DENR turns over trash boats to four LGUs

Sunday, 22 July 2012 00:00 |

The floods and strong rains were not enough to stop four local government units (LGUs) around Manila Bay from becoming the first recipients of trash boats from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Receiving the trash boats through a deed of donation were Mayor Alfredo Lim of Manila, Mayor Antolin Oreta III of Malabon City, Mayor Orencio Gabriel of Obando in Bulacan, and Engr. George Fojasand of Cavite’s Provincial Government - Environment and Natural Resources Office, representing Governor Jonvic Remulla, during turnover ceremonies held Saturday at the Plaza Mexico in Intramuros, Manila.

DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio, Jr., representing Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, said the trash boats were purchased by its Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO) to help LGUs clean up their rivers of floating trash and implement solid waste management. “The four is an initial batch. The DENR will acquire 20 more within the year, and these will be distributed to different LGUs as part of our efforts to clean up Manila Bay and its tributaries,” he said.

Under the terms of the Deed of Donation, the LGU will provide for the needed manpower and funds for the operation and maintenance of the boat. The LGU shall also collect garbage at least twice a week or as needed; submit to the Site Management Office of the DENR’s Manila Bay Coordinating Office a report on the volume and composition of the collected trash, as well as a record of maintenance service of the boat; and ensure proper disposal of garbage as required under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

Oreta and Gabriel were particularly pleased with the trash boats, saying that these would be “a big help” in cleaning up their waterways and reduce flooding in their areas.

Each 30-feet long trash boat is worth more than P1.7 million pesos, flat-bottomed for stability, and designed to be maneuverable in small waterways. It is equipped with a rotating rake-like device that can scoop up to three tons of garbage floating at a maximum depth of three feet. The garbage is dumped onto the deck, where it is manually segregated into sorting bins before being transported to the appropriate disposal facility.

Each boat comes with its own set of tools and a one-year service warranty from the local manufacturer. The MBCO had already trained boat operators provided by the LGUs in preparation for the turnover.

The trash boats were presented to President Aquino during the DENR’s silver anniversary celebration at the Malacañang Palace last June 19.

MBCO Director Noel Gaerlan said that aside from the 24 trash boats, the DENR is also planning to purchase bigger boats to skim floating trash along Manila Bay.

EnvironmentNatural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje rallied last week his field officials to ensure the success of the National Greening Program, saying the program has full support of the President.

“There is no reason to fail considering that President Aquino has amply given all the support this program (NGP) needs to succeed,” Paje told the regional executive directors (REDs), regional technical directors, and the provincial and community environment and natural resources officers (PENROs, CENROs) attending the 2-day National Convention of Field Officers held May 31-June 1, 2011 at the DENR Social Hall in Quezon City.

Paje also challenged the field officials “to give their best shot” as their performance in implementing the NGP will be “highly taken into consideration’ in the evaluation of officials for promotions.

“Those who will be performing will be rewarded. Wala pong biro yan,” Paje said, stressing that the field officers will be evaluated fairly based on a purely-merit system “without regard for personal ties or past associations” he has made through over 20 years at the DENR where he started his career as a casual forester.

Paje said the NGP-driven performance-based incentive scheme will first zero in on the PENRO and CENRO positions, with an instruction to DENR Assistant Secretary for Management and Finance Corazon Davis to reserve the vacant PENRO and CENRO posts as rewards for NGP’s top performers especially those that are on an acting capacity.

“If you are a CENRO, you will automatically become a PENRO. Those who are not yet full-pledged CENRO (with temporary appointment), we will make you full-pledged CENROs. Performance lamang, wala nang iba,” Paje stressed.

Of the 168 CENRO plantilla positions, 47 have yet to be filled; while 25 remain vacant in the 73 PENRO plantilla posts.

The incentive scheme forms part of Paje’s overall program to strengthen DENR’s performance-based promotion system to beef up the national leadership’s efforts in professionalizing the Philippine bureaucracy.

But Paje was quick to clarify that the quality of their performance will be determined by the survival of the seedling declared in their performance and not merely on the number of seedling planted.

“Remember, the NGP is a national priority program of President Aquino, and this is not for show but for grow. Gone are the days when tree planting activities were just to set world records or just for photo opportunities,” Paje noted.

At the same time, Paje asked “doubting Thomases” to be forthcoming this early with their hesitation to go all out to meet their targets to allow for management to act appropriately in their particular case.

“We will make sure that everybody performs. Kung sino sa inyo ang tingin ay hindi kayang ipatupad ang programang ito, sabihin na ninyo ngayon,” Paje said.

The performance-based incentive will be based on the field officials’ scorecard in the yearly targets given them and will be validated with the use of state-of-the art technology such as satellite mapping and internet-based technology through NGP’s website at the www.ngp.denr.gov.ph

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