About 500 volunteers took part in the clean-up activity along the coast of BarangayTondaligan in Dagupan City held Friday, April 26, 2019, as part of the local celebration of Earth Day.

The beach clean-up, spearheaded by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region 1, in partnership with the localgovernment of DagupanCity, sought to intensify public awareness on the proper management of garbage, particularly plastics.

EMB Region 1 Director Maria DoricaNaz-Hipe expressed gratitude to the volunteers from various government agencies and private companies and other stakeholders for joining the clean-up event. She encouraged the public to support the DENR and LGU Dagupan City in properly managing solid wastes by segregating garbage at source, religiously practicing the 3 Rs – reduce, reuse and recycle, and composting their biodegradable wastes which can be used as soil conditioners.

“The Tondaligan Beach is one of the most popular and beautiful bathing beaches here in Region I, so we should work together to protect it,” Hipe said.

A total of 96 trash bags and sacks of residual wastes were collected, consisting mostly of plastic food wrappers, cigarette butts and glass bottles.

EMB-I organizes clean-up drives in popular bathing beaches and rivers in the Ilocos Region in accordance with the top priority programs of DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, which include Clean Air, Clean Water and Solid Waste Management. ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Provincial Releases

Published: 02 May 2019

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here and the Earth Day Network Philippines (EDNP) urged the public to save plant and animal species from extinction to maintain a well-balanced and functioning ecosystem.

In a message read by DENR Region 3 Executive Director Paquito Moreno during the culminating activity of Earth Day 2019 on Sunday, in Obando, Bulacan, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said that the problem of biodiversity loss has gone haywire due to irresponsible people, wildlife poachers and illegal traders in cahoots.

“It is the responsibility of the DENR to protect wildlife, but such effort will be futile without the participation of the people,” Cimatu said, adding that the Earth Day is an opportune time to enhance the environmental consciousness and awareness of the public and tap local communities as partners in championing environment and wildlife protection.

On the other hand, EDNP President WigbertoTañada, Jr. stressed that educating and raising public awareness about the accelerating rate of extinction of wildlife species and the causes and consequences of this phenomenon are significant elements to prevent species loss.

He added that the increased rate of species extinction could be largely attributed to human activities, which have permanently damaged the ecosystem and threatened species.

“Extinction is primarily a result of human activity. Sadly, because of lack of care or even ignorance, human activity has irretrievably upset the balance of nature,” he said.

He urged government leaders to adopt policies that protect broad groups of species as well as individual species and their habitats, and activate a global movement that embraces nature and its values.

Cimatu also appealed to local communities and leaders to work in harness to ensure that all of resources, be it mining, energy or food are sustained.

“Let us keep the spirit of Earth Day every single day of our life, so that we will never lose our focus on the need to conserve and protect Mother Earth,” he stressed.

Celebrated every April 22, this year’s Earth Day theme, “Protect our Species” underscores the need to encourage communities in the global movement to avert the unprecedented environmental adversaries, especially the rapid reduction of plant and wildlife species.

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Category: Provincial Releases

Published: 02 May 2019

MARIVELES, Bataan –Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu declared on Tuesday a portion of Manila Bay in Bataan safe for swimming after the water quality had improved barely three months after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) started its massive cleanup and rehabilitation of the historic Manila Bay.

According to Cimatu, Aguawan beach in Barangay Sisiman in Mariveles had a significantly reduced fecal coliform level, from 790 most probable number (MPN)/ 100 ml in January of this year to only 12 MPN/ 100 ml this month. The standard level for bathing beaches is 100 mpn/100ml.

“The improvement began after we shut down piggeries that were dumping wastes into the bay, which we also did in Cavite and Bulacan. However, the speedy compliance of industries here to environmental laws made it much faster to improve the water quality," Cimatu said.

Fecal coliforms are bacteria coming from human and animal wastes that contaminate the water and indicate the presence of pathogens.

Cimatu also said the relentless efforts made by the DENR Central Luzon personnel and the local government unit of Mariveles to clean the beach have also contributed to the fast improvement of water quality in the area.

But the DENR chief admitted that the work is far from done, as Aguawan beach is only a fraction of the 190-kilometer coastline of the Manila bay area.

Of the total coastline of Manila Bay, 142 kilometers are located in Central Luzon with Bataan hosting over 77 kilometers of coastline.

Paquito Moreno, executive director of the DENR in Central Luzon said Aguawan beach is only one of the three areas in Mariveles declared safe for swimming. The other two are the beaches located in Sitio Babuyan in Barangay Mount View and in SitioBoracay in Barangay Lucanin.

“The cooperation of our communities had been vital in cleaning the Bay. We have intensified our information campaign to increase the awareness and participation of the communities and other stakeholders,” he said.
DENR reports showed that 37 cleanups have already been conducted since January 2019 in Mariveles, with support from local government units, including volunteers from the academe and civil society that resulted in the collection of 49.95 tons of solid waste. ###

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Category: Provincial Releases

Published: 26 April 2019

Officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led by Assistant Secretary Reynulfo Juan (2nd from left) check on public notices posted on erring fastfood restaurants, Jolibee-Calapan I and II and Chowking on Thursday (March 7, 2019) in Calapan City. Said restos were issued cease and desist orders for operating without discharge permit and for discharging partially treated wastewater into Calapanriver, an established Water Quality Management Area. Also in photo are DENR-Region 4B Executive Director Henry Adornado (right) and Asst. Regional Director Vicente Tuddao. ###

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Category: Provincial Releases

Published: 11 March 2019

ALAMINOS City, Pangasinan – IlogAlaminos, the river system which discharges its water low into the famous Hundred Islands, has been adjudged as the official entry of DENR-Region 1 (Ilocos Region) in the R.I.V.E.Rs for Life Award of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

R.I.V.E.Rs stands for Recognizing Individuals/Institutions towards Vibrant and Enhanced Rivers to raise awareness on the need to protect and conserve rivers as the lifeblood of the earth and human civilization.

Launched in 2017, the award intends to recognize individuals and institutions for their initiatives and concerted efforts to protect the country’s rivers from degradation and pollution, and to improve their designated use and classification by implementing appropriate mitigation and intervention measures.

On Tuesday (March 5), the Regional Evaluation Committee headed by DENR Regional Executive Director Carlito M. Tuballa declared IlogAlaminos as the region’s entry in the national level of the award.

IlogAlaminos is a Class “C” river with 35-kilometer length and traverses 29 barangays of Alaminos City. Being a Class “C” river, its water is intended only for agriculture, irrigation and livestock watering, and drains its water into the Lingayen Gulf where the renowned Hundred Islands are sporadically formed.

Tuballa said the selection of IlogAlaminos as regional winner and entry in the national level was sparked by the Unity Walk spearheaded by CENRO Western Pangasinan held last February 25.

Around 250 individuals from the local government here and several national government agencies and non-government organizations joined the Unity Walk led by CENR officer LitoSalatan.

“The Unity Walk for IlogAlaminos has raised awareness of the importance of the riveron the fast growing local economy,” said Tuballa, adding that the participation of individuals coming from different sectors indicates their willingness to become part in the rehabilitation, restoration and conservation of the river.

Based on the water sampling done in November last year, the coliform level of the water of IlogAlaminos was 2800 most probable number (mpn) per 100 milliliters (ml). The standard coliform level for a Class“C” river is 200 mpn/100 ml, pursuant to DENR Administrative Order No. 2016-08.

Tuballa said that appropriate mitigations and interventions shall be done to reduce the river’s coliform level to the standard, and to improve the quality of its water for recreational purposes.

National winners of the R.I.V.E.Rs for Life Award will be announced on June 10, 2019 in time with the anniversary of the DENR. ###

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Parent Category: News & Events

Category: Provincial Releases

Published: 08 March 2019