The target one million trees by December of the Mangrove Tree-Planting Project in Obando, Bulacan is gaining full steam as it hit the 200,000 mangrove saplings mark planted already recently.
In sync with President Noynoy Aquino’s Executive Order 26 or the National Greening Program being implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) under the leadership of Secretary Ramon Paje, the Mangrove Tree-Planting Project in Obando was also a major component of the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System (MMORS) clean-up drive.
Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino C. Alvarado led the launching of the MMORS clean-up drive recently in an effort to eventually erase the name of the Bulacan river from the New York-based Blacksmith Institute’s list of 30 of the world’s dirtiest rivers and also as the province’s response to the Writ of Kalikasan and the Writ of Continuing Mandamus promulgated by the Supreme Court last year to rehabilitate the Manila Bay in general and the clean up of all adjacent rivers in particular.
The Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System clean-up program topped the agenda of the MMORS-Water Quality Management Area Governing Board or MMORS-WQMA-GB chaired by DENR-Environmental Management Bureau chief Director Lormelyn Claudio, co-chaired by Gov. Alvarado, with the participation of Obando Mayor Orencio Gabriel who will be hosting the Obando Sanitary Landfill where all the dirt and garbage that will be dredged from the river will be accommodated, Mayor Joan Alatilla of Meycauayan, and Mayor Epifanio Guillermo of Marilao.
The Mangrove Tree-Planting in Obando was also a concerted effort of the Provincial Government of Bulacan headed by Gov. Alvarado, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) under Elizardo B. Alberto, Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources Office (BENRO) under Atty. Rustico de Belen, the Municipal Government of Obando under Mayor Gabriel, Municipal Agriculture Office of Obando, Barangay Salambao under Barangay Chairwoman Zenaida Sarmiento, DENR-EMB Director Claudio and Ecoshield Development Corporation represented by Architect Rafael B. Tecson.
This developed as residents of Obando in Bulacan have questioned the unusual delay in the release of the investigation report on the cutting down of mangroves in preparation for the construction of a sanitary landfill in the town.
The Concerned Citizens of Obando (CCO) said the contractor, Ecoshield Development Corp., violated Article I, Section 94 of Republic Act 8550 which says “It shall be unlawful for any person to convert mangroves into fishponds or any other purpose.”
The CCO said the Anti-Illegal Logging Task Force of the DENR conducted an investigation some three months ago but has not released the report up to now for no clear reason.
The CCO has also appealed to the provincial government for the immediate cancellation of a 44-hectare sanitary landfill project which has been approved by the local government for construction adjacent to a residential area in the town.
“This early, we are already preparing all the papers and possible requirements we will need with various government agencies if our local officials will ignore us,” CCO officials stressed.
It is their health and life, and those of their families, which will be at risk if the landfill is built so if they have to, they’re ready to pool their time and resources together in carrying the fight against the landfill, the CCO said.
The CCO demanded a detailed explanation from the local government on why it approved the project even though the contractor, Ecoshield Development Corp., has a zero track record when it comes to building landfills.
(source: Manila Bulletin)
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