Report an environmental polluter via your cellphone

The government, through the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA)-Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), has found an easy and inexpensive way to prosecute polluters — through cellphone.

LLDA general manager Casimiro Ynares III said that for only P1 everyone may now become a hero out of what most Filipinos are fond nowadays, text messaging. He explained that the LLDA now has a text messaging access where the public may report incidents of fishkills, oil spills or any occurrence that would be a threat to the environment, particularly to Asia’s second largest fresh water basin, Laguna de Bay, and its 29 tributaries.

Dubbed "TXT LLDA," the program allows the public to send information through text to individuals and industries, whose operations may be adversely affecting the bay. Messages of environment concerns may reach the LDA in the shortest possible time by simply texting their concerns and sending it to "TXT LLDA" (898-3532). The lake agency has also activated a 24-hour hotline (02-6355292) where the public may directly report information regarding environment concerns.

To operationalize this system, a quick response team would be dispatched to check on the veracity of the information that reaches the LLDA index. The same team will assess and make an immediate recommendation and remedy to the repeated environmental concern.

Ynares said text messages to the lake agency will be treated with utmost confidentiality as he enjoined everyone to actively take part in the program.

"With the Laguna de Bay as our future source of safe drinking water, everybody now has a responsibility to what is described as a not just an LLDA concern but everybody’s concern," Ynares said in a statement.