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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Abalos urges LGUs to protect coastal areas, aquatic resources

Abalos urges LGUs to protect coastal areas, aquatic resources

Published Dec 14, 2022 04:51 pm

Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benjamin ‘Benhur’ Abalos Jr. on Wednesday, Dec. 14, called on the local government units (LGUs) to strictly enforce measures to protect the country’s coastal areas and aquatic resources.

He issued the pronouncement after conferring the “MANILA BAYani Awards and Incentives (MBAI) and the Fisheries Compliance Audit (FishCA) awards to the outstanding LGUs for their contribution in the rehabilitation and protection of the Manila Bay watershed and compliance to the Philippine Fisheries Code.’’

The eight LGUs receiving the prestigious MBAI Award and five recognized through FishCA Award are testaments to local governments’ efforts to protect the country’s body of water and natural resources “but there’s more to be done, especially in the face of climate change.”

“Congratulations to all the winners of MBAI and FishCA. Your contribution and outstanding efforts for the protection of our aquatic resources are truly remarkable. Kami ay natutuwa at katuwang namin kayo (LGUs) sa pangangalaga ng ating likas na yaman (We are pleased that you are one with us in protecting our natural resources),’’ Abalos said.

“As we face the threat of climate change, we need more LGUs to step up and hold hands with us in this advocacy. This pandemic has really given us a silver lining. If there is one thing I would say, it is the importance of making peace with nature. While we have made strides in this development, what is important is we have this goal of balancing development with ecology,” he added.

The MBAI Award aims to incentivize LGUs and recognize their exemplary performance in advancing effective waste management, uplifting the welfare, safety, and living conditions of informal settler families and the general public, promoting the protection of coastal and marine resources, and strengthening their institutional mechanisms, all of which contribute to the rehabilitation and protection of Manila Bay.

Among the MBAI awardees for 2018 to 2020 are Baliuag (Bulacan), Kalayaan (Laguna), and Magallanes (Cavite) for the Municipal category, while Balanga (Bataan), Biñan (Laguna), Imus (Cavite), Makati City, and City of Navotas bagged the award for the City category.

For the year 2021, the LGUs of Biñan and Kalayaan (Laguna), Baliuag (Bulacan), and Balanga (Bataan) were recognized anew for the MBAI Award.

The DILG chief emphasized the significant gains in improving the water quality of Manila Bay, particularly the fecal coliform level indicating its level of contamination from sewage.

He added “that from 92 million most probable number per 100 millimeters (mpn/100ml) fecal coliform level in the Manila Bay waters in 2019, it decreased to only 1.8 million mpn/100ml as of June 2022.’’

Abalos also pointed out that the 10.6 million kilograms of waste collected during the rehabilitation and clean-up operations from Jan. to March 2022, in which 6,022 barangays and 187 cities and municipalities participated.

“This is a clear manifestation of what unity could do. If we’re all just united in our goal and our ways. Let’s rid our jurisdictions of bad practices, injustices, inequality and heedless dominion over our planet and its resources. Let’s have a dream which is to recover not just in terms of economy, but to recover better as one in the preservation of our Mother Earth for the good not only of ourselves but for our children and their children,” Abalos noted.

The MBAI awardees shall receive cash incentives of up to P1.5-million which can be used for financing programs, projects, and activities (PPAs) serving to increase the compliance of the LGUs with the Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program (MBCRPP) and for service payments.

Abalos also stated that the FishCA awardees for 2020 to 2021 are Naic, Cavite; Tanza, Cavite; Pilar, Bataan; Sasmuan, Pampanga; and, Balanga, Bataan. Similarly, he said, cash incentives of up to P1 million will be awarded to the winners which they can utilize to implement PPAs that contribute to enhancing the management of municipal waters or coastal areas.

The FishCA is a pioneering monitoring tool to supervise coastal LGUs' compliance with the Philippine Fisheries Code or Republic Act (RA) No. 8550 as amended by RA 10654. (Chito A. Chavez)

Related Tags

manila bay lgus fisheries code protection of marine and coastal resources Benhur Abalos Climate change
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