Laguna de Bay next target of DENR cleanup

MANILA, Philippines – After Manila Bay, the Laguna de Bay will be the next to be cleared of factories and other structures that cause pollution, according to Environment Secretary Lito Atienza. In a press conference on Thursday, Atienza warned the owners of such structures to get the proper environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), or else they would be shut down, or dismantled, as appropriate. He has directed the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to review the ECC's of establishments around Laguna de Bay. But he made it clear that the DENR clean up would not conflict with the efforts of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA). "The LLDA can go on with its function of policing the Laguna Lake," Atienza said. "But the DENR is the mother agency concerned with the protection of the environment. We issue the ECCs, and as far as we are concerned, we will enforce all the laws that will enable us to protect the environment." The DENR started its cleanup of Manila Bay last Wednesday, dismantling illegal fish pens and similar structures along the Cavite coastline. "We will clean the whole 198-kilometer stretch of Manila Bay from Cavite to Bataan of illegal fish pens," Atienza said. "Then we will look into the operations of factories in Laguna Lake, and we will close down any establishment that causes pollution. After we clean up the Malabon and Navotas coastal areas, we will certainly proceed to clean up Laguna Lake,’’ Atienza told a press conference held on the second day of the Manila Bay cleanup. Four barges with backhoes uprooted 50 fish pens on the first day of the Manila Bay cleanup. Work crews came from the DENR, the Army and Navy, and the local government units (LGUs) of Cavite. He praised Cavite Gov. Erineo "Ayong’" Maliksi and mayors of the province for showing up in full force to show support for the DENR. "We are fortunate to have a governor like Ayong Maliksi of Cavite. He was very maliksi (quick) on the job," Atienza said. The DENR chief also rejected the claim of Manila Water Co. that it does not contribute to the pollution of Manila Bay. "I heard Manila Water claim that it has nothing to do with the pollution in Manila Bay because its concession is on Metro Manila’s eastern portion or along Laguna de Bay," he said. "It's the same thing. Where else would the dirty water from Laguna Lake and Pasig River go to?" He repeated his call for water concessionaires to start building wastewater treatment facilities. "Today. Now. Not later," he said. "There could be no escaping their responsibility to set up these facilities as stated in their service contracts. We’ll keep telling the public that the water concessionaires are not building the waste treatment plants they are obliged or committed to build. The water concessionaires must really have to address the issue." The DENR has pressed Congress to look into the LLDA charter which shows that the agency depends entirely on the collection of fines from polluting establishments to pay the salaries of its officials and employees. This anomalous situation, Atienza said, has resulted in corruption. "Condominiums, for example, are allowed to be constructed without having any ECC," he said. "When this 32-story is finished, that’s a very opportune time for you know what." - D'Jay Lazaro, GMANews.TV