Petron Corporation, one of the largest oil companies in the country, has expressed interest in helping the government rehabilitate the Marikina River under the Adopt-an-Estero program of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, Petron Corporation’s Chairperson, Ramon Ang and President, Eric Recto, are set to formalize the partnership today (Sept. 20) at the San Miguel Corporation head office in Mandaluyong City.

“With almost a year after it was launched in 2010, the ‘Adopt an Estero’ program has already gained widespread private sector support. The experiences of both our private sector and barangay partners are very inspiring especially when barangays tell us they have less flooding now and more community clean-up activities because of the program,” Paje said.

Under the agreement, Petron will undertake environmental improvement through dredging of creeks in the upstream portion of Marikina River. Information and education campaigns, community mobilization activities, and trainings for concerned stakeholders in the area will also conducted to ensure the sustainability of the program.

For its part, the DENR through its EMB-National Capital Region and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) will intensify the water quality monitoring of industrial/commercial establishments, and provide technical assistance to concerned leaders and stakeholder groups in the area.

Both concerned parties have also agreed to undertake a study on the necessity for more dredging and desilting of the creek, introduction of interventions such as phyto-remediation through constructed wetlands, planting of bamboo and other plant species along the river banks, rip-rapping or coco-matting, construction, and greening of linear parks.

Launched in 2010 by the DENR, the Adopt-an-Estero/River Program is a collaborative undertaking between and among communities residing along esteros and rivers, donor-partners, local government units, and other government agencies. The program aims to build partnerships among concerned sectors and organizations to restore the healthy state of esteros and rivers as well as safeguard the well-being of residents.

In Metro Manila, among the private establishments that are actively involved in the revival of creeks and other waterways include the Manila North Tollways Corporation for portions of the Tullahan River at Barangays Ugong in Valenzuela City and Talipapa in Quezon City; Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association; Sagip Ilog Pilipinas Movement for the Diliman Creek and its minor tributaries; San Miguel Foundation for Tullahan River from MacArthur Highway all the way to Manila Bay; AMKOR Technology Philippines Inc. for Palico Creek located at Brgys. Buli and Cupang in Muntinlupa City.

Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation for Maricaban Creek traversing the cities of Taguig, Makati, Pasay and Paranaque, Udenna Environmental Services, and Inter-Continental Waste Disposal Systems for Mauling Creek in Taguig City; Philippine Coastal and River Guards Agroupation for the Tripa de Gallina In Makati, Pasay, and Parañaque; and Adamson University for Estero de Balete In Ermita, Manila.

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Published: 19 September 2011

Sacks, rakes and gloves will be a common sight this weekend as the nation celebrates the 26th International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day today (Sept. 17).

In Metro Manila, more than 5,000 volunteers representing various government agencies and offices, the academe, civic organizations and civil society are expected to join the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in collecting marine debris washed onto the shores of Freedom and Long Islands in Brgy. San Dionisio in Parañaque City. The cleanup site is a portion of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat Eco-Tourism Area (LPPCHEA).

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said that despite regular and organized cleanup activities conducted throughout the year, the ICC Day celebration gives Filipinos “a feeling of unity with the rest of the world in cleaning up our oceans and other water bodies.”

ICC Day is an annual global effort organized by Washington-based Ocean Conservancy to remove trash and debris from beaches and waterways, and aims to change human behaviors that allow the waste to reach the ocean.

In the Philippines, ICC Day is celebrated annually on the third Saturday of September, as declared through Presidential Proclamation No. 470. On the other hand, Presidential Proclamation No. 244 also declared the month of September as National Cleanup Month.

Each year, the DENR mobilizes all its field offices nationwide to lead and coordinate sectors interested in joining the celebration, even as the number of volunteers has multiplied steadily. Aside from collecting trash along the beaches, volunteers also clean up stream and river banks, while some diving organizations collect underwater trash.

Joining the cleanup activities are Mayors Florencio Bernabe Jr. of Parañaque City and Vergel Aguilar of Las Piñas City, as well as Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino.

Paje said that aside from sending warm bodies for the cleanup itself, “many of our partner agencies also offer for free their services and equipment such as dump trucks, fire trucks, medical personnel, portalets and other logistics for the volunteers.”

The environment chief, however, scored the volume of trash collected in the Philippines which ranked among the highest as indicated in Ocean Conservancy’s 2010 marine debris index.

“Last year, our volunteers picked up some 240,360 kilograms of debris from both land and water in only one day. How much more trash is there that make their way into our seas for the rest of the year?” he lamented.

Ocean Conservancy’s 2011 Report ranked the Philippines second to the United States in its “25-Year Top Ten Participating Countries” with 2,907,608 volunteers. Last year saw 145,733 volunteers signing up for ICC Day.

This year’s theme, “Trash Free Seas,” highlights the pollution problem caused by ocean trash, and the threat of marine debris to human health, wildlife, communities and economies worldwide.

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Published: 17 September 2011

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is bent on cleansing the mining industry of “wang-wang” or undesirables prior to resuming the granting of mining permits in the country.

At the same time, DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje is recommending to President Aquino a new approach of awarding mining tenements to deter corruption.

“Consistent with the instruction of President Aquino, the DENR will resume the granting of mining permits only after we have fully cleansed the ‘wang-wang’ in the mining industry,” Paje said.

The DENR, through the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB), has already issued 500 permits. Some of these permits are being used for speculative trading or sold to other companies, without generating revenue for the government.

“This is not the kind of mining we want to encourage. The government is allowing mining operation in the country because we want to generate revenue for the government and the Filipino people and to fuel the country’s economic development,” Paje stressed.

The DENR chief acknowledged that the current revenue sharing in mining is not favorable to the government.

“The two percent excise tax, which is the share of the government according to the Mining Act, is not enough to pay for the environment cost considering the fact that mining is an extractive industry. This is the reason why the DENR is pushing for the payment of five percent royalty by mining companies,” Paje said.

He also proposed to Malacanang the abolition of the current scheme in awarding mining permits which is through the “first come, first served” basis. In lieu of this, he recommended that the awarding should be done through tendering/bidding.

Paje stressed that through this approach, discretion and corruption in the awarding of mining tenements will be eliminated.

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Published: 15 September 2011

After a year of engaging private sector support to revive major creeks and rivers, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will gather all adopters of esteros in Metro Manila in a day-long event to share experiences and challenges of each company in rehabilitating Metro Manila’s waterways.

Slated on Friday (Sept. 16), the event dubbed, “Making Headways in Cleaning Metro Manila Waters” is a forum for key partners and other stakeholders of the Adopt-An-Estero/River Program.

Launched in 2010, Adopt an Estero/River program is a collaborative undertaking among the estero communities, private entities, local government units and the DENR. The event is in support of the celebration of September as National Cleanup Month.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has been actively promoting the program, highlighting the importance of sustained participation of barangays and estero communities in maintaining clean waterways.

“The experiences our private partners had in laying the groundwork for the rehabilitation of our esteros provide us with a wealth of information that other stakeholders can learn from,” Paje said.

At the same time, Paje said the program has also enabled the DENR to strengthen its ties with the barangays.

Among the private sector partners who will be presenting their unique experiences during the forum include Manila North Tollways Corporation (portions of the Tullahan River at Barangays Ugong in Valenzuela City and Talipapa in Quezon City); Philippine Mine Safety and Environment Association and Sagip Ilog Pilipinas Movement (Diliman Creek and its minor tributaries); San Miguel Corporation (Tullahan River from MacArthur Highway all the way to Manila Bay); AMKOR Technology Philippines Inc. (Palico Creek located at Brgys. Buli and Cupang in Muntinlupa City); and Skyway Operations and Maintenance Corporation (Maricaban Creek traversing the cities of Taguig, Makati, Pasay and Paranaque).

Artist Noel Cabangon, also designated as Ambassador for Philippines Rivers, is also expected to attend the event.

Other government agencies such as the Metro Manila Development Authority and the Quezon City Government, as well as key stakeholders in the barangay level are also expected to speak at the forum.

Paje adds that the forum will also help strengthen coordination among agencies and other partners who are implementing similar programs for estero clean ups and dredging activities.

Since its launching barely a year ago, the Adopt-an-Estero/River Program of the DENR has already gained widespread private sector support, drawing together some 208 signed agreements with private companies to clean-up esteros and rivers all over the country.

Under the program, private company partners will undertake environmental improvement on the waterway they have adopted. This may include regular clean-up activities, dredging of the creek as well as information and education campaigns, community mobilization activities, and trainings for concerned stakeholders.

The DENR through the EMB its regional offices and the Laguna Lake Development Authority for Metro Manila and its nearby regions will intensify monitoring of industrial/commercial establishments, and undertake, among others, regular water quality monitoring and provide the necessary technical assistance to concerned leaders and stakeholder groups in the area.

In addition to this, the concerned parties also agreed to determine the necessity of, and to the extent possible plan for, more dredging and desilting of the creek, introduction of interventions such as phyto-remediation thru constructed wetlands, planting of bamboo and other plant species along the river banks, rip-rapping or coco-matting, construction, and greening of linear parks.

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Published: 15 September 2011

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has gained its first academic partner in its “Adopt-an-Estero” program with the signing on Tuesday (Sept. 13) of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Adamson University (AdU) for the cleanup of a portion of the Estero de Balete in Ermita, Manila.

Signing the agreement to formalize the partnership were Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Director Juan Miguel Cuna, representing DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje, AdU President Rev. Fr. Gregorio L. Bañaga, Jr., C.M, and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. The signing was held at the AdU campus in San Marcelino, Manila.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje said the DENR, AdU and Manila LGU MOA is the 9th partnership that the agency has entered into in its drive to clean up Metro Manila’s waterways, and the first with the academe. “Our previous partners in the Adopt-an-Estero program have been industries and businesses. This partnership with Adamson University and the city of Manila is something that we hope will encourage other academic institutions to help in reviving our waterways,” he said.

Paje stressed that such programs are necessary in addressing the overall health of communities. “Aside from the aesthetic improvement of surroundings and reducing the creek’s malodorous scent, cleaning up our waterways prevents them from becoming breeding grounds of pests and parasites that cause diseases such as dengue,” he explained.

Under the MOA, the DENR, through the EMB and the National Solid Waste Management Commission Secretariat, will provide technical assistance to the implementers particularly on environmental education, installation of bar screen in a portion of the estero near San Marcelino Street, monitoring of surrounding establishments, conduct of water quality monitoring, and establishment of materials recovery facilities (MRFs) in surrounding barangays.

The Manila City Government, for its part, will implement solid waste management within surrounding barangays. It will also maintain trash traps along the estero.

On the other hand, AdU is expected to administer surface clean-up and engineering solutions to decongest Estero de Balete, recommend and implement measures to reduce pollution, and tap other possible partners in the rehabilitation and future expansion of the pilot site.

The university will also work actively with the DENR and the city government in environmental education of surrounding communities.

Valid initially for three years, the MOA targets the cleanup and rehabilitation of Estero de Balete from Taft Avenue to Romualdez St. in Ermita, Manila, which may be expanded in the future.

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Published: 13 September 2011