Tuesday, September 8, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES [ BusinessWorld Online ]
THE EXECUTIVE has earmarked P1.645 billion in next year’s proposed budget for the rehabilitation of Manila de Bay.
In a compliance report dated Sept. 2, Budget Secretary Rolando G. Andaya, Jr. told the Supreme Court: "Upon coordination with and confirmation by the government agencies... [programs have been lined up] relating to the cleanup, restoration and preservation of the water quality of Manila Bay with the corresponding appropriations included in the fiscal year 2010 national expenditure program submitted by the President to Congress on Aug. 26, 2009."
The compliance report was based on the high court directive last December for the Executive to provide updates on efforts to rehabilitate the bay.
Based on the report, more than half of the budget or P848.525 million will go to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority’s (MMDA) solid waste disposal and management services.
In addition, P223.626 million will go to MMDA’s operational support, maintenance, repair and rehabilitation of flood control and drainage systems, structures and other facilities.
Meanwhile, P50 million will go to MMDA’s flood control for the Pasig-San Juan-Marikina river system, P58 million for flood control and drainage projects in other areas of the metropolis, P100 million for flood control at the Osmeña Highway and South Superhighway area, and P250 million for the relocation of squatters along waterways.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will receive P20 million for water quality monitoring, mangrove reforestation and stream bank protection, bio-ecological monitoring, advocacy and communication, inventory and dismantling of illegal structures, as well as the monitoring of industrial establishments.
Another P15 million will fund efforts against those involved in illegal forest extractions, illegal fish pens, smuggling of ozone-depleting substances and small-scale mining activities.
The agency’s Environmental Management Bureau will receive P4 million for water sampling and collection and P75.57 million for river quality monitoring.
The Budget department is one of the state agencies earlier ordered by the high court to explain why they should not be cited for contempt for failing to clean up the bay as ordered by the court.
Concerned citizens living near Manila Bay, represented by lawyer and Ramon Magsaysay awardee Antonio A. Oposa, Jr., have asked the high court to penalize officials for failing to comply with a court decision last December that ordered state agencies to lead in the cleanup, ending a long-running dispute as to who should rehabilitate the heavily polluted Manila Bay. — IPP
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