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DENR welcomes new partners in “Adopt-an-Estero” program, DENR to purchase trash boats for cleanup of Manila Bay and waterways and International Women’s Media Foundation Launches First-Ever Environmental Reporting Program in the Philippines

Posted on June 14th By denr stories, iwmf release


DENR welcomes new partners in “Adopt-an-Estero” program

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has just added four more private companies and organizations to its growing list of partners in its river cleanup program.

Added to the DENR’s roster of partners in its “Adopt-an-Estero” program were DMCI Property Developers, Inc. (DMCI) and the Rotary Club of Diliman Silangan for the Pasong Tamo River in Quezon City; Commonwealth Foods Inc. (Comfoods) for the Narra Creek in Makati City; and the Las Piñas City Medical Center (LPCMC) for the Pasong Cobra Creek in Las Piñas City, who all signed their respective Memoranda of Agreement (MOAs) recently with the DENR.

DENR Secretary Ramon J. P.  Paje welcomed the initiatives of the partners, which would help sustain government efforts in maintaining clean waterways in Metro Manila. “Our waterways and water bodies are in dire need of interventions to revive them, and the DENR is grateful to its partners in the Adopt-an-Estero program for committing to help us clean up our creeks and rivers and restore their health,” he said.

Under the MOA, the DMCI, Comfoods and LPCMC are to decongest the Pasong Tamo River, Narra and Pasong Cobra creeks, respectively, through surface cleanup and engineering solutions. They are also expected to conduct information and education campaigns within surrounding communities and mobilize them in the cleanup of the pilot sites.

The MOA also provides for other future interventions such as construction of wetlands, planting of bamboo and other species along riverbanks, and construction of green linear parks.

For its part, the DENR, through its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), is tasked to provide technical assistance to the involved communities especially in solid waste management. It shall also monitor the water quality and the establishments along the waterways.

Each MOA is effective for one year and may be extended by the involved parties.

Aside from Paje and DENR-EMB National Capital Regional Director Roberto Sheen, other signatories for their respective MOAs were Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) Assistant General Manager Dolora Nepomuceno, DMCI President Alfredo Austria and Rotary Club of Diliman Silangan Charter President Arch. Rodino Bernardo for the Pasong Tamo River; Comfoods Assistant Vice-President Horacio Araneta for Narra Creek; and Las Piñas City Medical Center Pollution Control Officer Nanette Cerna for the Pasong Cobra Creek.

The DENR’s Adopt-an-Estero/Waterbody program has proven to be successful in Metro Manila and has been replicated nationwide, drawing a total of 286 signed agreements from the business sector, private organizations and local government units.

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DENR to purchase trash boats for cleanup of Manila Bay and waterways

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has purchased four trash boats to collect floating garbage along Manila Bay and its tributaries, and is planning to purchase 20 more, it was announced by DENR Secretary Ramon J. P. Paje.

Paje said the trash boats will be deployed to target local government units (LGUs) in the Central Luzon, CALABARZON and National Capital Region (NCR) for use in the cleanup of coastal and inland waterways and river systems draining into Manila Bay.

“The trash boats are DENR’s way of assisting LGUs in two ways: cleaning up the waterways in their areas of jurisdiction, and ensuring the implementation of solid waste management, as they are mandated to do so,” he said.

The four boats that have been initially purchased are currently docked at the Manila Yacht Club compound along Roxas Boulevard in Manila. These will be turned over in separate ceremonies to the cities of Malabon and Manila; to Obando in Bulacan province; and to the province of Cavite.

Each costing some PhP1.733 million, the trash boats measure 30 feet in length and are semi-mechanized, with rake-like device that can scoop up to three tons of floating garbage and debris. The collected trash will be dumped onto the boat’s deck and manually segregated into marked sorting bins that can easily be disembarked onto waiting garbage collection trucks.

Director Noel Gaerlan of the DENR’s Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO), which is in charge of the acquisition of the boats, said the recipients of the 20 additional units is still to be determined.

He also said that since the trash boats will mainly be used in rivers and esteros, the DENR is also planning to purchase a “trash skimmer” that will be used to collect trash along Manila Bay.

The cleanup of Manila Bay was ordered by the Supreme Court (SC) through a decision dated December 18, 2008.  In the “writ of continuing mandamus”, the SC tasked 13 government agencies, including the DENR, to clean up the bay and restore its waters to SB level, or fit for swimming, skin-diving and other forms of contact recreation.

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International Women’s Media Foundation Launches First-Ever Environmental Reporting Program in the Philippines


Washington, D.C. – In its inaugural reporting program in the Philippines, the International Women’s Media Foundation will partner with news organizations to transform coverage of environmental issues.

Myriad environmental problems – such as pollution, deforestation, and climate change – directly threaten quality of life in the Philippines, yet these issues receive inadequate news media coverage. In addition, much of the reporting being done lacks depth and excludes the voices of those most affected by environmental degradation, especially women.

To address this critical coverage gap, the IWMF will offer its first-ever Environmental Investigative Reporting Fellowship. The IWMF announces the new program today on World Environment Day.

During the year-long fellowship, 10 journalists will receive advanced training and coaching to produce innovative reports about environmental problems and solutions, incorporating women’s role in and perspectives on environmental issues.  Each will complete 3-4 investigations for their news organizations.  Through the IWMF fellowship, these journalists will become environmental reporting specialists.

Selected fellows include: Kristine L. Alave, contributing writer for GMA News Network and reporter for the Philippine Daily Inquirer; Keith Bacongco, a journalist for MindaNews; Bernardino Balabo, host of a program on 90.3 FM Radyo Bulacan and correspondent for the Philippine Star and Pilipino Star Ngayon; Riziel Ann Cabreros, producer for “PIPOL on ANC,” a news magazine program on ABS-CBN News Channel; Rouchelle Dinglasan, a producer for GMA News; Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, a journalist for Interaksyon.com; Marilou Guieb, writer for the BusinessMirror and the Women’s Feature Service; Purple Romero, reporter for Rappler, a social news network; Anna Valmero, assistant producer with LOQAL.ph, an online magazine; and Rhodina Villanueva, reporter the Philippine Star.

Read more about the fellows here.

Funded by Dole Food Company Inc., the environmental reporting program will draw on the IWMF’s proven training model, which features long-term, transformative training, empowerment of women journalists and a commitment of institutional support from top management of local media companies.

Founded in 1990, the IWMF is the only nonprofit organization working exclusively to strengthen the role of women in the news media worldwide.  The IWMF has conducted programs in 25 countries, and its network includes women and men in the media in more than 130 countries worldwide. For more information, visit www.iwmf.org.

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