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Atienza welcomes suit filed by group seeking rehab of Manila Bay

[ Manila Bulletin Online ] August 14, 2008
[ www.mb.com.ph ]

Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza welcomed yesterday a class suit filed against the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other government agencies before the Supreme Court by a group of concerned citizens for the immediate rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

"I definitely welcome this class suit, and I would like to congratulate the environmental group that lodged this case because they know, as the DENR knows as well, the problem besetting the Manila Bay," Atienza said during an en banc hearing of the case by the Supreme Court last Tuesday.

Atienza said Manila Bay has always been an important landmark of Metro Manila, with its world-famous sunset and as a body of water.

He said, "we could only agree with the group for seeking the immediate rehabilitation of the Bay."

However, Atienza said, the degradation of Manila Bay has been going on for decades and that its rehabilitation must start by addressing the root cause of the problem -- the lack of sewage treatment facilities, which should have been established by water concessionaires.

The degradation of Manila Bay is largely attributed to domestic wastes from households and industries. To this day, household wastes are drained directly into esteros, creeks, and rivers without undergoing treatment. These untreated wastes, including waste from industries and agriculture, go directly to Pasig River and Laguna Lake and end up in Manila Bay.

Atienza called on Metro Manila’s water concessionaires to fast-track the establishment of a waste-treatment facility to make it possible to start an honest-to-goodness cleanup of Manila Bay.

One of the two concessionaires has started work on the facility, with only 12 percent of the work done, while the other has yet to start the work, he said.

At this rate then, Metro Manilans could expect to have the sewage-treatment plant in 100 years, and only then could they expect to have Manila Bay cleaned up.

The complainants were also seeking the restoration of Manila Bay’s water quality to an "SB" classification, which means it is fit for swimming, diving, fishing, and other recreational activities. The government, however, argued that Manila Bay has not been classified yet, and since it has several uses, like for navigation, it would be impossible for it attain SB classification.

Also at the hearing, environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa Jr., who led the filing of the class suit, said the DENR has come up with an ``Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy’’ which details the projects and the budget to rehabilitate Manila Bay.
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