CITY OF San Fernando Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez, president of the League of Cities of the Philippines and executive vice president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, has said over the weekend.
In his capacity as chairman of the Regional Development Council of Central Luzon – that the RDC “has passed and approved a resolution supporting the clean-up of waterways and other areas leading to Manila Bay.”
“The RDC has recently passed a resolution in support of (the Manila Bay clean-up). The Supreme Court and the National Government are very serious in its implementation.
This is very significant not just because of the Supreme Court directive.” So was Rodriguez quoted in Sun-Star Pampanga on Monday.
This, even as he “pointed out (that) the on-going Sagip-Ilog (project) is a vital component of the move to rehabilitate Manila Bay.”
Quoted the daily of Rodriguez further: “Sagip-Ilog is all about protection (sic) and protection of our waterways.
Kahit wala tayong dagat na malapit, iyung ating katubigan ay dumadaloy hanggang sa bunganga ng dagat. In the ultimate analysis, kasama tayo sa directive ng Supreme Court na within a certain period of time ay malinis natin ito.”
For the record though, that “within a certain period of time” lapsed on June 30, 2011.
On March 14, 2011, our web partner, PhilSTAR.com reported: “Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Ramon Paje welcomed yesterday the recent Supreme Court ruling that ordered concerned government agencies to abide by the June 30, 2011 deadline in cleaning up Manila Bay.
“The overall state of Manila Bay has deteriorated since the issuance of the mandamus, but there are certain areas that have actually shown a little improvement.
The deadlines set by the SC will hopefully lead to the bay’s rehabilitation at the soonest possible time,” Paje said.
“The SC rendered a decision on Feb. 15, 2011 based on recommendations by the Manila Bay Advisory Committee (MBAC) led by Justice Velasco, to set a time frame for the agencies to perform their tasks as ordered in a “writ of continuing mandamus” for the DENR and 10 other government agencies to clean up Manila Bay, known worldwide for its beautiful sunset.
“The mandamus was issued in December 2008 as a result of a complaint filed by ‘concerned residents of Manila Bay’ on the alleged inaction of government to improve the bay’s condition.”
Too late the hero, or Johnny-come-lately in Rodriguez and his RDC here? Not quite really. Environmental clean-up is ever timely. As environmental degradation never lets up.
Worth supporting is the RDC resolution declaring barangay clean-up day every first and last Saturday of every month which, Rodriguez hoped, will start in his city which he said “is the catch basin and repository of waste” being in the center of the region.
So Rodriguez laments: “Kahit may Sagip-Ilog tayo, eh masama for Fernandinos like yung photos from a local newspaper. Hindi naman lahat San Fernando yan.”
The local newspaper is Punto! The photo in our Friday issue tagged “River unsaved” showed a garbage-choked section of the San Fernando River which apparently was beyond the coverage of, if not neglected in, the P700-million “almost finished” Sagip-Ilog project.
So Rodriguez pleads: “We hope the Department of the Interior and Local Government could help us in our plan to put up garbage traps in areas that will stop the influx of waste in our waterways from the upstream like Angeles City and Nueva Ecija because these are still within their jurisdiction.”
How about the influx of waste from San Fernando’s waterways cascading to the lower municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Minalin, San Simon, Apalit, all the way to Macabebe and Masantol?
Is Rodriguez endeavoring to save San Fernando by damning the towns downstream? We hope not.
It was not too long ago that Macabebe Mayor Annette Flores-Balgan complained of San Fernando’s industrial wastes devastating the prawn farming and fishing industries of her town.
“It would be unfair to blame San Fernando alone in this raging issue, as a lot of factors may have contributed to it.” So Sun-Star Pampanga reported of DILG Director Florida Dijan, Public Works Director Antonio Molano, Jr. and Environment Director Sofio Quintana as having chorused.
And refrained with “hoping the people will leave the garbage problem out of politics, so the agencies concerned can work together to solve it.”
A totally stupid proposition there. The stench of garbage is too nauseating as to be further infected with the stink of politics.
