95 LGUs in Manila Bay watershed area fail to comply with environmental laws

MANILA, Philippines — Ninety-five local government units (LGUs) in regions within the Manila Bay watershed area failed to comply with environmental laws, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said Thursday.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that based on the assessment conducted by the DILG, 53 percent of the 178 LGUS in Metro Manila, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon failed to hit the indicators for compliance to existing environmental laws.

He added that 16 of the LGUs with the worst problems will be prioritized for assistance by the DILG to address environmental woes.

“Based on our assessment, we still have a lot of work to do, and we intend to start with these 16 LGUs as we go along assisting all of 178,” Año said in a statement.

Año did not name the 16 LGUs, but he said that out of the 95 LGUs that failed the assessment, 56 were from Central Luzon; 37 from Calabarzon; and two from the National Capital Region (NCR).

“Maraming pagkukulang na nagdulot ng dekadang problema sa Manila Bay. But we are not here to point fingers anymore. We, through the directive of the President, are here to bring back the Bay to its former glory and we need all LGUs to do their part,” Año said.

However, he warned that the DILG would file cases before the Ombudsman or recommend disciplinary action to the President if the LGU would not cooperate with the agency’s efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay.

“We can also file cases against them with the Ombudsman or recommend disciplinary action to the President if warranted,” the DILG chief said. “So we challenge all LGUs to shape up. We need them to fight and win the Battle for Manila Bay.”

The DILG chief is looking to establish the DILG Manila Bay Rehabilitation Task Force that will be composed of task groups such as Law Enforcement and Security Task Group; Barangay Clean-up and Enforcement Task Group; Informal Settler Families Relocation Task Group; LGU Supervision and Capacity Development Task Group; and Inspection and Permit Issuance Task Group.

He also said that they will continue monitoring the LGUs’ compliance on the environmental laws for the clean-up, rehabilitation, and preservation Manila Bay.

Año also encouraged LGUs to pass ordinances that would ensure that businesses without the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) will not be allowed to operate.

“And if there are violations, make them pay the fine,” he said. /ee