyon ng Permanent Court of 'Arbitration sa The Hague na nagpapahintulot sa mga mangingisda ng iba't ibang bansa na makapangisda sa Panatag na nasa loob ng ating EEZ, bilang ito ay isang tradisyunal na pangisdaart. "The Vietnamese, the Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, even Koreans, and Filipinos, Malaysians, and Indonesians —they can also fish because they have always been there," pahayag ni Defense Secretary Delfm Lorenzana matapos kuwestiyunirtng mga Icritiko ang herbal na lcasunduan ng Pangulo sa China, at paggigiit na tanging raga Pilipino lamang ang dapatna magkaroon ng lcarapa tan na mangisda sa EEZ ng Pilipinas. Maraming kritiko ang nagmumunglcalti na dapat gayahin ng Filipinas ang matapang na posisyon rig Vietnam sa pagkikipagkasundo sa China. Noong 1974, naktpagdigma ang South Vietnamese navy sa puwersa ng Chinese naval sa bahagi ng Paracels para sa pagkontrol ng isang Lugar, na nagresulta sa paglubog ng isang Vietnamese warship, tatlo ang napinsala, 53 sundalong Vietnamese ang napaky, at 48 ang binffiag. Noong 1988, nagkaroon ng sigalot sa pagitan rig Socialist Republic of Vietnam sa puwersa ng China sa Spratlys at nagdusa ang 64 na nasawi, 11 nasugatan, 9 na biniha& dalawang pinalubog na barlco, at isang nasirang eroplano. Sa mga nalcalipas na taco, naging mas tahimik ang Vietnam. Noong 2017, nakipagkasundo ang Petro Vietnam at pamahalaan ng Vietnam sa isang Spanish company, ang Repsol, para sa isang oil exploration at 1iest drilling sa pinag-adgawang bahagi. Nagbanta ang China sa Vielnamna magsasagawa ito ng hakbang upangmahinto ang drilling sa lugat Kalaunan, napaukt nathinasuranang Vietnam ang nasabing proyelcto. Lumitaw ang sigalotmula sa katotohanang may pinag-aagawan ang dalawang bansa sa SouthChina Sta Mg Vietnam,tuladnglahatng mga bansang may baybayin sa rehiyon, ay may 12-mile territorial sea dagdag pa ang 200-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, bilang itinadhana ng UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Ngunithindi kinikikk ng China ang UNCLOS; sa halip, iginigiitnito ang lcarapatan sa higit 80 porsiyentong bahagingSouthChftna,basesaisangnthe-dash-linenamapanainabasnibnoong198. Inihayagng foreign ministry ng China, na ang posisyonng kanilangbansa sa South China Sea ay "clear and consistent.. China resolutely safeguards its sovereignty and maritime rights." Antmung sigalot sa anttmangbansa ay rnaaayos sa pamamagitm rig negosasyon at konsultasyon, anila. ,Pinili ni Pangulong Duterte na makipagnegosasyon sa halip na lumabantukd nang dating ginawa ng ,Vietnam.Nakiisa na ang Vietnam sa Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) sa pagsang-ayon pagbuo ng isang Code of Conduct upang magirtg panuntunanng mga bansa na nasa paligid ng South China Sea, in may hang, aring rnaiwasan ang mambas na komprontasyon at pagsasaayos ng gulo sa haJip Ina sa pamamagitan ng konsultasyon at diplomasiya. Nakatakda nang simulan ng Filipinas at china ngayong taon ang isang oil exploration at development piqectsa bahagi ng Calamian sa Icanluran rig Palawan, in may 60-40 na bahagian pabor sa Filipinas. Ito ay bahaging"win-wir" na estratehiya na pinili ng Filipinas sa palcilcipagl STRATEGIC UPPER P E 1 BANNER ED/TORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION OR? STORY ea INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER ate aERVICF. 27 JUL'71 PAGE 1/ DATE P-I COMMENTARY In international law, what is not prohibited is allowed. fishing agreements not just over their EEZs but also even in SOVEREIGN STATES Legal basis their internal waters and terri- In the Philippines, the legal torial seas, both of which are CAN SHARE THEIR basis for this is the ponencia of subject to full sovereignty. former Chief Justice Anemic) Panganiban in the case of An- Joint patrol agreement SOVEREIGN RIGHTS gara vs Tanada. In upholding In our own region, China and the validity of the county's ac- By Harry L. Roque Jr. Vietnam have for the past 15 cession into the World Trade years implemented a joint fish- Organization which literally, ing and patrol agreement over Former Foreign Secretary Al- and as correctly pointed out by bert del Rosario and former the Gulf of Tonkin, whose waters the petitioners, violated the lit- are characterized as internal wa- Ombudsman Conchita Carpio eral provision of our Constitu- Morales released a statement ters. This is proof that because of tion providing for a "Filipino their inherent sovereignty, saying that no public officer, First" policy, our Supreme even the President, can share states can share natural re- Court ruled that the Philippines sources even if their exploration what international law provides may voluntarily surrender part is the exclusive right to explore and exploitation pertains to the of its sovereignty when it enters states exclusively. and exploit natural resources, into a treaty or an international known in international law as International practice also agreement: "a portion of shows that state parties to the sovereign rights. With all due sovereignty may be waived respect to the two, I disagree. Unclos have entered into joint without violating the Constitu- fishing agreements in their For starters, the fact that the tion, based on the rationale that scope of the exclusive economic EEZs, including those which the Philippines adopts the gen- overlap with other states. Exam- zone (EEZ) is 370 kilometers erally accepted principles of in- (zoo nautical miles) from a ples of these agreements include ternational law as part of the those between Japan and Tai- country's basepoint or base- law of the land and adheres to lines makes it inevitable for wan, Norway and the European the policy of ... cooperation and Union, the European Union and countries to have overlaps in amity with all nations .... One of their EEZs In the case of the Morocco, the European Union and West African states, and be- Philippines, we have overlaps the oldest and most fundamen- with China up north, given that tal rules in international law is tween China and the East and Taiwan is only a stone's throw pacta sunt servanda—interna- West African states. away from our northernmost is- tonal agreements must be per- land; with Palau on the east, formed in good faith." Foreign mining firms with Malaysia and Indonesia in The rationale for such a lim- The Supreme Court in La Bu- the south, and with China in the itation was also explained in the gal B'Laan Tribal Association vs west, the subject of dis- Panganiban ponencia: "The un- the Department of the Environ- pute between the five A6 derlying consideration in this ment and Natural Resources sec- partial surrender of sovereignty retary has allowed the participa- claimant states to the islands is the reciprocal commitment of and waters of the West Philip- tion of foreign mining compa- the other contacting states in nies in our mining industry. pine Sea (WPS). granting the same privilege and Under the UN Convention Said the court through the immunities to the Philippines, ponencia again of former Chief on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), its officials and its citizens." these overlaps must be resolved Justice Panganiban: "As written by the framers and ratified and through "agreements" initially. Ultimate interpreter Thus far, we have reached a de- adopted by the people, the Con- Where therefore the Presi- stitution allows the continued limitation treaty only with In- dent as chief architect of our donesia. use of service contracts with foreign policy deems it to the foreign corporations—as con- Like all Filipinos, I would national interest to engage in like to see similar delimitation tractors who would invest in joint fishing in our EEZ with and operate and manage extrac- treaties in all other areas with any other country through an overlaps, although a multilater- tive enterprises, subject to the international agreement, such full control and supervision of al treaty between claimant an agreement is constitutional, states is the ultimate solution to the state—sans the abuses of simply put, because the the past regime. The purpose is the WPS disputes. Pending con- Supreme Court as ultimate in- clusion of such "agreements," clear: to develop and utilize our terpreter of our Constitution mineral, petroleum and other states and because of their has ruled so. sovereignty, defined by political resources on a large scale for Quite a number of countries the immediate and tangible scientists as the "totality of all have in fact entered into joint powers that a state may exer- benefit of the Filipino people." cise," can agree on provisional If foreigners can engage in agreements with their neigh- boring states, including those that provide for joint fishing in the EEZ. This is not prohibited. STRATEGIC El UPPER PAGE 1 EARNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION SlORY STORY ak INITIATIVES PAGE lOWER mamma c ,DERVICE 2 7 JUL 2019 PAGE 1/ DATE Cove-ye1ln 94-4495 tan chew( 44tir c cn/e. ye In mining in our land territory subject to our full sovereignty, more so in an area which is sub- ject only to sovereign right, that is where we have given our con- sent. The fact that the former Ombudsman is against the poli- cy of joint fishing in the FEZ is understandable. She wrote a dissenting opinion in the La Bu- gal case. All told, there is hence no le- gal impediment for the Presi- dent to enter into an executive agreement to engage in joint fishing with China in our FEZ provisionally, or until our terri- torial dispute with the latter should have been settled with fi- nality. —CONTRIBUTED INQ (The author served as spokes- person for President Duterte from October 2017 to October 2018, and is president of the Asian So- ciety of International Law. He taught public international law and constitutional law in the University of the Philippines Col- lege of Law for 15 years before being elected to the House of Representatives in 2016.) STRATEGIC H (LIP E DAI LY- UPPER PAGE 1 BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION rApe *1)ti STORY STORY e‘ INITIATIVES PAGE WEB SERVICE I NQ 27 JUL 7niq BM: PAGE I/ TE ECOTOURISM IN AMSTERDAM WHERE TOURISTS GET THE THRILL OF FISHING FOR PLASTIC AMSTERDAM—Equipped with plastic waste the tours dredge fishing rods and thick gloves, a from the canals. group of people peers into the Plastic bottles are separated water from one of the many from the rest of the trash and boats that line Amsterdam's fa- are then recycled to be used in mous canals. office furniture or in building But it's not fish they're hunt- more Plastic Whale boats. ing on their cruise along one of In 2018 the Plastic Whale the Dutch capital's most famous cruises, which also run in the tourist attractions. It's plastic. port city of Rotterdam, drew With ecotourism booming 12,000 visitors and this year around the world, the canal they expect more, Smit said. cruises run by the Dutch group On a hot summer's morning, Plastic Whale are reeling in seven people are lined up on the big business. bright green boat decorated "It's a completely other way with smiling whales. of visiting Amsterdam," Plastic CRUISE FORA CAUSE Volunteers use fishing rods to collect Whale founder Marius Smit told Pineapples and shoes plastic from one of Amsterdam's famous canals. A foundation Agence France-Presse (APP). "Ob- Angela Katz, an Australian has organized an event to make the canals plastic-free. -MP viously you're on the beautiful who has lived in Amsterdam for canals of Amsterdam in a really just over a year, is on her second nice boat but at the same time tour, after learning about the they fish out a bizarre range of prising," added Katz, who you're active as well, and you add cruises through Facebook. objects, including various brought her husband on the something positive to the canals "I really enjoyed it but also it's shoes, ski gloves, bleached-out cruise as well as two friends and and to the city because you're really eye-opening just how much soda cans, wine bottles, a nappy their three children who were making it cleaner." rubbish there is in the canals," and even a whole pineapple. visiting Amsterdam. Smit set up the company said the 51.-year-old graphic de- "I think the Netherlands has One of those friends, Guy eight years ago, aiming to cre- signer, fishing rod in hand. an image of being very environ- O'Loughnane, from Vancouver in Canada, said he was particu- ate "economic value" from the During the two-hour tour mentally friendly so it is sur- , gaily surprised by the amount of tourists, local residents are also "stuff that is not even used," "careless with their own waste." such as unopened bottles. Last year, the thousands of 'Combination of factors' amateur fishermen on Plastic "It's a combination of fac- Whale's boats collected 46,000 tors," he said, explaining that the plastic bottles, Smit said. city's bins fill up more quickly "And for every bag of bot- because of the numbers of tles that we take out of the tourists, and then people simply canals, we take out two or three place their rubbish beneath bags of other kinds of materi- them. "So before you know it als," he added. there is a lot of waste on the streets, then it begins to rain or 'Tourists aren't careful' the wind begins to blow and it Plastic in the sea, rivers and rains or blows into the canals." other waterways is a problem Amsterdam is increasingly a around the globe, causing harm victim of its own success, with to marine ecosystems. its canals, architecture and no- Just how much plastic is in torious red light district attract- the canals of the city dubbed the ing around 18 million visitors Venice of the North is hard to last year, more than the entire estimate, but solutions are easi- population of the Netherlands. er to find. The Plastic Whale tours are "Tourists aren't careful," part of a growing trend, with said Katz as she stands in front Amsterdam authorities sepa- of a pile of rubbish. rately launching a series of initia- Smit said, however, that de- tives to direct tourists to alterna- spite the growing strain on Ams- tive activities and ease the pres- terdam from huge numbers of sure on the top sites. -AFP 6..., ,./IIIA I EC IC liPmtirVIVO CI MIMI I NI( vi ION ni UPPER PAGE BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON ,...... ,,.../ INI I IA rry ES STORY STORY SIOLVITT PAGE LOWER - SALAPAIN NG KATOTOHANAN - 27 JUL /019 TIRE: rAGE I/ DATE ANGAT DAM BUNIABA ULIT BAHAGYANG bumaba mull ang antas fig tubig sa Angat dam kahapon. Ito ay sa kabila ng naranasang malakas na ulan sa bahagi ng Bulacan Huviebes ng gab. Elatay sa tala ng Pagasa Hydrology Division alas-6 ng umaga rig Biyemes ay nasa 161.22me- Mrs ang lebel ng tubig sa Angat dam na mas ma- baba sa 161.35 meters kamakalawa. Samantala, nadagdagan naman ang water level sa La Mesa dam na nasa 73 92meters kahapon. DWIZ882 ang kanilang intelligence ang NCRPO sa mga is- network. tratehikong lugar at higit Bukod dito ay mga pang pinaigting ang po- mobile at stationary lice visibility sa tnga Ian- checkpoint na nakatalaga sangan. VERLIN RUIZ LII UPPER PAGE 1 BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON elik COMMsi I.U :G NR CATION 136 STORY STORY ...... /Mar INI TIATIVES LWER , PAGE mama' 3ERVICE tieNub Zime5 —••••• 27 JUL 7nici DATE TIE F PAGE I/ ESSAY Closing the loop: Freeing the sea from marine debrisd BY SHERRY ANN GOCHECO marine debris. During the occasion, I learned howl FOR three days a week, I see garbage could tap into business and government collectors loading up garbage trucks projects that seek to reduce the produc- with heavy loads of trash. tion of waste products. Witnessing that scene every week Each of the three sectors — business, makes me think: What if each home government and NGOs — shared their refused to take in things that they didn't efforts in reducing marine wastes. really need? What if they reduced their The audience was also given the op- waste and retiaficIrthings that can still portunity to learn further from the be recycle44 Nnthai if they practiced presenters through the question and composting their biodegradable waste? answer session. Surely, the waste collected every week The presentations opened my eyes to would significantly be reduced. Cutting the problems around me and the steps down on waste not only lessens the being taken to address them. While the amount of trhsh ending up in landfills, groups did remarkable changes in their but it also helps reduce pollution and circle of influence, I realized that those garbage that ends up as marine debris. were still not enough. Following the 5Rs -- refuse, reduce, A collaboration of efforts in getting reuse, recycle and rot — is not easy. It the work done is imperative to close calls for great effort and perseverance, the loop. as it veers away from what society is We have a long way to go, yet so little accustomed to. time to do anything. But we must not Luckily, I was able to take part in Clos- falter; instead we should work together ing the Loop: Opportunities for Col- in reversing the environmental damages laboration, an event organized by we brought upon ourselves. the Department of Environment and There is strength in numbers, they Natural Resources and nongovemment say, and it is a good thing that we don't organizations (NC0s) on May 2019, have to look far to make a collective which ainied to address the problem of difference. We can start just as where stRATE,„c UPPER PAGET BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON taiCOM MUNICA TION 171 STORY STORY INITIATIVES PAGE LOWER wmosSIO. SER VIC I, iUt ne)lianita tmes 2 7 JUL 7019 DATE TITLE; PAGE I/ 5a, C fbctn,5 1,4r1p Free; cea Frinil t vrt-t. 06-4705 'The Closing the Loop: Opportunities for Collaboration' was organized by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and nongovernment organizations to help address the issue of marine debris. HAP !BON PHOTO we are — be it at home, school or work. and institutions that push for effective time to start but now. The difference we seek could also preservation of our environment. The author is a member of the Han- come in the form of supporting people The clock is ticking. There is no better bon Foundation. STRATEGIC LEJ PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION STORY STORY mislERIEREEN INITIATIVES PAGE eNIM11.allinlir11., SERVICE Standardmira 27 JUL 7014 TITLE: PAGE I/ DATE OceanaGold set to elevate injunction plea to higher court By Othel V. Campos the Financial or Technical Assistance mined to operating in accordance with Agreement with the Department of the law and would always comply with AUSTRALIA'S OceanaGold Corp. environment and Natural Resources in its responsibilities under the contract plans to elevate its plea for injunction March 2018. The DENR allowed the with the national government. to the Court of Appeals after the pro- miner to continue operations pending The Didipio Mine is an underground vincial court of Nueva Vizcaya denied confirmation of the FTAA renewal. gold and copper mine located across the request of the company to end the The company said the authority the provinces of Quirino and Nueva unauthorized restraint of the Didipio over the Didipio Mine rested with Vizcaya. operations by the local government. the national government. The Local The operation in the past decade Local government units of Nueva Government Code of 1991 (Republic received numerous awards. It is a Vizcaya since July 1, 2019 denied ac- Act No. 7160), it said, did not grant two-time recipient of the Presiden- cess to and from the mine site in re- the power or authority to the provincial tial Award as the most environmen- sponse to an alleged unlawful directive governor or any local government tally and socially responsible min- from the governor to 'restrain any op- officer to restrain any aspect of the ing operation in the Philippines and erations' of the company. Didipio operation. was awarded the first Asean Mineral Due to the depletion of consum- The company continues to work with Award for best practices in sustain- able mining supplies, Didipio's under- the national government to finalize the able development. ground mining has been suspended. renewal of the FTAA and remains open It is considered one of the safest Ore processing continues along with to the opportunity to engage with the gold mining operations in the world. other critical activities to ensure the provincial government and work to- The company over the past two years safety of employees and protection of gether in the best interest of the local implemented a state-of-art automated the environment. stakeholders. and digital underground mining The company sought a renewal of OceanaGold said it remained com- technology. LII UPP PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CAR100 of STORY STORY PAGE OWER --ere Department of Environment and Natural Resources 27 JUL 7019 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION INITIATIVES SERVICE DATE Nueva Vizcaya pinaboran ng korte vs open-pit mines BAGUIO CITY — lbinasura ng korte ang petis- yon ng mining giant na OceanaGold Philippines Incorporated (OGPQ, isang foreign mining firm, na humihiling na ipatigil ang cease and desist order (CDO) ng Nueva Vizcaya at Kasibu town govern- ments sa Didipio open-pit mines. Sa inilabas na desisyon kahapon ni Judge Paul Attolba Jr. ng Regional Trial Court Branch 30, sinabing walang sapat na ebidensya na sumusuporta na ow- torisado ang OceanaGold na ipagpatuloy ang mining t operations nito sa lugar habang nakabinbin ang re- newal ng kanilang Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) na napaso noong Hunyo 20. "There is no suffident evidence on record to support that OGPI is indeed authorized to continue mining oper- a- lions pending-the renewal of the President of the FTAA which would estabfish an unmistakable right to warrant. 7 the issuance of an injunctive relief," ayon sa korte. Magugunita na binigyan ng permiso ng Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) ang OGP I noong Hunyo 20 na ipagpatuloy ang kanilang open-pit mi- ning operations. Ang pagpapatuloy ng operasyon ng nasabing minahan ay kinondena ng mga residente at anti-mining groups kabilang ang Task Force on Indigenous Peoples (TFIP) dahil sa umano'y nakasi- sira ito sa kalikasan, kabuhayan, kalusugan at luma- labag sa karapatang pantao. (Altemio A. Dumlao) STRATEGIC 1:=1 C Ini CI Ell ee„.UPPER1 PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION I STORY STORY ea INMATIVES PAGE OWE ft iSaiSir SERVICE Carater Ask, flanotrenurawl PANATAGANA PGA' on TA Barn 27 JUL ?WO nnE: PAGE I/ DATE Reforestation, isinusulong Nais ni Senator Pia Cayetano na matugunan ang problema sa kagubatan sa parnamagitan ngtoloy-ttioyna pagkalinga ntto, katulad ng reforestation prcgram. SakanyangSenateNINo.284(Sustainable Forest Managementkt), sinabi ngsenador na kailanpfin ang patuloy na programa para sa proteksyon ngkagubatansa bansa. Aniya, ang proteksyori ay bilang bahagj na rin ng suporta ng pamahalaan sa United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), kungsaan lumagda angbansa noong 2015. Leonel PA. Abasola AIM STRATEGIC l El a UPPER PAGET BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON fl COM MUNICA HON PIG STORY STORY e INITIATIVIS PAGE LOWER T...sielour , 27 JUL-7149 .„...... 1, DERVICE The llantta ZiniN --so-- DATE NILE PAGE If Building climate- and disaster-resilient communities Second of two parts Pagfilinis at marched during the launch of the ALL ABOUT Rehabilitasyon battle for Manila Bay. 'DV the time this second part .L3reaches the press, President CHOICES Initial desilting activities almost Rodrigo Duterte has delivered al- The Boracay rehabilitation last year covered the 15-kilometer stretch from ready his fourth State of the Nation LUDWIG 0. and the "battle for Manila Bay" the Manila Yacht Club breakwater to Address (SONA). Given the length FEDERIGAN launched early this year highlighted the United States Embassy. About of his address that could have lasted government's efforts on its cleanliness 225,000 cubic meters of silt were less than two hours, much of the campaign. removed. accomplishments of the Cabinet Regions 3, 4 and 5 have been iden- On the Boracay rehabilitation, One hundred seventy-eight Cluster on Climate Change Ad- tified as possible evacuation. Nine 40 commercial establishments local government units and 5,714 aptation, Mitigation and Disaster mobile water treatment plants, 86 have been issued with demolition barangay(villages) around Manila Risk Reduction may not have been mobile water tanks, 61 storage tanks and closure orders, while 17 local Bay were directed by the Depart- enumerated. and 182 standby deep wells were government officials were charged ment of the Interior and Local With TatakngPagbabago"as also identified, while construction with gross neglect of duty. Water Government to conduct weekly the central theme of the pre-S0- of additional water supply facilities quality has improved, with the cleanup drives of rivers and other NA forum in 2018, this year's would be made. four sampling stations passing the water bodies within their respec- pre-SONA focused on "Patuloy To ensure resiliency ofcritical infra- coliform level except for Bolabog, tive communities. Thirty-two pri- na Katatagan."In the first part structure, the government enhanced while obstructions in Puka Beach vate firms have signed for the En- published last weelc, we dealt with design standards for government have been dismantled and foreshore hanced Adopt-an-Estero Program. "Maagap na Pagtugon, Kaaldbat structures, assessed 5,980 critical easement was largely recovered. Partnerships with the Maynilad sa Pagbangon and Kaalaman at government-owned structures, and A total of P199.5 million worth of Water Services Inc. and Manila Kahandaan,"\Ale complete today continued the ongoing repairs, re- livelihood support grants and aids Water Co. were strengthened for the Cabinet cluster's efforts in habilitation and retrofitting of the were provided to 31,009 beneficiaries, waste pollution reduction. addressing the challenges brought Estrella-Pantaleon, Binondo-Intra- Massive deanup and rehabilitation Over a period of three months, by climate change. muros, Global City-Sta. Monica and were also embarked in prime tourist 316,949 commercial establishments Guadalupe links. destinations such as Panglao Island were inspected. Six hundred notices Earthquake resiliency An EO institutionalizing the Na- in Bohol, El Nido in Palawan and of violation, 115 cease and desist of Greater Metro tional Emergency Medical Service Puerto Calera in Mindoro. orders and 23 closure orders were Manila Area System would be released soon. More than 10,000 Filipinos issued to noncompliant establish- ments for water pollution. Executive Order (E0) 52 created the Program Management Office Pangangalaga ng likas for Earthquake Resiliency of Great- yaman at kapaligiran er Metro Manila Area to ensure its full operation. The care for the environment covers The resiliency directive intends programs on enhanced national to ensure the immediate availabil- greening coastal and marine envi- ity of lifelines, addressing critical in- ronment, rehabilitation of mined- frastructure and effective response out areas, solid waste management mechanism. eco-tourism development, water Availability of lifelines would quality air quality and wildlife pro- cover...food, shelter and water. tection and conservation. Stabilizing supply of safe food The highlights were: from primary production areas to Enhanced National Greening the affected Greater Metro Manila Program — Over 10 million seedlings markets is also addressed. A total of were planted bringing to over 1.9 mil- 44,410 inventoried housing units lion hectares the total covered areas. and lots that are left vacant or have The author with commissioners Rachel Herrera (center) and Alfred Coastal and Marine Environmen- not been awarded to beneficiaries Anciado (second from right) of the Climate Change Commission. tal Management Program — Over in the National Capitol Region, DR. LUDWIG FEDERMAN COLUMN 186,000 hectares of coastal habitats SERA MGT( UPPER PAGE I BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON COMMUNICATION 13‘ STORY STORY 11•111 .6 [NITER I IVES PAGE LOWER WAMMNSaai SERVICE 27 JUL 7n10 DATE TITLE PAGE I/ tryvvvv,-44---ti1-t2A rygQ4 eThAr4 — — were assessed and mapped to identify are worth P434 billion. Six more vulnerability to pressures and drivels; projects are included in the program. 218 biodiwrsity-friendly enterprises Also, P4.88 billion was allocated were supported to encourage eco- to retrofit and increase the resilience nomic developed within marine pro- of critical bridges like the lambingan tected areas; and scientific expedition and Guadalupe Bridges. in the South China (West Philippine) Other projects indude P3.77 mil- Sea and Philippine (Benham) Rise lion for the Henry T. Acmor Road were conducted. in Natonin, Mountain Province; Rehabilitation of mined-out P472.62 million for 30 irrigation areas — Over 10,000 hectares of systems in Upper Pampanga River, denuded areas affected by mining op- P43.41 million for six barangay roads erations were planted with bamboos. in Sasmuan, Pampanga; P52.28 Solid waste management pro- million for four shore protection gram —Eighty-one open dumpsites and drainage systems in Pulopandan, were dosed, 288 materials recovery Negros Occidental; P699.99 million facilities were constructed and 30 san- for three resettlement projects in Bicol itary landfills were operafionalized. Region; P15 million for Bobon Evac- Eco-tourism development pro- uation Center in Northern Samar, gram— P158 million was generated P150 million for Mother Mary Bailey from 58 eco-tourism sites that were Bridge in Biliran; P38.58 million for being maintained. 11 fain-to-market roads in Tanauan, Water quality management — Leyte; and P123.48 million for Su- Sixteen rivers nationwide were iden- rigao Airport facilities. tified as most improved and 65 more All these data were provided by estero were adopted bringing the total the government How reliable these of 585 adopted estero nationwide. data are would translate to how Air quality management — Am- some, if not all of, these programs bient air quality in highly urbanized and projects have impacted our cities have passed the guideline value lives, communities and society. It on Particulate Matter 10, as recorded may not be felt very soon, but with by 102 monitoring stations installed our vigilance and active citizenship, nationwide. we can draw our own individual Wildlife protection — Six hun- conclusions whether or not our very dred forty-three animals were con- own government has responded fiscated and retrieved. enough to make our communities disaster-proof and climate-resilient. Tibay ng imprastruktura Government is just a part of the equation, and our presence would Over P440 billion of government complete the entire picture. finds were allocated to address flood management and mitigation, and The author is the executive director rehabilitate various infrastructures of the Young Environmental Forum. to ensure their safety and resilience. He completed his climate change and Big projects on flood manage- development course at the Unnrersior ment and mitigation include the of EastAnglia in the United Kingdom Pasig-Marilcina River Channel Devel- and executive program on sustain- opment Phase 3 and 4, and Master abilityleadership at Yale Universiurin Plan for Hood Management in Metro the United States He maybe emailed Manila and Surrounding Areas that at ludwigfrderipn@gmailcom. 111 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION UPPER PAGE 1 BANNER EDITORIAL CARTOON INITIATIVES pEOPLES -4 STORY STORY IIMMEIRMIMI ERVICE JOURNAL PAGE WER ‘1•11111101r S Ever ybody's Newspaper 2 7 JUL 71119 nnE: AGE I/ DATE Unite vs climate change Loren DEPUTY Speaker Loren Legarda has reiterated her call to all sectors to act together in order to stop the worsening impact of climate change. Legarda talked about her advocacy of addressing climate change before the leaders and experts of the ASEAN region during the ASEAN Ministerial Discus- sion on Clean Air, Health, and Climate. Legarda is among the senators who crafted landmark environmental laws such as the Clean Air Acr, Solid Waste Management Act, Renewable Energy Act, Cli- mate Change Act, Clean Water Act, and Environmental Awareness Education Act, shared practical solutions to tackle climate change and air pollution. "We havecome to realize thatinthe face of climate and environmental crises, we cannot and should not stick to 'business as usual.' Actions to reduce short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) are now growing within and beyond the Climate and Clean Air Coalition," Legarda said. "Science fells us that these early and scaled-up solutions will help us avoid 0.6°C of warming by 2050, while improving air quality and preventing premature deaths and crop damages annually. The Coalition has recommended the 25 Solutions for addressing air pollu- tion and SLCPs in the region-I call onyou to adopt these solutions and integrate them into our climate action plans," she added. . , Jester, P. Martalastas