MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is well on the way to achieving its targets under a new leadership, according to Secretary Ramon Paje.
Paje said several of the programs they vowed to pursue since his first day in office have already been realized or will soon be put in place.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and local government officials are helping the agency’s estero cleanup program, he added.
The DENR announced a massive cleanup and rehabilitation of esteros in partnership with other national agencies, local government units, civil society groups and the business sector.
Paje said the cleanup will be undertaken at no cost to the government, as they are now encouraging the top 100 corporations in the country to participate in the agency’s “Adopt an Estero” program.
Several companies have already expressed interest in adopting an estero, he said.
Paje said Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman already approved his proposal to include people living along esteros and those participating in the cleanup in the DSWD’s Cash Conditional Transfer program.
“This way, we are able to raise the consciousness of the people to become more involved in programs that will help in environment protection.”
In the clean air program, massive participation of the private sector is already a big achievement, Paje said.
The DENR recently issued Administrative Order 2010-23 clarifying the numerical emission limits for passenger and light duty vehicles.
It also includes limit values for vehicles fitted with diesel engines of the direct injection type until Jan. 1, 2011.
Further, DAO 2010-23 requires all new passenger and light duty vehicles (less than 3,500 kilograms of gross vehicular weight) that will be introduced in the market by Jan. 1, 2016 to comply with Euro 4 emission limits subject to Euro IV fuel availability.
“The DENR is bent on reducing by 30 percent the air pollution in Metro Manila in 2011. We want to achieve a substantial improvement in air quality for the health, safety and welfare of the general public. Hopefully in the next three years, we will be able to realize this.”
As to the development of natural resources, the DENR, together with the Department of Agrarian Reform and the Department of Agriculture, launched a program that will develop upland areas.
“We are focusing on the eight million hectares of open, denuded areas. What we will do is to focus on 200 hectares per province,” he said.
The DENR has also concluded the plan of donating confiscated logs to the Department of Education to build more chairs and tables for students, and to local government units to build daycare centers.
The department also recently launched the Reusable Bag Day in cooperation with major malls/supermarkets in the country.
Incentives will be given to those who will bring their own reusable bags to supermarkets.
Reusable Bag Day is being observed every Wednesday in participating malls and establishments.
Paje said the government’s geohazard mapping project care of the Mines and Geociences Bureau is now complete.
The next step will be “densification” of these geohazard maps, which will involve a closer and more specific view of sitios and barangays where steep slopes, bedrock and areas prone to soil erosion can be clearly evaluated, Paje said.
The output of the program is equally important for land use planning, land development and the emerging concern on climate-change adaptation.
Paje said contracts entered into by the DENR and the issuance of permits for projects will be posted on the agency’s website.