THE rehabilitation of the Manila Bay Watershed should be a priority not only of the national government but also of local government units along its shoreline.
This is the message of Interior Secretary Mike Sueno as he reiterated his agency’s unwavering resolve to help restore to its original state of clean and clear status the now polluted waters of Manila Bay.
The DILG is just one of the 13 national government agencies mandated to carry out initiatives to rehabilitate the Manila Bay watershed, preventing the continuous cycle of man-made pollution to restore the Manila Bay to its pristine form, fit for swimming and other forms of contact recreation.
Inspections
Sueno reported that as of 2016, all 178 LGUs in the National Capital Region, Regions 3 and CALABARZON which are included in the Supreme Court mandamus have inspected a total of 91,125 commercial establishments (CEs), 4,293 factories (Fs) and 688,716 private homes (PHs) for adequate wastewater treatment facilities or septic tanks.
Also, 66,755 CSs, 3,649 factories and 347,493 households were able to conform with the construction of hygienic septic and wastewater treatment facilities with a compliance rate of 73%, 85% and 50% respectively, according to DILG reports.
Sueno hailed the results as proof that the agency is “treading the right path” to restore the waters of Manila Bay.
“We at DILG, together with the other national government agencies, are committed to exert and to exhaust all possible efforts for the fulfillment of this initiative," he said.
National Capital Region (NCR) provided the highest compliance percentage among respondent regions followed by CALABARZON and Region III.
As such, the agency has ordered all LGUs along the shoreline of Manila Bay to carry out plans to ensure that they comply with waste management standards to ensure that household trash will not end up into the bay.
Solid waste management lapses have been cited as one of the causes of pollution in the Manila Bay waters, with plastic materials making 60 of the trash hauled up by authorities according to the Ecowaste Coalition.
Solid Waste Management
Sueno also said that most of the 178 LGUs are compliant with the regulation governing the Solid Waste Management Act particularly the 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plan, segregation at source, segregated collection of wastes, materials recovery facility and disposed residual waste in approved disposal site, with a compliance rate of more than 45-50% in all five indicators.
Also, MBCRPP tied-up with the National Solid Waste and Management Commission and the Office of the Environmental Ombudsman to audit LGU performance and file complaint against LGU officials who fail to comply with the provisions of Republic Act No. 9003 known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
The DILG Secretary also emphasized that consistent efforts are directed through regular conduct of monthly/bi-monthly clean-up of waterways or areas near such waterways spearheaded by the DILG regional offices and LGUs within the watershed region together with regular conduct of dialogues for the proper implementation of the program for information, education and communication purposes.
