As millions of Filipinos prepare for the annual commemoration of Undas, Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu reminded local government units (LGUs) of their duty to enforce the country’s solid waste management law in memorial parks and public cemeteries nationwide.

Cimatu said LGUs need to step up their implementation of Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 as people continue to generate huge volume of garbage during the observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, practically turning graveyards into dumpsites.

If necessary, Cimatu said LGUs may apply the full force of the law against litterbugs if only to send strong message that littering would not be tolerated.

“LGUs should not hesitate penalizing litterbugs by imposing fines or making them render community service,” Cimatu suggested.

An estimated 30,000 tons of garbage is generated in the country every day, with 8,000 tons produced in Metro Manila alone. The volume shoots up during public events like Undas.

Last year, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority reported that more than 5,000 tons of trash were hauled just from six major public cemeteries and memorial parks in the metropolis.

Cimatu said he hopes this will not be repeated this year and that the public will “avoid generating waste, especially plastic that end up in landfills where it may take up to 1,000 years to decompose.”

RA 9003 provides that the LGUs are primarily responsible for waste segregation and disposal.

During Undas, Cimatu said the LGUs should reduce the amount of trash gathered from graveyards and minimize waste that go into landfills.

However, Cimatu said the general public must also do its share in keeping graveyards clean and free of trash.

He then appealed to those who will pay homage to their departed loved ones to make the observance of Undas more meaningful by keeping memorial parks and public cemeteries “waste-free.”

Cimatu said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will never get tired of reminding the public about proper waste disposal “until the time comes when all of us who troop to cemeteries during Undas show respect for both the living and the dead.”

“Let us respect the sanctity of both the occasion and the final resting place of our departed loved ones by making the surroundings free from unwanted garbage,” Cimatu pointed out.

Meanwhile, Cimatu urged everyone to adopt a more eco-friendly lifestyle during Undas.

He called on visitors at cemeteries to “reuse, reduce and recycle.”

“Have your vehicles regularly checked for cleaner emissions. Avoid traffic hours and known congested roads, if possible. Walk or ride a bike, even for just part of the way to your destination,” he added. ###

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Published: 28 October 2018

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Playing in casinos will not count among the recreational activities tourists can look forward to in the newly reopened Boracay Island.

This developed as the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) led by Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has formally requested the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) to cancel all gaming franchises and provisional licenses issued in Boracay.

In a letter to PAGCOR chair and chief executive officer Andrea Domingo, the BIATF cited the “pronouncement of President Duterte that no casino shall be allowed in Boracay” in seeking for the cancellation of PAGCOR licenses on the island.

“We shall be grateful for your timely cooperation on this matter for the protection of one of our nation’s most treasured islands,” reads the letter signed by BIATF vice chairs Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año and Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat on behalf of the task force.

Cimatu aired his continuing objection to the reported plan to build a casino complex in Boracay, which was floated even before the island was closed to tourists in April for a six-month rehabilitation.

He said the BIATF would be firm on enforcing Boracay’s daily carrying capacity with preference to “nature-loving tourists” rather than gamblers.

“Now that the island’s waters and beaches are back to their pristine condition, we would rather that true nature lovers come and enjoy them,” he said.

A study commissioned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources showed that Boracay has a carrying capacity of 19,000 tourists per day or about 55,000 people including residents, workers and tourists.

“Let us properly use the island for its real purpose—sun, sea and sand so that what we all worked hard for will not go to waste,” Cimatu pointed out.

Prior to the closure of Boracay on April 26, Cimatu has already voiced his opposition to the planned $500 million hotel and casino project of Galaxy Entertainment Group and its local partner Leisure and Resorts World Corp.

“Boracay already has enough hotel rooms. Adding more and filling these with guests will again lead to more trash and more wastewater,” Cimatu explained. “Then, we’re back to square one.” ###

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Published: 27 October 2018

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As Boracay is all set for its much-awaited reopening on Friday, government agencies in charge of its rehabilitation are hoping the improved environmental condition of the world-famous resort island will be sustained for the long term.

“It is our fervent hope that the people of Boracay have learned their lesson well and that they are now ready to lead efforts to ensure the sustainability of Boracay as a world-class ecotourism destination,” said Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, head of the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF).

Boracay will reopen exactly six months after it was closed to tourists to pave the way for much-needed rehabilitation from serious environmental damage, particularly the concerns that its once-crystal-clear waters have been tainted by sewage and garbage.

Cimatu said that Boracay’s environmental sustainability would depend largely on how its residents, stakeholders and tourists will adhere to the guidelines laid down by the BIATF to protect the island from unsustainable tourism practices.

The environment chief strongly believes that more than the significant improvements and innovations done in Boracay, “a change in the behavior of the people—both the locals and tourists—will bring real change to the island.”

Cimatu expressed hope the BIATF has “successfully laid the foundations for a sustainable Boracay” during the six months the island was under rehabilitation.

Last October 15, Cimatu announced that Boracay waters are already fit for swimming based on the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Prior to reopening, the BIATF has approved a set of guidelines to ensure Boracay’s environment will be sustained and protected from the expected massive influx of local and foreign tourists.

The guidelines include a regulation on tourist arrivals and number of persons allowed to stay in Boracay, in accordance with the island’s carrying capacity.

A study conducted by the DENR’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau and the University of the Philippines-Los Baños revealed that the island’s daily carrying capacity is 54,945—19,215 tourists and 35,730 non-tourists, which refer to residents, migrants and stay-in workers.

Meanwhile, DENR Undersecretary Sherwin Rigor said that among the highlights of the reopening will be the unveiling of the so-called “Boracay icon” and inauguration of the reconstructed main road.

Rigor said the “reopening ceremony” will take place at Cagban Jetty Port in Barangay Manoc-manoc.

“Cagban jetty port is the main gateway to Boracay. It is only fitting that the ceremonies marking the reopening will take place here, as a symbol of the island welcoming visitors once again to enjoy its natural beauty,” he said.

A prominent marker in Cagban port constitutes of the word “Boracay” with a 50-foot vertical garden and backdrop of the “Boracay icon,” a phrase coined by the task force to refer to an image that the island is well known for.

The marker, Rigor said, would be a “fitting symbol showcasing the ‘new’ Boracay that has been made possible through the collaborative efforts of the government and the island’s stakeholders.”

According to the DENR official, the sheer size of the Boracay icon makes it visible as a welcome sign to ferry passengers approaching the mainland.

Another highlight of the opening will be the inauguration of the rehabilitated main road with a ribbon-cutting ceremony to be led by Secretary Mark Villar of the Department of Public Works and Highways.

The 4.1-km road stretches from the Cagban port to the Elizalde property in Station 1.

Environmental warriors will also take their oaths as part of the “Kaligkasan” community multipliers group during the ceremony.

The Kaligkasan, a combination of the words “kaligtasan” (safety) and “kalikasan” (nature), will augment government personnel in enforcing environmental laws and regulations on the island.

Along with the island’s rehabilitation is the improvement of Cagban port’s facilities. Among these is the renovation of the jetty itself, as well as the construction of a rotunda where vehicles can drop off passengers purchasing tickets or leaving the island.

A walkway leading to the main road has also been constructed as a separate path for people entering the island. ###

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Published: 25 October 2018

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Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has ordered the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) in Benguet to fast-track the declaration of a minahang bayan for use by small-scale miners in the province.

“I am directing the PMRB in Benguet to convene immediately for the declaration of a minahang bayan for our miners,” Cimatu told members of a small-scale miners association in Itogon town during their recent dialogue.

The PMRB is chaired by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), represented by Director Fay Apil of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) office in the Cordillera Autonomous Region (CAR).

Cimatu issued the statement as he politely turned down the petition by miners and gold panners to lift his order stopping all small-scale mining activities in the region following a landslide that killed dozens of small-scale miners in Itogon at the height of super typhoon Ompong last month.

The DENR chief said the suspension order remains in effect until a minahang bayan is declared and once it is already safe for mining operations to resume, particularly within the Benguet Corp. patented area in Sitio Luneta in Barangay Loakan.

Public safety is the government’s top priority, he said.

Cimatu likewise assured those who attended the dialogue that they would retain their rightful claim to the mineral resources in the area even with the suspension order.

“Minero kayo noon, minero pa rin kayo ngayon, at mga minero pa rin kayo sa mga susunod na panahon,” he said, explaining that the declaration of the minahang bayan was their only legal option in continuing their activities.

Minahang bayan refers to a common area where small-scale miners are permitted.

Cimatu reported that the processing of the application for a minahang bayan in Itogon was already underway.

He then advised the petitioners to abide by the suspension order and make sure their requirements are complete.

At the same time, Cimatu welcomed the commitment of the mining community to comply with all regulatory measures to be imposed by the different government offices to ensure their smooth operations.

The Itogon mining community had also committed to enter into a stewardship agreement in relation to reforestation and environmental protection and rehabilitation.

“Thank you for your benevolent offer, and I readily accept it,” he said, after reading a portion of the petition signed by the miners.

The environment chief also cited the commitment made by the miners to sell their gold to the Central Bank even as he urged them to pay the right taxes from their income.

During the dialogue, geologist Liza Manzano of the MGB presented the findings of the geohazard and technical assessment of the Itogon landslide that left 89 persons dead and 8 others missing.

Manzano characterized the area as highly vulnerable and likened it to a “shopping mall to all kinds of catastrophes” because of its susceptibility to all kinds of geological hazard.

“You’ve got it all,” she said, describing the danger of inhabiting the devastated mine sites in Itogon.

Adits and processing plants in Itogon have remained closed or cordoned off and shall remain unutilized, along with stockpiled mineral ore inventoried by the National Task Force Mining Challenge, unless permitted by the PMRB.

Republic Act 7076, also known as the People’s Small-Scale Mining Act of 1991, gives the PMRB the authority to, among others, formulate and implement rules and regulations related to small-scale mining.

The minahang bayan was made possible by Executive Order No. 79 where small-scale miners are limited to areas declared as minahang bayan.

The DENR is eyeing two areas in CAR as minahang bayan reservations to help small scale-miners operate safely and earn a livelihood. ###

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Published: 24 October 2018

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Tourists may still enjoy parties, grilling and other beach activities in Boracay provided these are done indoor or in areas away from the shore, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

DENR Undersecretaries Sherwin Rigor and Benny Antiporda clarified that the several prohibitions proposed as policies for the reopening of the world-famous resort island will be imposed only in beachfront areas.

Rigor said the prohibitions on certain activities and structures were meant to protect the shore and maintain the pristine quality of the sand, which is Boracay’s top selling feature.

Among those prohibited are the construction of stage platform for entertainment purposes and setting up of tables, chairs, massage beds, beach umbrellas, souvenir shops and food stalls.

Electrical fixtures, such as lightings and wirings, will also be removed and prohibited from the beachfront vegetation area.

“These structures will be banned at all times within the 25+5 easement area, which is a ‘no-build zone’, and within the beach vegetation area,” Rigor told a press conference held at Casa Pilar.

These prohibitions, he said, would apply to White Beach Stations 1, 2 and 3, as well as Puka, Ilig-Iligan, and Bulabog beaches.

Antiporda, meanwhile, disputed an item in an infographic called “New Boracay Dos and Don’ts” circulating online, which states that grilling of meats would be prohibited.

“This is not true. The task force does not prohibit such,” Antiporda said, referring to the Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force headed by DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu.

“Pwede pa rin pong mag-ihaw, but not along the beachfront,” he added.

The task force is also looking into setting up designated zones where ambulant vendors can sell their goods instead of approaching and possibly disturbing tourists.

Another measure that has been proposed is the banning of parties at the beachfront and within the easement area without valid permits for the holding of special events.

To avoid noise pollution, Rigor said commercial establishments like bars and restaurants will also be encouraged to adopt noise or music insulation systems.

The DENR official added that part of the rehabilitation of the beach ecosystem was to require establishments to obtain permits to plant balled coconut palms and other endemic species along the beach fronting their respective properties.

Likewise, Antiporda clarified that water sports, paraw-sailing and other related activities are only temporarily suspended while the government, led by the DENR’s Biodiversity Management Bureau, and partner organizations are conducting an assessment of the marine ecosystems in Boracay.

Antiporda said the DENR is expecting the results of the assessment before the opening on October 26. ###

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Published: 20 October 2018

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