Mayor Lito Atienza's Blog
Thrilla in Manila (The 2010 Manila Mayoralty Race)
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Thrilla in Manila
FROM A DISTANCE By Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star) Updated January 31, 2010 12:00 AM
While attention at the moment is riveted on the presidential contest, the mayoralty fight in the country’s capital promises to be just as exciting. It promises to be a rematch between two erstwhile rivals.
With former DENR Secretary Lito Atienza’s return to the ring, incumbent Gen. Alfredo Lim faces a formidable contender. Manilans are happy with the return of Atienza, Lim’s nemesis. They now have a clear choice.
It must be remembered that Atienza’s name for nine years was a byword in Manila politics. He won three terms but had to step down because of term limits.
The Atienza-Lim electoral contest may not be about boxing but it is also a Thrilla in Manila as the bout was between Ali and Frazier in the 70s. The stakes are great, and its results go beyond the contest for the post of mayor of the country’s capital.
The rivalry is enhanced with two candidates representing two wings of the Liberal Party. On one side is the Noynoy-Roxas wing which refers to itself as “pedigreed” (a fatal mistake, if you ask me). Atienza, a Liberal since he was a young man, has turned the tables around to put the snobs in their place and called his wing “askal” (short for asong kalye). These are overtones of a class war that Noynoy and Roxas would be well advised to avoid. It makes them vulnerable since both come from super-rich dynastic families. By implication candidate Lim becomes the “bodyguard of the pedigreed.”
On the other hand, Atienza feels quite at home among the masa and has waded right into the ring with hard punches to knock down his pedigreed opponents. His campaign office is not far from the neighborhood where he was born, grew up and learned the ropes of constituency politics from his father, Jose Atienza Sr. who is considered one of the founding fathers of the Liberal Party.
* * *
At a recent press conference, he pointed to the almost empty restaurant where it was being held. The restaurant was forlorned. In his time, the same restaurant was a thriving, bustling place. People came to Manila from all over to dine in the Malate area that became a gourmet’s paradise. Then it was fun and fashionable to be in Manila with the young buying up old houses and apartments for a song that they then refurbished.
Manila as an old city has character and history that Makati or Fort Bonifacio cannot match. Indeed it is or should be the center for tourism in the country. As an architect, Atienza recognizes the possibilities of reviving the city to its former glory. But he has to be assisted by a competent group that will guide him through the history of the landmarks of Manila.
Atienza’s Buhayin ang Maynila has great potential and should be supported by the national government and those who live outside Manila. It is true of all great cities and country capitals. Think of a clean Pasig River and a roads built around it like Paris’s Boulevard Peripherique or London’s embankment. Think of monuments and landmarks that could be revived to tell the story of how and why it became the capital of the country. That Atienza has pledged to do.
As a foreigner in the travel business in Manila told me it is hard to sell tours if all we have to offer are the condos and brand shops and malls of Makati. These are bigger and better in other countries. We have to offer something unique about the Philippines and one of them is Manila and its history. A revived Manila reconstructed according to its history would be a boon to the historical consciousness of Filipinos and generations to come.
Atienza laments that under Alfredo Lim some of the improvements he began have been neglected. Among Atienza’s projects were the renovation of Plaza Miranda, the Andres Bonifacio monument, Rajah Sulayman and Binondo. There are others — the creation of a Linear-Park in Pandacan, Carriedo and the R. Hidalgo streets in Santa Cruz. Atienza’s idea of Buhayin ang Maynila is laudable. It should be supported by the national government and other cultural groups. It needs a comprehensive approach to be meaningful.
Having been in exile for many years during martial law I was not aware of Atienza’s role with the opposition in those days. He was arrested twice when he exposed human rights abuses under the Marcos dictatorship. Isn’t it strange that this means nothing to Noynoy, the supposed heir to Ninoy’s legacy?
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Atienza has not been immune to attack. Critics claim Manila was bankrupt when Lim took over as mayor of Manila. Atienza’s answer: Of course, it will be bankrupt if you do not know how to make it work and manage its resources well to bring in revenues. That he did during his term.
He, too, inherited a poor annual collection of P2 billion in 1998 but he was able to bring it up to P8 billion when he took over. This he did through reforms and programs for the city. “The proof that I did the right things was the people elected me for three consecutive terms,” Atienza said. This is a feat. He is only mayor of Manila to achieve that.
Manilans would not have reelected him if had not done the right things. What he did is for Manilans to see and experience: health centers and well-equipped hospitals, cheap medicines and nutrition programs.
When he says young Manilans, especially the poor were given quality education, he can point to the schools he set up during his term and how the students were able to compete with students elsewhere in the country.
Having been experienced in constituency politics he understands the needs of the people. High sounding rhetoric about caring for the poor will just not do. They will want concrete things done like the collection of garbage and the maintenance of roads. They want businesses to thrive to give them jobs and livelihood opportunities.
“They vote for you because it has made life more comfortable and not because you say you are good,” adds Atienza.
If he wins in this election, Lito Atienza has a hard job ahead of him with so much of what he began left to waste. No wonder Manileños want him to return and restore his urban renewal and sustainable development program for the city. It was neglected under Lim’s tenure.
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Lito Atienza + Erap Estrada = Manila?
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Lito+Erap=Manila?
“Apart from their mutual admiration and endorsements, both Atienza and Estrada believe in helping the poor – Erap para sa Mahirap; Atienza para sa Masa.”
by Ducky Paredes
Columns from Malaya and Abante – Edition 2010 – 31
The mutual endorsements of former President Joseph Estrada and former Manila Mayor and former Environment Secretary Joselito Atienza for each other are potent and natural. Erap’s Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) and Atienza’s Liberal Party in Manila have teamed up.
This could win Manila for both Erap and Lito. The two have always been friends. In fact, when Estrada was forced to leave Malacanang during Edsa Dos, Atienza was there up to the end.
Atienza believed then as a lot of others did, that deposing Erap outside of a successful impeachment was unconstitutional, which it is. Estrada thought the same way which is why he agreed to an impeachment trial which was taken over by mob rule and a conspirator – the Supreme Court — that ruled Erap as having virtually or “constructively” resigned. There is no such thing. Yet, Erap was removed from the presidency.
In contrast, incumbent Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, who has been endorsed by the Liberal Party of former Senate President Franklin Drilon, was at the time of EDSA Dos, an Erap cabinet member. Excusing himself from an ongoing cabinet meeting, Lim surprised everyone, including Estrada, when he was shown on television as having joined the Arroyo uprising.
But, Erap is not anything if he is not big hearted. He apparently forgave Lim because Estrada endorsed Fred Lim and included him in the PMP senatorial ticket in 2004. Lim won. Erap supported Lim again in 2007 against Lito Atienza’s son.
Mayor Atienza, for his part, headed a faction of the Liberal Party that pledged support to the Arroyo administration amid the “Hello Garci” controversy in 2004.
Lito was, of course, only being true to himself. Like Estrada he is a stickler for following and protecting the Constitution. Thus, he supported Erap when they booted him out in violation of the Constitution and supported Gloria from those who would also unconstitutionally depose her. For that, Lito was kicked out of the LP.
More than 5,000 supporters cheered Estrada’s announcement of the coalition between the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino and the Atienza Liberal wing.
Ranged against them is the coalition of the Drilon Liberals and Lim’s KKK party (Kapayapaan, Katarungan at Kaunlaran).
Lim, who, as a PMP elected mayor, headed PMP in Manila, began losing Erap’s support as early as 2008, when retired Gen. Roberto Calinisan of the PMP, resigned as Lim’s consultant for security and police affairs. Calinisan and Estrada got Lim elected in 2007 under the former Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino. Calinisan told the press then: ““Mayor Lim did not resign from the PMP. The PMP leadership removed him as president of the party.”
The official PMP announcement says that Estrada has accepted the Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP)-LP Atienza wing coalition because Erap feels it is Atienza who will be able to carry out Estrada’s pro-poor program in Manila.
PMP spokesman lawyer Ralph Calinisan, said: “There is an urgent need to effect change in Manila. The residents of Manila deserve better governance.”
According to the PMP, over the past couple of years, it has received numerous reports of Lim’s transgressions with the poor while serving as Manila mayor. Calinisan noted that Lim totally forgot about the common people after he was elected into office.
Reports state, among others, that under Lim’s watch, housing projects in Baseco in Tondo and the housing project intended for teachers were discontinued. Also, hospital machines were ill maintained and medicines were utterly lacking. Vendors also pay stiff “fees” just to do business.
Calinisan says: “It is thus necessary to support a mayoralty candidate who has his priorities straight. Mayor Lito Atienza has proven many times over that he has what it takes to uplift the lives of the masses. We welcome Secretary Atienza’s bid to work with the PMP.”
For his part, Atineza says: “Former President Estrada’s intense adherence to the rule of law, even allowing himself to be prosecuted and jailed for almost seven years made him the victim of the Constitution.”
Atienza adds “that having bowed to the canons of the nation’s charter, and by standing firmly by the language of the rule of law at the height of his power as a sitting President, Estrada gave himself the noble and distinguished mark of a leader.”
Apart from their mutual admiration and endorsements, both Atienza and Estrada believe in helping the poor – Erap para sa Mahirap; Atienza para sa Masa.
That should produce synergy, which happens when the effect of the whole is greater than what the different parts could have produced when working alone. Certainly, with Erap for him, Atienza would be doing bettering places like Tondo where Erap has a good following and Erap would do better in Manila as a whole where Atienza still has substantial support.
Who will win in Manila? The main contenders are Noynoy for President and Fred Lim for mayor; Lito for Mayor and Erap for President; and Gibo for President and Razon for mayor.
It should become interesting when the campaign for LGU positions begins in March.
MANNY PACQUIAO ENDORSES MAYOR LITO ATIENZA FOR MANILA
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Filipino boxing hero and Manila’s most favorite adopted son Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao (2nd from left) formally endorses his “second father” Lito Atienza’s (2nd from right) comeback to regain genuine progress, under the successful Buhayin ang Maynila urban renewal and sustainable development program, for the capital city and its residents who were neglected by the present Lim administration during a grand gathering of almost 2,000 past and present Barangay Chairmen (lower photo) at the Manila Pavillon. According to Pacquiao, Atienza remains to be the best Mayor Manila ever had for the effective and efficient delivery of basic services for Manilans, especially the poor and other marginalized sectors, during his record-breaking undefeated three consecutive terms (1998-2007) as father of the capital city. With Atienza and Pacquiao in photo is Manila Vice Mayoralty candidate, Councilor Bonjay Isip-Garcia (left), and former President and Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard-bearer, Joseph “Erap” Estrada (right), who earlier also endorsed Atienza for Manila Mayor anew.
ERAP ENDORSES ATIENZA FOR MANILA
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Former President Joseph “ERAP” Estrada (left) formally endorses his trusted friend Lito Atienza (2nd from left) to be the next Mayor of Manila anew in 2010 for bringing genuine progress to the capital, especially the poor and other marginalized sectors, during his undefeated three consecutive terms (1998-2007) as father of the city under the successful Buhayin ang Maynila urban renewal and sustainable development program. At the same time, Estrada expressed the commitment of his party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) to solidly support Atienza’s reelection to ensure the effective and efficient delivery of basic services to Manilans who were neglected by the present Lim administration. With Estrada and Atienza in photo during the momentous event at the AWU Compound in Port Area, Manila attended by more than 5,000 residents (lower photo) led by their Barangay officials and organization leaders are Manila Vice Mayoralty candidate and Councilor Bonjay Isip-Garcia (center), Vice Presidential candidate and Makati Mayor Jojo Binay (2nd from right) and Senatorial candidate and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile (right).
BUHAYIN NATING MULI ANG MAYNILA !
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Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard during the Atienza Administration
Columns from Malaya and Abante – Edition 2009 – 356
Lito Atienza Wants Manila – Again!
“Manila has deteriorated once again under the present local administration with its lack of vision and program of government.”
by Ducky Paredes
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary and former Mayor Lito Atienza, the only undefeated Mayor of Manila, was elated that, on filing his Certificate of Candidacy (COC), a large crowd of Manileños greeted him, shook his hands, clapped and urged him on. After a Thanksgiving Mass at Quiapo Church, Atienza marched to Comelec’s local office along Arroceros Street with his Buhayin ang MayniLA ticket to file his certificate of candidacy for Mayor of Manila.
Lito sees his candidacy as heeding the cry of Manileños to restore his urban renewal and sustainable development program and replace the present administration, which totally neglected the city and its residents:
“Manileños, especially the poor and other marginalized sectors, have not only witnessed but experienced genuine progress under my administration’s Buhayin ang MayniLA program. We had a vision and it was pursued and delivered. For nine straight years (which is the only allowable maximum term limit for elected local officials under the Constitution), residents enjoyed, among others, health centers and hospitals with adequate equipment, facilities, free medicines and services as nutrition programs were also in place.
“Young underprivileged Manileños were given ‘no tuition fee’ quality education with competitive standards. Businesses were thriving as jobs and livelihood opportunities were generated and city hall processes were streamlined against red tape and corruption. Manila was always safe then because law violators were not only apprehended but punished as well. Garbage, likewise, were regularly collected and roads were well maintained. The city had a clean, healthy and progressive environment to live in.”
Roxas Boulevard Baywalk - 2009
Inheriting a low revenue collection of only P2 billion annually from his predecessor in 1998, Atienza, through innovative reforms, raised the city’s revenue to P8 billion. Atienza’s income-generating efforts were highlighted when he was cited in a center spread published 2006 financial report of no less than the Commission on Audit (COA) and Department of Finance (DOF): “The city enjoyed a very healthy economy when taxes were effectively collected and efficiently delivered back to Manileños.” Atienza left a P2.6-billion fund after Lito’s term as Mayor ended in 2007.
“Manila has deteriorated once again under the present local administration with its lack of vision and program of government. For three years, the Lim government has deprived Manileños of the right kind of life they deserve by removing and destroying what my administration worked hard for the people in nine years.
“Chaos and squalor in all parts of Manila were tolerated once more that shooed people and opportunities away from the city. Ang ibinigay naming tunay na pag-asa at liwanag ng kaunlaran sa Maynila ay muli na namang nagdilim sa mali at di-wastong pamamalakad. Noon, Maynila ang nangunguna at sinusundan. Ngayon, napag-iwanan na naman ang lungsod. Despite great opposition from residents, non-government organizations and the church, they (Lim administration) even railroaded an ordinance (8187) which allowed and ensured the permanent stay of “highly pollutive and extremely hazardous industries” in the capital, including the oil depots in Pandacan which placed the lives of Manileños in grave danger and made Manila the most polluted and toxic city in the world. I consider it the highest form of insensitivity against worldwide efforts to fight pollution and global warming. Plus, the massive syndicated graft and corruption which effected the sale of prime public properties to favor some individuals and personalities,” Atienza stressed.
Atienza was born and raised in Manila. He rose from the ranks starting as a barangay tanod (watchman). He moved up to kagawad then, barangay chairman. He was elected Assemblyman, despite being an opposition candidate, representing the City of Manila at the Batasang Pambansa during Martial Law and served as National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager during Cory Aquino’s presidency. Atienza was elected Vice Mayor of Manila in 1992 and, in 1998, became the only Vice Mayor ever elected Mayor of Manila. He has defeated political giants in Manila including current Mayor Alfredo Lim in 2001. In 2004, he garnered the largest lead vote against an electoral opponent ever recorded in Manila’s political history.
Atienza’s governance has always hewed to his steadfast belief on the value of life. He was unanimously elected anew as President of Pro-Life Philippines, being the longest serving head of the organization. Atienza has consistently been at the forefront of upholding and protecting the value and sanctity of life. Lito dismisses the idea that poverty is caused by population growth; he sees this as a mere “alibi for failure.”
During his turn as Mayor, Atienza ensured an improved quality of life for Manila residents by bringing out the full potential of each and every Manileño. He firmly believes that development, good governance, and the equal distribution of opportunities are the necessary elements to sustain a healthy growing population and would bring people to their best state.
The other candidates under Atienza’s Buhayin ang MayniLA ticket are: Bonjay Isip-Garcia for Vice Mayor; for district 1 Councilors – Dennis Alcoreza, Edwin Simbulan, Eduardo Solis, Danny Isiderio, and German Nuñez; for district 2 Councilors – Marlon Lacson, Numero Uno Lim, Ivy Varona, Boy Laxa, Nida Buenaventura-Panti, and Ike Hernandez Villegas; Letlet Zarcal for district 3 Congressman; for district 3 Councilors – Joel Chua, Ramon Morales, Larsil Silva, Robbie Oca, Don Neil Dela Peña, and Alejandro Gomez; for district 4 Councilors – Gerino Tolentino, Jocelyn Quintos, Susan Beltran, DJ Bagatsing, Caloy Trinidad, and Robin Aquino Padilla; Amado Bagatsing for district 5 Congressman; for district 5 Councilors – Cora Gernale, Cristy Isip, Rafael Borromeo, Robert Ortega, Joey Cabreza, and Harry Huecas; Benny Abante for district 6 Congressman; and for district 6 Councilors – Joy Dawis-Asuncion, Joey Uy, Caloy Castañeda, Vladimir Cabigao, and Casimiro Sison
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According to a recent survey, Lito Atienza is presently running third behind incumbent Mayor Fred Lim and former policeman and Peace Adviser Sonny Razon. Of course, the campaign has not yet begun and Lito has not yet begun campaigning and did not do so as a non-candidate prior to filing his CoC as Sonny Razon did.
My take on the Manila elections is that it will be a dogfight exclusively between Mayor Lim and Former Mayor Atienza.
DENR SECRETARY LITO ATIENZA AWARDS COMPANIES WITH EXEMPLARY ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE
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Calling them ‘companies with conscience,’ Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza (center) honors eight companies that have shown exemplary environmental performance in a simple ceremony held at the DENR’s Social Hall in Quezon City. Leading the awardees in presenting the “DENR Seal of Approval” awarded them under the Philippine Environment Partnership Program (PEPP) implemented by the Environmental Management Bureau is business tycoon Dr. Lucio Tan for Absolut Distillers, Inc. (to Atienza’s left). The other awardees are (from left): Gilbert Javier for Nestle Philippines-Lipa Plant, Amador Alas for Nestle Philippines-Cabuyao Plant, Jess Reyes, also for Nestle Philippines-Cabuyao Plant, Edith de Leon, also for Nestle Philippines-Lipa Plant, Annie Ambay for PSI Technologies, Lloyd Magat for Vishay Philippines, Liza Beronio for STMicroelectronics, Robin Batacandolo for Analog Devices-Gen. Trias, Noel Pabilona and Gina Picandal for ON Semiconductor, and Gerry Tee, also for Absolut Distillers, Inc.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources awarded eight companies with exemplary environmental performance with the “DENR Seal of Approval”.
On hand to receive the awards for their companies include business tycoon Dr. Lucio Tan for Absolut Distillers Inc.; Facilities Manager Robin Batacandolo for Analog Devices-General Trias; Vice-President and Corporate Environment Officer Jess Reyes for Nestle Phils., Inc.-Cabuyao Factory; Sr. Vice-President for Corporate Affairs Edith de Leon for Nestle Phils., – Lipa Factory; Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Manager Noel Pabilona for ON Semiconductor; EHS Manager Anne Ambay for PSI Technologies; EHS Manager Liza Beronio for STMicroelectronics, Inc.; and Facilities Manager Lloyd Magat for Vishay Philippines.
It is very important that we give recognition to companies that give importance to our environment through their strict compliance to environmental standards. The awardee-companies have shown excellence in mitigating pollution by establishing wastewater treatment facilities, thereby contributing to the protection of the country’s important bodies of water such as the Pasig River, Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay.
Aside from the “DENR Seal of Approval,” the awardees were also entitled to some regulatory privileges and assistance such as relaxation of reportorial requirements and simplified requirements for securing an environmental compliance certificate for their expansion projects.
The “DENR Seal of Approval” may be used by the companies in their product labels and other promotional campaigns for a period of one year.
Mabuhay ang mga korporasyong tumutulong sa pangangalaga ng ating kalikasan. We will continue to reward and acknowledge companies which contribute to the sustainability of our environment and our natural resources, while we will penalize those who do not.
The recognition rites was in line with the Philippine Environment Partnership Program (PEPP) of the Environmental Management Bureau, a line agency of the DENR, which seeks to support local industries achieve industry self-regulation through improved environmental performance.
Under the PEPP, a package of incentives and reward mechanisms await companies or industries that voluntarily join the program. Among these are technical assistance in the preparation and implementation of environmental management plan, public awareness-raising, development of industry-specific effluent standards and practical strategies and technologies to enable them comply with prescribed effluent standards.
To qualify for the program, companies must meet three important requirements: they should have no cases filed with the DENR’s Pollution Adjudication Board for at least three years prior to the date of application, they must be in full compliance with all applicable environment laws, and they must be proven to have superior environmental performance by a 3rd party auditor.
DENR SECRETARY LITO ATIENZA: IMPLEMENTING THE CLEAN AIR ACT
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Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza (right) inspects the LPG gas compartment of one of four LPG buses that recently arrived in Metro Manila from Xiamen, China. The environment-friendly buses will initially ply the route Fairview-C5 to test the efficiency of their smoke emissions. If found effective, 200 units of the LPG-powered buses will be imported to help boost the government’s effort to improve the air quality in the metropolis. The project is being undertaken jointly by the Office of the President (OP), DENR, Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), Department of Energy (DOE), Board of Investment (BOI) and Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). Briefing Secretary Atienza on the LPG bus is Emmanuel A. Atienza (left), executive vice president of Auto LPG Co., Inc.
The year 2009 marks the 10 th year of the implementation of Republic Act 8749 or the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999.
Considered a landmark legislation on environment, the Clean Air Act paved the way for the country to put in place concrete measures to reduce emissions of air pollutions, especially in Metro Manila and other highly urbanized cities.
The Clean Air Act is definitely an very important piece of legislation consistent with the constitutional mandate to protect the environment, in this case the air we breathe, while guaranteeing the protection of the people’s right to live in harmony with nature.
And, for the last decade, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which is mandated to spearhead the implementation of the Clean Air Act, has continually made partnerships with other government agencies, local governments, transport and industry sectors as well as the civil society, to ensure that the law’s objective to reduce air emissions are realized.
After 10 years, what have we achieved?
* Based on the monitoring of the DENR, the overall air quality of the country is improving. A reduction of 29% in levels of Total Suspended Particulates (TSP) was achieved and this is partly due to the combined efforts of concerned sectors committed to improve the quality of air that we breathe.
* According to the Department of Health, there has been a significant improvement in blood lead levels among children in Metro Manila since 2000, when the Government started to use unleaded gasoline. In 2003, only 34.6% of study children were found exceeding the US-Center for Disease Control guideline value of 10µg/dl as compared to 90.3% in 2000.
* Improvement in fuel quality was implemented. The Department of Energy has undertaken the following:
o Phase-out of leaded gasoline in January 2001;
o Reduction of benzene and aromatics in unleaded gasoline (ULG) from 4% (by vol.) to 2% and 45% to 35% from Jan. 2000 to Jan. 2003, respectively;
o Reduction of sulfur content of automotive diesel oil ( ADO ) from 0.5% to 0.20% from 1999 to 2001 & further reduction to 0.05% in Jan.2004;
o Reduction of sulfur content of industrial diesel oil (IDO) to 0.30% in Jan.2001;
o Implementation of Memorandum Circular No. 55 requiring all government vehicles to use diesel fuel blended with 1% coco methyl ester starting July 2004;
o Use of 2% biodiesel blend (no more 100% conventional diesel) and availability of E10 effective February 2006 (Bio-Fuels Act).
* Efforts to curb air pollution from motor vehicles were intensified through the Land Transportation Office’s effort to operationalize four Motor Vehicle Inspection Stations (MVIS) under MVIS Phase I, which include: (1) LTO-East Avenue, (2) San Fernando, Pampanga; (3) Las Pinas City; and (4) Cebu City and issued directive to conduct emission testing prior to registration through private emission testing centers (PETCs) starting January 2003. The monitoring of these MVIS and other LTO Emission Testing Centers and PETCs is guided by the DENR-DOTC-DTI Joint Administrative Order in 2003 and this was further revised in December 2007.
* Other efforts to reduce air pollution from new motor vehicles and in-use motorcycles/tricycles are the adoption Euro 2 Type Approval Standards, more stringent emission standards since January 2008 and establishment of hydrocarbon emission standards since June 2003, respectively.
* Anti-smoke belching operations were likewise strengthened with the support of the Metro Manila Development Authority and local government operations. Several programs were also launched to increase participation in anti-smoke belching activities, namely, the SMOKE–FREE EDSA (October 2003) and the LINIS HANGIN PROGRAM (November 2004 up to present) by DENR.
* The use of alternative fuels was also promoted by concerned agencies and this led to:
* conversion of gasoline-fed taxis to liquid petroleum gas;
* introduction of new compressed natural gas (CNG) buses pursuant to Executive Order No. 290 [Natural Gas Vehicle Program for Public Transport (NGVPPT)] . To date, a total of 30 new CNG buses are plying the route of Batangas/Sta. Cruz-EDSA-Cubao & vice versa on a commercial scale.
* In mid-2006, motorcycle manufacturers voluntarily phased-out two-stroke motorcycle engines in support of the Clean Air Act.
* Efforts to abate air pollution from industrial sources and establishments were intensified through the accreditation of third party source emission testing firms to conduct compliance testing prior to operation. Likewise, major sources of air pollution were directed to install continuous emission monitoring systems to monitor their compliance to emission standards at all times.
What’s left to do?
Despite the winnings, however, there remains huge task to do to assure the people of improved air quality to breathe. The ambient air quality monitoring being conducted by the DENR indicates of improving air quality. But still the air pollution level is high and unhealthy especially among the vulnerable sectors like the young, the old and the sickly.
Based on information collected from national and local government agencies, through Clean Air InitiativeI-Asia Network in 2003, Manila ranks 7th among twelve (12) cities in the region with dirty air, in terms of total suspended particulates (TSP).
And in the face of global warming and climate change, more work needs to be done especially since air pollution and climate change are strongly linked to each other. Bringing the level of air pollution down to safe levels can cut on greenhouse gas emissions.
Local government units share the responsibility in managing air quality within their territorial jurisdiction. The local chief executives are members of the airshed governing boards. They also play key roles in carrying out the other provisions of the Clean Air Act.
Among other things, the DENR is urging all LGUs to:
* Strictly implement the ban on smoking inside public places
* Designate an Environment and Natural Resources Office in every province, city, municipality
* Implement air quality standards set by the Governing Board
* Prepare and develop, with the assistance from the Department, an action plan consistent with the Integrated Air Quality Framework to attain and maintain the ambient air quality standards within their respective airsheds
* Prepare and implement a program and other measures including relocation, whenever necessary, to protect health and welfare of residents in the area in during extreme air pollution events.
The steady brown haze that blankets major cities in the country is something that cannot be ignored. Now is the time to act and with increasing steps over time, we can fight air pollution and give next generations of Filipinos a cleaner and healthier future.
DENR TO BAN IMPORTATION OF CFC NEXT YEAR – SECRETARY LITO ATIENZA
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Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza (3rd from left) looks on as the airconditioning mechanism of his car is checked for chlorofluorocarbon (CFCs) R-12 content, popularly known as freon. The car passed with a 100% content of R-134A, an alternative refrigerant considered ozone-friendly. Atienza has launched a department-wide refrigerant inspection test of service vehicles in line with the mandate of the Montreal Protocol and the Philippine Ozone Desk to phase out by 2010 the use of CFC. CFC is considered destructive to the ozone layer that shields the world from harmful ultraviolet radiation. Atienza offered his car for inspection after the flag-raising ceremony on Monday. Also in photo are (from left): Environmental Management Bureau Director Julian Amador; DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio (behind Atienza) and POD Project Evaluation and Monitoring Officer Onofre Escota. (Photo by Ricky M. Los Bañez)
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will ban the importation of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), more commonly known as ‘freon’, starting January next year.
The import ban on CFCs is in consonance with the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer as well as the National CFC Phase-out Plan. He also said the ban will boost the ozone layer’s ability to protect all living things on earth as it heals itself.
The move of the Department to ban the entry of CFCs into the country starting next year is our commitment to the global effort to control the emission of ozone depleting substances and enable our damaged ozone layer to heal.
The Bureau of Customs (BOC) will be assisting the DENR in the strict enforcement of the ban to avert any attempt to smuggle the banned chemicals into the country. The Bureau of Customs is with us in this campaign, and I am happy to announce that measures are already in place to prevent unauthorized entry of the banned chemicals into the country.
Discovered in the late 1920s, CFCs are used in various industries as refrigerant, propellant, solvent and cleaning agent. Studies, however, showed that CFCs are capable of destroying the ozone molecules in the atmosphere resulting in the thinning of the ozone layer. Included in the banned list of CFCs are CFC 11, CFC 12, CFC 13, CFC 113, CFC 114, CFC 115 and R 502.
With the import ban, I am urging all refrigerant dealers to purchase their CFC supply only from registered importers. Various industries are likewise encouraged to shift to ozone-friendly refrigerants. I am appealing to the public to patronize only the service shops that are accredited by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as well as the technicians who are certified by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the servicing needs of their refrigerators and air conditioners.
The discovery of an ozone ‘hole’ over the Antarctic prompted governments all over the world to come up with drastic measures to reduce the production and consumption of a number of CFCs and several halons through the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer adopted on Sept. 16, 1987.
Last September, on the 22nd anniversary of the Protocol, the fight against ozone depletion has reached a universal participation of 196 countries, including the Philippines.
The Philippines became a signatory to the Montreal Protocol on September 14, 1988. The ratification of the Protocol by the Philippine Senate on March 21, 1991 and the subsequent Montreal and Beijing amendments in 2006 paved the way towards the commitment of CFC-Free Philippines.
Report from the National CFC Phase-out Plan Project of the DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau, which acts as the national coordinator for the implementation of the CFC phase-out, indicates that the country’s CFC importation and consumption has dipped to 169 metric tons last year, from 3,382 metric tons in 1995.
The gradual reduction of CFC importation and consumption in the country since 2000 and its eventual phase-out next year is part of the national CFC phase out plan and the Montreal Protocol.
PHILIPPINE WATERS WILL BENEFIT FROM ADOPTION OF CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION MEASURES – SEC LITO ATIENZA
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Former President Fidel V. Ramos (center) lead the Philippines and international leaders in supporting the protection of the seas of the East Asia. Pres. Ramos underlines the partnership with various stakeholders, especially local government units, in restoring the coasts of East Asia where 1.5 billion people reside and depend for livelihood. Joining Pres. Ramos in opening the 3rd East Asian Seas Congress are DENR Secretary Lito Atienza (3rd from right), who leads the event’s organizing committee, and (from left): DENR Undersecretary Demetrio Ignacio, Singapore Ambassador A. Selverajah , UNDP Resident Representative Jacqueline Badcock, PEMSEA Council chair Chua Thia-Eng and PEMSEA Executive Director Raphael Lotilla.
Eleven countries in the East Asia region have pledged to strengthen and improve their cooperation in making their coasts and oceans resilient to climate change as they signed the Manila Declaration on the implementation of integrated coastal and ocean management and adaptation to climate change.
The Philippines as well as our neighbor East Asian countries are climate change hotspots and highly vulnerable to the effects of global warming. It is imperative that we protect, conserve and sustainably use our rich natural resources, especially our coastal and marine resources.
The Manila Declaration was adopted on Nov. 26 at the culmination of the five-day East Asian Seas Congress held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) in Manila.
The 11 countries participating in the Partnerships in the Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia (PEMSEA) and have signed the declaration were Cambodia, China, DPR Korea, Indonesia, Japan, Lao PDR, RO Korea, Singapore, Timor-Leste, Vietnam and the Philippines.
By signing, the countries have jointly pledged to intensify cooperation and engage involvement of local government units within all member countries to enhance capacity of coastal communities to adapt to climate change.
Through the Manila Declaration, these governments have expressed concern towards the region’s vulnerability to various impacts of climate change which include frequent and extreme weather events, flooding, water shortage, acidification of oceans and seas, salt water intrusion and sea level rise.
In addition, the region’s marine ecosystems continue to be threatened by uncontrolled development of coastal areas, poverty, resource degradation and marine pollution from land and sea-based sources.
The governments have also recognized that integrated coastal management (ICM) is a valuable tool in achieving sustainable development and climate change adaptation and committed to work together constructively to meet their regional targets to implement ICM programs in at least 20 percent of the region’s coasts and adopt national coastal and ocean policies in 70 percent of the countries by 2015.
It is very critical for governments to give attention not only on the impacts of climate change but also on the role of oceans and coasts in climate change. Healthy and productive coastal ecosystems play a major role in mitigating the effects of climate change in coastal communities.
The coastal and marine environments of East Asia occupy over 70% of the globe and 95% of the biosphere. They sustain 30% of the world’s coral reefs and mangroves and produce about 40% of the world’s fish catch and 84% of world’s aquaculture. They also represent one of the world’s centers for tropical marine biodiversity.
Coastal ecosystems include mangrove forests, seagrass meadows, algal mats and coral reefs which absorb carbon. Oceans, on the other hand, function as giant carbon pumps which take carbon from and release to the atmosphere.
