Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu is depending on barangay leaders to do their share in the Manila Bay rehabilitation by cleaning up waterways, rivers and tributaries that flow into the heavily polluted water body.
“The cleanup of the bay rests on them. That is how much I trust them,” Cimatu said.
Leaders of more than 200 barangays surrounding the river systems of Pasig-Marikina-San Juan, Muntinlupa-Parañaque-Las Piñas-Zapote, and Malabon-Tullahan-Tinajeros were present during a dialogue with the DENR chief.
Aside from Cimatu, the meeting was also attended by other officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
During the dialogue, Cimatu reminded the barangay officials of their duty to enforce environmental laws, particularly the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.
“It is the responsibility of the local government units and the barangay captains to implement the environmental laws correctly,” the former Armed Forces chief said.
Cimatu also offered assistance to barangay officials in fulfilling their mandates, including the relocation of illegal settlers along esteros and rivers.
He told the officials of the need to coordinate with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development in ensuring the relocation of affected informal settler families (ISFs) before their houses are demolished.
“We will give them a chance to self-demolish or move to an appropriate relocation site,” Cimatu said.
There are some 230,000 ISFs in the Manila Bay region, around 56,000 of them live along its coast. (Chito Chavez)
