Bulacan implements waste law to rehabilitate river

BULACAN, Philippines  – President Aquino’s effort to attract potential investors and tourists abroad is setting the tone, and a province adjacent to Metro Manila is following his lead.

Banking on the belief that cleanliness and orderliness will serve as magnet for foreign investors and tourists, the provincial government of Bulacan is geared toward implementing Republic Act 9003 to clean up and rehabilitate the 55-kilometer Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando river system, which has been consistently on the list of the 30 dirtiest rivers in the world.

The implementation of RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, was seen as the only legal solution to save the river, which the New York-based Blacksmith Institute found to be heavily polluted with heavy metals coming from lead smelters, jewelry and gold refineries, tanneries, livestock raisers, electroplating plants, manufacturing sites, and textile and garment factories situated on the riverbanks.

“The current state of our river calls for an emergency action, we have to act not tomorrow, but today, otherwise nothing will remain of this endangered river that has been a victim of years of neglect, inaction and consistent abuse,” said Obando Mayor Orencio Gabriel.

Obando town will host the development of an engineered sanitary landfill, seen as a crucial partner of the province in the cleanup and rehabilitation of the river. 

The proposed engineered sanitary landfill, to be developed and operated by Ecoshield Development Corp., was also in direct response to the writ of kalikasan and writ of continuing mandamus promulgated in 2010 by the Supreme Court aimed at rehabilitating Manila Bay by cleaning up the river veins connected to the bay. 

The engineered sanitary landfill was approved by Obando in January this year. In June, the provincial government approved the resolution that permits Ecoshield to construct and maintain the 44-hectare engineered sanitary landfill in Barangay Salambao. 

The DENR also issued the necessary clearances and permits, giving the go-signal for the engineered Obando sanitary landfill.

In what he described as his legacy to his fellow Bulakenyos, Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmo Alvarado launched, aside from the clean-up drive, the Bulacan River Patrol to monitor and penalize those dumping wastes and chemicals into the river.