Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy A. Cimatu said the massive clean-up of rivers and management of solid waste will remain at the top of his agenda for the remainder of his term.
"We will continue our programs such as the Battle for Manila Bay and Boracay rehabilitation. Now it’s also the battle against garbage and dirty rivers in your respective CENROs (Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices) and PENROs (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Offices),” Cimatu told DENR provincial and regional officers during the Department’s recent mid-year assessment of its priority programs.
To ensure the success of these activities, Cimatu ordered regional officials and field officers of DENR to take the lead in the cleanup of rivers and management of solid wastes across the country.
He also required the submission of an inventory of all rivers with corresponding fecal coliform count within the jurisdiction of the regional offices by August.
“All regional offices should rehabilitate and clean degraded rivers and other water bodies starting with those in highly urbanized cities," the DENR chief said.
Cimatu likewise directed officials of PENROs and CENROs to participate in the management meetings held at the DENR Central Office “to further boost their morale and sharpen their professionalism.”
The DENR has a total of 76 Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers and 140 Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers nationwide, which Cimatu described as the Department's "frontline managers."
"I still have a little than a year to go. In the next several months, I would like to see the mark of professionalism from the central office down to the PENROs and CENROs," Cimatu added.