The country’s only endemic duck will soon make a fifth-class municipality a must-see destination for environmentalists in tourist-haven Camarines Sur.

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje recently signed DENR Administrative Order (DAO) No. 2011-10 declaring a 27-hectare wetland area of Cabusao in Camarines Sur as a critical habitat for the Philippine duck (Anas luzonica).

“This DAO is a step to protect the Philippine duck, whose existence is true to the phrase, ‘only in the Philippines.’ It will hopefully give this unique bird a chance to live and propagate in a place free from exploitation and destruction caused by high-impact human activities,” Paje said.

The Philippine duck is a large dabbling duck that frequents both fresh- and saltwater habitats such as mangroves, open sea and rice fields, feeding mainly on shrimp, fish, insects and vegetation. It is characterized by a black crown, nape and eye stripe; a blue-grey bill; a cinnamon-colored head and neck; and grayish-brown body and legs. Its wings, when spread, show a glossy-green patch with a black and white border, with a white underside. It has been described as “the tropical version of the mallard,” a duck commonly found in more temperate regions such as the Americas and Europe.

An Asian Waterbird Census conducted in 2005 pegged the Philippine duck population at 4,428. Since then, there have been less reported sightings, attributed to “high levels of hunting and trapping, conversion of natural wetlands, mangrove destruction, and recently the extensive use of pesticides on rice fields.” This population decline has thus given the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) cause to classify it as “vulnerable” under its Red List of Threatened Species.

Paje said that the DAO is in accordance with Republic Act (RA) 9147, also known as the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, which promotes ecological balance and enhance biodiversity by conserving and protecting wildlife species and their habitats. The same law defines a critical habitat as land located outside a protected area that is characterized by the presence of threatened species, considering its endemicity and richness in the area as well as the presence of threats to its survival.

Under the DAO, the DENR Regional Office 5 in Legazpi City, Albay, is tasked to delineate the boundaries of the designated critical habitat. It will also manage the area alongside the local government unit (LGU) of Cabusao, or co-manage it with the LGU and/or other organizations.

DENR Bicol and its partners will also ensure the preservation of existing ecosystems and safeguard the area’s ecological integrity to support the existence of the Philippine duck. They are also tasked to jointly prepare and implement a Critical Habitat Management Plan to address management issues and strategies, including the enforcement of applicable environmental laws and prohibited acts under RA 9147 such as waste dumping, mineral extraction, quarrying, burning and logging.

Although also sighted in other areas such as Lake Naujan and Mt. Iglit-Baco National Parks in Mindoro, and Olango Island in Cebu, avid bird watchers have particularly noted “near-disappearances” of the Philippine duck at the Candaba Marsh in Pampanga due to aquaculture and fishpond creation.

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Published: 03 September 2011

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje is enjoining his Metro Manila-based officials and employees to actively participate in the Civil Service Fun Run on Sunday (Sept. 4) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Pasay City.

Organized by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) as part of the month-long celebration of the 111th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, the Fun Run seeks to raise funds for the benefit of families left behind by government forest protection officers who died in the line of duty.

“I am enjoining the DENR employees, particularly those based in the central office, National Capital Region and Region 4B, to participate in this project. Not only it is good for the health, but it is very noble as well as it seeks to raise funds for the families left behind by our co-workers in the department,” Paje said.

Paje added: “We have always considered our fallen forest guards as ‘environmental heroes’, having sacrificed their lives for the protection of the environment.”

The CSC Fun Run will have two events: 3-K and 5-K races. Both races will start at 5 a.m. at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City, and will run through Buendia Avenue, also in Pasay City.

Initial report indicates that more than 2,500 participants from different government agencies and the private sector have already registered to join the Fun Run. Of the number, a total of 100 registrants are from the DENR.

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Published: 02 September 2011

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently raided four lead smelting plants and a used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling facility in the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija in a crackdown on informal businesses handling pollutive and hazardous substances without appropriate permits in Region 3.

At the same time, DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has directed concerned provincial officials of DENR to explain “why they should not be charged administratively for inaction” on the illegally-operating plants.

Paje, who ordered a nationwide campaign against illegal ULAB recycling facilities and lead smelting plants, lauded the investigating team’s actions.

“These businesses, being run illegally, deprive government of revenues and give unfair competition to those operating legally. Most importantly, they cannot be monitored effectively and pose direct grave threats to human life and the environment because of their haphazard disposal of hazardous substances,” Paje said.

The one-day raid, conducted on August 18, 2011 by an investigating team organized by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Ernesto Adobo, Jr., also led to the arrest and filing of criminal charges against two Chinese nationals, namely Chen Tian Xi and Jiajia Chen, for violating Republic Act (RA) 6969, also known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990. The two were alleged to be behind the illegal operation of an unnamed lead smelting plant in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. They were, however, released on August 20, 2011 by the Municipal Trial Court of Jaen, upon payment of bail amounting to P12,000.

Aside from the Chinese-run facility in Jaen, the lead smelting plants of Asia Pacific Resources, Inc. and Solid Lead, Inc., both in San Simon, Pampanga; and the ULAB recycling facility owned by a certain Roland Sumandal in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, were also each slapped with a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) for violating RA 6969.

The Oceanic Fishing Gear, Inc., another lead smelting facility in Meycauayan, Bulacan, was issued a notice of violation of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

Based on reports, the two Nueva Ecija plants were found to be operating without any ECC, permits for transport and for operating coal-fired furnaces, or registered treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Their pollution control facilities were also found to be “inefficient and ineffective”, allowing the emission of lead oxide in violation of RA 6969.

Lead smelting involves recycling lead acid separated from used batteries. The finished product is then sold locally or abroad for various uses, such as material for building construction, bullets, weights and soldering processes.

The DENR investigation team was joined by Jaen Mayor Santy Austria, members of local police headed by Major Resty Reyes, personnel from the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and members of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force, in the inspection of the Jaen plant.

Paje described the illegal operation of the recycling facilities as “classic examples of wanton disregard of responsible management.”

Samuel Carpio, head of the investigation team, noted that the plants have been operating without proper treatment and disposal of lead oxide during the smelting or recycling process. Lead oxide poses harmful effects to the human body and can even be fatal if swallowed or inhaled.

Details

Published: 01 September 2011

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) recently raided four lead smelting plants and a used lead-acid battery (ULAB) recycling facility in the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan and Nueva Ecija in a crackdown on informal businesses handling pollutive and hazardous substances without appropriate permits in Region 3.

At the same time, DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje has directed concerned provincial officials of DENR to explain “why they should not be charged administratively for inaction” on the illegally-operating plants.

Paje, who ordered a nationwide campaign against illegal ULAB recycling facilities and lead smelting plants, lauded the investigating team’s actions.

“These businesses, being run illegally, deprive government of revenues and give unfair competition to those operating legally. Most importantly, they cannot be monitored effectively and pose direct grave threats to human life and the environment because of their haphazard disposal of hazardous substances,” Paje said.

The one-day raid, conducted on August 18, 2011 by an investigating team organized by DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations Ernesto Adobo, Jr., also led to the arrest and filing of criminal charges against two Chinese nationals, namely Chen Tian Xi and Jiajia Chen, for violating Republic Act (RA) 6969, also known as the Toxic Substances and Hazardous and Nuclear Wastes Control Act of 1990. The two were alleged to be behind the illegal operation of an unnamed lead smelting plant in Jaen, Nueva Ecija. They were, however, released on August 20, 2011 by the Municipal Trial Court of Jaen, upon payment of bail amounting to P12,000.

Aside from the Chinese-run facility in Jaen, the lead smelting plants of Asia Pacific Resources, Inc. and Solid Lead, Inc., both in San Simon, Pampanga; and the ULAB recycling facility owned by a certain Roland Sumandal in Guimba, Nueva Ecija, were also each slapped with a Cease and Desist Order (CDO) for violating RA 6969.

The Oceanic Fishing Gear, Inc., another lead smelting facility in Meycauayan, Bulacan, was issued a notice of violation of its environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

Based on reports, the two Nueva Ecija plants were found to be operating without any ECC, permits for transport and for operating coal-fired furnaces, or registered treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Their pollution control facilities were also found to be “inefficient and ineffective”, allowing the emission of lead oxide in violation of RA 6969.

Lead smelting involves recycling lead acid separated from used batteries. The finished product is then sold locally or abroad for various uses, such as material for building construction, bullets, weights and soldering processes.

The DENR investigation team was joined by Jaen Mayor Santy Austria, members of local police headed by Major Resty Reyes, personnel from the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and members of the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force, in the inspection of the Jaen plant.

Paje described the illegal operation of the recycling facilities as “classic examples of wanton disregard of responsible management.”

Samuel Carpio, head of the investigation team, noted that the plants have been operating without proper treatment and disposal of lead oxide during the smelting or recycling process. Lead oxide poses harmful effects to the human body and can even be fatal if swallowed or inhaled.

Details

Published: 01 September 2011

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje appealed to all local government officials to strictly comply with Republic Act No. 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, to avoid a repeat of the collapse of a dumpsite in Baguio City that killed at least five persons.

At the same time, he said he will be meeting soon with Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to discuss ways on how to enhance LGU compliance with the law.

“I will be meeting with Secretary Robredo regarding this matter of low compliance of LGUs to the Solid Waste Management Act. We really need to come up with a purposive approach of (enhancing) their compliance so as to prevent any more catastrophe such as this trashslide in Baguio City.” Paje said.

In separate interviews with ANC and DZMM, Paje said that as early as 2006, the DENR, through the National Solid Waste Management Commission (NSWMC) which he chairs, has sent out notice of violations to more than a thousand local government units (LGUs) who have continually been operating open and controlled dumpsites.

Unfortunately, he said, while at the national level, the government is performing, the LGUs are not in compliance. “The DENR’s role is to help LGUs manage their garbage. At the national level, the government is performing, but the LGUs are not complying. Dapat kasuhan na talaga sa Ombudsman,” he stressed.

Since the law holds the LGUs primarily responsible for solid waste management in their areas of jurisdiction, Paje advised the local executives who do not have the capability to construct landfills to form clusters with other neighboring LGUs as this would be more feasible.

The environment chief said, however, that although there is indeed a legal issue with the Baguio tragedy, “now is not the time for finger pointing. The DENR has been working closely with the LGU and the provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (DRRMC) since the tragedy to address the problem, remove the trash and bring it to Capas, retrieve the bodies… We will tackle the legal issue later.”

Paje also committed to extend technical assistance in the construction of the retailing wall of the dumpsite.

Paje stated that the Irisan dump in which collapsed on Saturday (August 27) had been closed since 2008 and that “it has been acting as a materials recovery facility (MRF), a ‘transfer station’ where the LGU would sort recyclable and non-recyclable waste before bringing the latter to the landfill in Capas, Tarlac.”

He added that the tragedy may have been caused by an engineering problem. “Hindi sila naglagay ng daluyan ng tubig… Sa tingin ko, hindi sila naglagay ng labasan dahil the leachate would come out and they would still have to put up a collecting pan. Hindi nakaya ng retaining wall yung bumagsak na tubig (brought about by the heavy downpour caused by typhoon Mina), so ang nangyari, bumigay,” he said.

He further disclosed that the Irisan site had been identified as an area highly susceptible to landslides in a geohazard map of the province. He thus requested all LGU officials to review the geohazard maps distributed by the DENR to assess which areas are prone to floods and landslides to avoid similar future tragedies. “The maps identify areas of no-habitation zone, plus debris accumulation zones, kung saan ipinapakita na kapag tumibag ang lupa, dun (sa lugar na iyon) itatambak ang lupa,” he said.

The DENR chief reiterated that the problem of solid waste management remains a responsibility of each Filipino citizen, and that the best way to address it was to ensure segregation at source. It is estimated that with every household practicing waste segregation at home, only 30 per cent of waste would actually be dumped in landfills nationwide.

Under the law, the establishment or operation of open dumpsites is punishable with a minimum fine of a Php500,000. LGU officials can also be charged administratively in accordance with RA 7160 or the Local Government Code.

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Published: 30 August 2011