The Department of Environment and Natural Resources through the Laguna Lake Development Authority on Tuesday issued a cease-and-desist order on five commercial establishments for water pollution at Manila Bay.
LLDA served the CDO to Max’s Restaurant on United Nations Avenue, HengFeng Kitchenette, Jollibee Macapagal Biopolis, Lamer Catering and Nihon Bashitei Japanese Food. Meanwhile, Aloha Hotel, Sarmiti Food Corp (Shawarma Snack Center) and Oriz Auto Leasing Philippines Corp would received an ex-parte order or a notice to explain their violations within a 15-day period.
The LLDA will likewise issue notices of violations for water pollution case to Heritage Condominium Corp., Ma. Natividad Building, Marina Square Properties Inc. (Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila), Cultural Center of the Philippines (main building and production design center), Federal Land Inc. (The New Blue Wave), First Marbella Condominium Association Inc., Gold Quest Premiere Resources Inc (The Biopolis), Harrison Lodge, Libertad Tourist Development Inc. (Halina Lodge/Hotel), OWWA Building and Wellcross Freight Corp.
Earlier, the LLDA shut down four establishments found dumping untreated wastewater into the Manila Bay.
It issued CDOs against Billion Building, HK Sun Plaza, Tramway Bayview Buffet Restaurant in Pasay City and D Circle Hotel in Manila after the closure of Aristocrat, Gloria Maris, Esplanade, and E Universe Entertainment and KTV Bar for discharging pollutive water into Manila Bay and had no proper wastewater facility.
Earlier, the Department of Interior and Local Government said that more than half of the local government units surrounding Manila Bay have failed to comply with environmental laws.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said 95 LGUs or 53 percent of the total 178 failed to hit the indicators measuring their compliance with environmental laws.
The number consists of 56 LGUs from Central Luzon, 37 from Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) and two from the National Capital Region.
The department identified these LGUs based on the 2018 Regional Inter-Agency Committee table assessments and on-site inspections.
“There were decades worth of shortcomings that led to the problems of Manila Bay but we are not here to point fingers anymore,” Año said in a statement.
“We, through the directive of the President, are here to bring back the Bay to its former glory and we need all LGUs to do their part.”
Año said 16 of the LGUS were described as having the “worst problems,” and that the department would be helping them first.
“Based on our assessment, we still have a lot of work to do and we intend to start with these 16 LGUs as we go along assisting all of the 178. We will help them. We will not leave them behind,” Año said.
He said the DILG could extend help to those LGUs by providing capacity development, workshops, coaching and mentoring in creating programs in line with environmental laws.
Año also said that that the DILG would file case against LGUs which would fail to cooperate with them in rehabilitating Manila Bay.
“We can also file cases against them with the Ombudsman or recommend disciplinary action to the President if warranted. So we challenge all LGUs to shape up. We need them to fight and win the Battle for Manila Bay,” he said.
Año said his department would continue monitoring the LGUs to ensure they were complying with environmental laws for the rehabilitation and preservation of Manila Bay,
The results of the LGU Compliance Assessment were released to the LGUs during a recent local government executives’ forum on the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.
The assessment aims to assess LGU compliance with environmental laws and policies; identify necessary assistance needed by the LGUs, and demand accountability from the LGUs based on their actions/inactions on their mandates.