Año to mayors: Revoke business permits of establishments polluting Manila Bay

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año has directed local government leaders to revoke the business permits of establishments inside the Manila Bay Watershed Area that are violating environmental laws.

The directive was contained in a memorandum Año sent to all mayors of local government units in the National Capital Region (NCR), Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said Tuesday.

Malaya said Año’s memorandum directs that "all LGUs should revoke or cancel permits of establishments found to have committed violations and/or are non-compliant with environmental and other applicable laws."

There are 178 cities and municipalities inside the Manila Bay Watershed Area.

Malaya said the memorandum was issued "to ensure that all establishments in their areas should comply with the pertinent provisions of the National Building Code, the Fire Code, the Code on Sanitation, and other related laws, regulations, and policies."

Año likewise instructed DILG Regional Directors of NCR, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon to report to him those LGUs and local chief executives (LCEs) who fail to abide by this directive.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) have started the inspection of commercial establishments on January 27 to ensure their compliance with environmental laws.

"They have issued Cease and Desist Orders and Notices of Violations to various establishments," Malaya said.

"All concerned LGUs should immediately act on the findings of the DENR and LLDA and revoke or suspend the business permits they have issued, as maybe applicable," he added.

In a separate memorandum on January 24, Año directed 178 LGUs and 5,714 barangays inside the Manila Bay Watershed Area to contribute to the rehabilitation of the polluted bay by organizing weekly clean-up drives in their localities such as, but not limited to coastal areas and/or inland water systems, beginning January 27—the start of the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay.

The DILG is closely monitoring all barangays and will call the attention of those barangays not contributing to the clean-up effort, Malaya said. —KBK, GMA News