DENR approves new Rizal landfill

18 January 2008 – To avoid a garbage crisis, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has issued the Rizal province a permit to operate the new 19-hectare sanitary landfill in Rodriguez, Rizal.

The new landfill will replace the province’s old and already full 14-hectare landfill that was closed down by Rizal Governor Casimiro Ynares III to prevent overdumping, pollution, and health problems.

The new landfill will accommodate trash from 16 cities and 1 municipality of the National Capital Region.

Guimaras oil spill task force abolished

27 August 2007 – Through Administrative Order 191, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has abolished the Task Force Solar Oil Spill and has turned over to the National Disaster Coordinating Council the responsibility of overseeing the Guimaras oil spill clean-up projects financed by the national calamity fund.

The NDCC will now handle the review and evaluation of the P1–billion clean-up operations in Guimaras Island. The clean-up was undertaken after 1.8 million liters of bunker fuel owned by Petron Corporation seeped out of a tanker that sank in the waters of Guimaras in August 2006. From now on, the NDCC will also be in charge of approving proposals submitted for the rehabilitation and recovery of communities affected by the spill.

Cloud seeding fails to raise dam levels

3 August 2007 – Cloud seeding has failed to raise the water levels in the Angat, Magat, and Pantabangan dams because the induced rains did not fall over the dams as planned. For instance, the water level at the Angat dam has remained at 172 meters, way below the dam’s critical level of 180 meters, despite the implementation of cloud seeding operations.

According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, it will take three typhoons or a week of continuous rain to normalize the dams’ water levels. However, heavy rains are not expected until the last quarter of the year.

Cloud seeding operations for the Angat dam started last week and for the Magat and Pantabangan dams this week. Officials reveal that the deployment of the planes is costing the government P25,000 an hour or about P1.7 million monthly. Three planes are being deployed for the operations.

Lafayette starts 30-day test-run of Rapu-Rapu mine project

11 July 2006 - Lafayette Philippines has started a 30-day test-run of its mining operations in Rapu-Rapu, Albay, after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources validated the remedial environmental measures implemented by the mining firm.

The go-signal for the test-run came from a 9 July resolution of the Pollution Adjudication Board ordering the Environmental Management Bureau to issue a wastewater discharge permit to Lafayette. The suspension of the firm’s chemical control order registration certificate will also be lifted to allow the company to acquire cyanide for operations. Technical experts from the DENR’s central and regional offices will be deployed to monitor the test-run and will be submitting weekly reports.

In response, Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes and environmentalists have threatened to intensify their efforts to condemn the reopening of the Rapu-Rapu facility and are considering filing a lawsuit against Lafayette.

DENR approves test-run of
Rapu-Rapu project

14 June 2006 – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources is allowing mining firm Lafayette Philippines Inc. to conduct a 30-day test-run of its Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project in Albay. The DENR gave the go-signal for the test-run subject to several conditions: that Lafayette pay P10.4 million in fines for violating the Clean Water Act, that the test be conducted in the presence of third-party experts, and that the trial run be opened to the public.

The test-run will check for leaks in the pipe network, test electro-mechanical systems, and involve 15 days of actual production of up to 30 percent of full capacity. Lafayette is also being requreed to construct a storm drainage canal, install monitoring equipment and emergency control mechanisms, collect baseline data on the levels of mercury and other heavy metals, and regularly sample water and tailings after the test-run. The mining firm is also being asked to submit by December a final mine decommissioning and rehabilitation plan and deposit half of the budget of the plan within six months after its approval.

The Rapu-Rapu project is expected to generate 900 direct jobs, bring in P3 billion in government revenues over the life of the mine, and entice P5 million per year in project commitments. However, the environmental group Greenpeace has called for a reversal of the DENR decision, saying “short-term economic gains should not take precedence over the ecological stability of our environment and marine ecosystems.” Nevertheless, the Senate has rejected proposals for the repeal of the Mining Act, and the government is now eyeing the creation of a Mining Authority to oversee mining projects.

DENR chief visits Rapu-Rapu to
verify findings

23 May 2006 – Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes will be flying today to Rapu-Rapu Island in Albay to “validate” a fact-finding commission’s report on the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project of Australian mining firm Lafayette Philippines Inc. He will also meet with Lafayette management and employees, as well as local government and community leaders.

The government has yet to act on the Rapu-Rapu Fact-Finding Commission’s recommendations to cancel Lafayette’s environmental compliance certificate, impose a blanket ban on mining operations in the country, and review the Mining Act of 1995. The government’s inaction has prompted Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, who leads the RRFFC, to threaten to write a “strongly worded” letter to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo if the commission’s report is ignored.

Meanwhile, Lafayette said the report was unscientific and flawed. Albay Vice Gov. James Calisin accused the Bastes Commission of sneaking supposedly anti-mining activists into the commission and called for an audit of its expenses. The RRFFC has admitted spending P5 million of government funds in about two months while conducting the study. Australian Ambassador Tony Hely urged the government to allow Lafayette to resume operations since the firm has already complied with the requirements mandated by the Philippine government.

The House of Representatives committee on environment and natural resources will be resuming its congressional probe into the controversy this month. Despite being divided over the RRFFC report, the House committee has recognized the need to revise provisions in the Mining Act.

Advocates of the mining industry say the industry can produce P17–23 billion in tax revenues and at least 240,000 jobs in the next six years.

Bantay Kalikasan faces sanctions for La Mesa Ecopark

18 May 2006 – The Laguna Lake Development Authority is fining the environmental group Bantay Kalikasan P50,000 for operating the La Mesa Ecopark without an environmental compliance certificate and an additional P5,000 for each year of transgression. Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, a supporter of the La Mesa housing project being opposed by Bantay Kalikasan, revealed the group’s violation.

However, according to Bantay Kalikasan, it did not need an ECC since it only rehabilitated the already existing park, which is located 70 to 80 meters below the dam reservoir and thus cannot affect Metro Manila’s water supply. It has readily agreed to avail of the “certificate of noncoverage” and clearance required by LLDA. The Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System is also being fined P5,000 per year of violation and required to secure the same clearance. Meanwhile, former Department of Environment and Natural Resources chief Elisea Gozun denied claims that she told Bantay Kalikasan that an ECC would not be required.

In a Senate hearing on 16 May, Alice Castillo, chief of the watershed division of DENR’s Forest Management Bureau, downplayed the proposed P46 million wastewater plant to be set up by the MWSS for the La Mesa housing project. Castillo doubted the treatment plant’s capacity to guarantee that wastewater from the housing project will be clean enough to be released into the La Mesa reservoir, as planned by the MWSS. She called for the relocation of the project and the declaration of La Mesa as forestland and a protected area.

No permit issued to La Mesa watershed housing project—DENR

4 May 2006 – According to Rhea Angelo of the Environment Impact Assessment Division of the Laguna Lake Development Authority, the environment department did not give any environmental compliance certificate for the planned housing project inside the La Mesa watershed. The DENR has vowed to investigate the matter and determine if construction has indeed begun at the site.

ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.’s Bantay Kalikasan has launched a “Save the La Mesa Coalition” to oppose the project, arguing that it could lead to the contamination of the watershed if it is implemented. The plan’s opponents also cited the recommendation of a 2004 study conducted by the National Hydraulic Research Center to scrap the project. On the other hand, House Deputy Majority Leader Edcel Lagman, who has been giving legal assistance to the project’s beneficiaries, belied the allegations and claimed that safety measures would be undertaken.

The planned 58-hectare housing development will benefit 1,411 employees of the old National Waterworks and Sewerage Administration. In 1968, rights to the land were granted, while in January 1975 the Supreme Court ruled the validity of the project. The deed of absolute sale was executed last February only.

Better-managed environment, natural resources could boost economy

21 June 2005 – “Good environment management can attract investments in key growth sectors,” said World Bank country director to the Philippines Joachim von Amsberg during the launch of the Philippine Environment Monitor 2004 report yesterday. He added that the Philippine tourism, mining, and international services industries have much potential for expansion if only the people do their part in promoting sustainable natural resource management. “Political will, stronger enforcement of laws, modern public institutions, and public participation can all play a part in improving the environment and tapping this potential for the Philippines,” added von Amsberg.

The economic importance of environment management is highlighted by data on the country’s level of environmental degradation in the past years. According to the PEM report, annual economic losses caused by water pollution are estimated at P67 billion, or approximately US$1.3 billion, while poor management of fisheries resources has led to losses of P23 billion. The health costs of exposure to air pollution in major urban centers are estimated to be over P21 billion.

The report added that despite measures to improve air and water quality and preserve environment resources, actual change on the ground, as measured by environmental indicators, has been slow. The measures were also “not sufficient to overcome years of neglect, haphazard policy making, and weak local environment management.” To address these daunting issues, the report recommended stronger long-term national commitment to environmental protection to reverse degradation; greater public awareness and private-sector participation; and the setting up of modern systems for monitoring, enforcement, and public disclosures to ensure compliance.

Von Ambserg also suggested that the Philippines replicate and scale up best-practice cases, such as the Environmental Champions honored during the report’s launch. These included a mangrove grower from Banacon Island in Bohol, the Lingkod Tao Kalikasan, and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines.

RP biodiversity one of world’s
most threatened

17 June 2005 – The Philippines is blessed with a rich diversity of natural resources, from forest reserves and coral reefs to endemic types of plants and animals. The country holds about 70% of the world’s total biodiversity flora and fauna, making it an acknowledged haven of unique species. However, due to long-term neglect of the environment and population pressure, ecological systems are being strained.

In 2002, the International Union for Conservation of Nature identified the Philippines as being one of the “hottest” of the “hotspots,” meaning the country is one of the most severely threatened of 25 megadiverse countries in the world. Hotspots are areas with the least number of species existing, the least number of species found in an exclusive ecosystem, and an alarmingly high degree of threat against the existing species.

According to the second Philippines’ progress report on the Millennium Development Goals released recently, the “continued degradation of forests, wetlands, and marine areas have caused substantial biodiversity loss in the country.” The report prepared by the United Nations Development Programme cited logging, the clearing of forest cover for agriculture and settlements, hunting for food and wildlife trade, the pollution of coastal water, and overextraction of biodiversity resources as the primary reasons for the loss. As a result, 50 of the country’s national parks experienced significant drops in biological importance. The degradation has also incapacitated major ecosystems in providing and maintaining regular streams of economic goods and ecological services. Because of this, the national government has renewed its call for the public to properly manage natural resources and protect the country’s environment.

UNESCO calls for restoration of rice terraces

April 12, 2004 – The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) calls on the government to create a government agency in-charge to supervise the restoration of the rice terraces, more like of the Banaue Rice Terraces Task Force (BRTTF) that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in 2002. The 1995 agreement of UNESCO and the Philippine government called for a “general overseer” that would monitor the situation of the terraces after it has been included in the list of World Heritage Sites. UNESCO included the rice terraces in the list of endangered places after it discovered that many terraces have been abandoned and destroyed.

After the abolition of BRTTF and its predecessor, the Ifugao Rice Terraces Commission, the care of rice terraces was given to the Ifugao provincial government and six towns surrounding them. Ifugao Gov. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. had been pushing for a return of the region’s indigenous rice cycle and he has set up a foundation that would oversee the terraces’ development.

According to the book, “ Highland Rice Production in the Philippine Cordillera”, the terraces have started to decay due to increased depletion of its watershed cover resulting in the destruction of the ground cover, low surface water availability and massive erosion.