22 JAN Z010 DATE 'Tuesday DAY INT MITIF, .1%4NV S Strategic Communication and Initiative Service StitAricim: I -Ell MGT I PAlifirn ED/IoR/A1 CAI11001/ Ilan !IOW( INF, IATIVES I \ /own SEP V117. .1 0 !:) Lj i iOn ' DENR: All set for Manila Bay rehab The Department of Environment into the Manila Bay or into esteros and Cimatu said it is important for and Natural Resources (DENR) and rivers leading to the bay. goveinment offices, particularly those other concerned agencies are all set for Establishments found to be in the Manila Bay area, to make sure the Manila Bay rehabilitation, which ignoring environmental laws Could they are connected to sewer lines or will start on Sunday, an official said face closure or fine of up to P200,000 have their own sewage treatment yesterday. a day. plants for proper wastewater disposal. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said "We will issue notices of violation He appealed to local government they would begin with the cleanup of to non-compliant establishments or units to manage their septage by esteros and the coastline of Manila Bay. we will shut them down," Cimatu ensuring that all commercial and "While the cleanup is ongoing, we warned. "Until they comply, they residential establishments in their will also be finalizing plang for the cannot operate." areas are treating their wastewater reloCation of informal settler families Cimatu also underscored the prior to discharging it. in the bay area. We will see who are to need for these establishments to Fecal coliform level in Manila Bay is be relocated first. We will coordinate "consciously ptactice" the 3Rs — at 330 million most probable number with the National Housing Authority reduce, reuse and recycle — for better per 100 milliliters. The acceptable on finding decent relocation sites for solid waste management. level for Class SB water, which is these informal settlers," he said. "Segregation at source is a simple deemed safe, is 100 MPN/100 ml. At the same time, the DENR practice that, when done habitually, Cimatu added that the DENR's goal chief pointed out there is a need for will rid not just Metro ,Manila but is to reduce coliform levels to less than continuing education to change the the entire country of *solid waste that 270 MPN /100 ml by December 2019. cultural habit of the people living near , ' pollutes land, water and air," he said. — Rhodina Villanueva esteros of not properly disposing of their waste. He said people need to realize that their attitude is contributing greatly to Manila Bay's pollution. "With education, we can clean up Manila Bay, we can sustain it, and we can preserve the revived Manila Bay," he said. At the same time, the DENR ' announced it will also crack down on all establishments discharging untreated wastewater either directly - — 1-7U 1111I I Ipjsijilr,',8 till 111110 MGE I IIAIIHEIC I 110111 1101v IOWER raiment of Environment nial Matio;i111erattiit>ln 22 JAN 2010 ATEGIC COMMUNICA1101,1 INITINI IVES 5ERVICE Nat eyedfor relocation of IVOnila Bay squatters BY EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ directly go to the water. Second, urged the DENR to instead use they don't have proper waste its rehabilitation fund "to restore disposal and so the solid wastes mangroves, sea grasses, and coral E Department of Environment and are being dragged down to our reefs that were destroyed by past Natural Resources (DENR) said Naic town rivers and seas. So rather than we and present projects for develop- Cavite could be a potential site for the blame.them, we work on helping meni aggression." rin In a statement on Monday, the them be transferred to community relocation of informal settler families living near relocation areas where there would group claimed that mangrove Manila Bay in Parafiaque City. be market, school and sustainable areas in Manila Bay used to cover Benny Antiporda, DENR un- settlers living near /vtanila Bay. source of livelihood for them," 54,000 hectares, but these had dersecretary for solid waste man- The Manila Bay is split between Antiporda explained. significantly shrunk to only less- agement and local government the cities of Manila and Pasay on He said the DENR was closely than-a-500-hectare to give way for units, told The Manila Times on the north side and Parafiaque on coordinating with the Department commercial and industrial hubs. Monday that Naic was identified the south. of Trade and Industry, National Antiporda said planting man- as a relocation site by Mayor lu- Antiporda said relocating in- Housing Authority and the Presi- groves has long been part of nio Dualan during a meeting on formal settler families would be dential Commission for the Urban DENR's programs, but their initial January 15. DENR's long-term solution to Poor to come up with other pos- focus was the cleanup of the bay Antiporda said Paranaque City restore the polluted Manila Bay. sible relocation areas. He said the DENR allocated Mayor Edwin Olivarez had given "They are the mere pollutants," However, the Pambansang Lakas P42.95 billion for the bay's re- his go signal for the relocation of he said. ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng habilitation, the bulk of which some his constituents who make up "First, they don't have CR (com- Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) opposed would go to the relocation of a portion of about200,000 informal fort rooms) so the human waste the restoration of Manila Bay and informal settlers. Lill Jill II 312. IIPP1 RAGE I RANNFII ElllIORIA1 CARTOON r STORY STORY eak LfiTTGI -r 1.04VER thauta.wom""i' Nm“..0•••••"" ellortnient oF EnvImunienk nntl NnturnIllesuurces 9 JAN 7010 IRATEGIC COMMUNICAIION INITIAlIVES SERVICE DAIE Manila Bay in critical condition, says Cimatu By Rio Araja and Maricel Cruz NVIRONMENT Secretary Roy Cimatu on Monday urged government offices, including the local Egovernments, around Manila Bay to seta good example to private establishments—residential and commercial ones— on the compliance with the Clean Water Act and Ecological Solid Waste Management Act. "Manila Bay is in Critical condition and servejhe revived Manila Bay," he added. proper wastewater discharge and solid waste But a party-list legislator said the DENR disposal play a key role to reviving it," he said. should reveal the details of the multi-bil- He told stakeholders that rehabilitation lion peso rehabilitation plan. works at the Manila Bay would start on Jan. 27. • Government offices, particularly those in the Manila Bay area, must ensure that they. are connected to sewer lilies or have their own sewage treatment plants for proper wastewater disposal, he said. He alSo reminded them to manage their solid waste to minimize garbage that end up in landfills or oceans. According to Cimatu, solid waste was still a huge problem due to non-segrega- tion, rampant use of single-use plastic products and improper waste disposal. He warned establishments that the De- partment of Environment and Natural Resources would clamp down on all estab- lishments discharging untreated wastewa- ter either directly into the Manila Bay or into esteros and rivers leading to the bay. "We will issue •notices of violation to non-compliant establishments or we will shut them down. Until they comply, they cannot operate," he said. "With education, we can clean .up Ma- nila Bay, we can sustain it, and we can pre- [Z" I I -Jr>. UPPER PAGE 1 RATTNER EDITORIAL CARTOON "Cra----T I EXEIrtiNtil----PrV1—Pillini-IIMIES_PFICoVir::\ STORY STORY SINCE MOO PAGE LOWER 2 2 JAN 2010 potment of Environment and Natural Resources MANILMIULLETIN tATEGIC COMMUNICATION INITIATIVES SERVICE THE NATION'S LEADING NEWSPAPER DAIE MERRY-GO-ROUND Duterte's admin addresses Manila Bay pollution . ,FLORO L. IVIERCENE The Bay is home to international fl 7 By ports, fish ports, a container terminal S early as the '60s, Manila Bay and several major terminals servicing could still be called unspoiled, industries in the area. fit for swimming and other Mining and lahar quarrying are eisurely activities. additional problems coming from Today, it is more appropriate to call provinces of Pampanga and Tarlac, it a cesspool, resembling an open sep- while rock mining occurs in Rizal and tic tank, where all the human, animal, Bulacan. industrial, and commercial refuse are Commercial and business areas delivered. abound in the NCR like shopping malls, But actually, the Bay's pollution is residential homes and condos. a contribution of many factors, brought And finally, the refuse of informal about by the growth of our population. settlers, which trigger a gut reaction The contribution of Laguna Lake and call our attention-because it's also to Manila Bay's pollution cannot be good for the TV camera - as they are ignored. There are 100 rivers and highly visible. tributaries that all lead to Laguna Bay. Many attempts in the past have Eventually, the polluted refused from been attempted to address the Bay's the Lake empties into Manila Bay pollution but it is under President Ro- through the Pasig River. drigo Duterte's administration that the Can you imagine how much pollu- Bay's cleanup seems to gather traction, tion are contributed by the hundreds after the Environment and Natural of factories, livestock farms, mining, Resources' success in Boracay. agriculture and other human activities Benny Antiporda, the reporter- upriver end up on the Lake that finally turned-DENR undersecretary for solid spill over into the Manila Bay? waste management and local govern- Shipping and varied activities at the ment units said full restoration would ports linked to trade and commerce take about 7 to 10 years. contributes to the Bay's degradation. His 'prediction could come true if An average of 30,000 ships arrive President Duterte's style is adopted by and depart from these ports annually, his successor.