Following President Rodrigo Roa Duterte’s pronouncement in his third State of the Nation Address, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Mimaropa Region said on Tuesday, it is and will always be upholding environment protection above all else.
DENR Mimaropa Regional Director Henry A. Adornado said protection of the environment commences at the strict enforcement of environmental laws. “Under the leadership of Secretary Roy A. Cimatu, we employ a strong unity of command and direction to firmly impose the laws and ensure our natural resources including biodiversity are protected, conserved and used judiciously.”
RD Adornado explained this is evident in the region’s ongoing efforts to rehabilitate its prime tourist destinations. DENR Mimaropa has created early this year, Task Forces to ensure continuous cleanup operations and implementation of environmental laws in Puerto Galera in Oriental Mindoro, and El Nido and Coron in Palawan—three of the country’s most visited tourist sites that are found in the region.
The Task Forces were created in the wake of restoration efforts on Boracay upon the directive of President Duterte and in view of Secretary Cimatu’s priority thrusts on clean water and solid waste management, among others. The coastal clean up is being implemented by DENR regional and field personnel with the help of Environmental Management Bureau, Mines and Geosciences Bureau also of MIMAROPA, local government of Palawan and Oriental Mindoro including other agencies. The Task Forces survey the above mentioned coastal areas and issueNotices to Vacate to establishments encroaching coastal easement zones and timberland areas. Establishments that fail to comply within the prescribed period are recommended to be demolished with the help of the local government. The Task Forces also issue Notices of Violation to establishments that are found violating Presidential Decree No. 1586 (Establishing anEnvironmental Impact Statement System, Including Other Environmental Management Related Measures and for Other Purposes).
Apart from beach rehabilitation, the director said that the agency is also looking into quarrying and mining activities in the region to ensure companies comply with the laws. In this year’s SONA, President Duterte emphasized prohibition of open-pit mining and stated that mining companies should “expect radical reforms in the industry.”
The strict imposition of environmental rules and regulations, RD Adornado said, could affect part of the business sector, just as what happened to erring establishments in El Nido, Coron and Puerto Galera. “We understand their sentiments but it (enforcement of laws) is one way of setting right what have been overlooked before. I hope these establishments would perceive that our actions are only geared towards restoring and safeguarding our environment, which, they, the business sector, would eventually benefit from in the near future,” he explained.
Relative to this, the director also took note from President Duterte’s SONA, faithful implementation of the Ease of Doing Business Act, which the Chief Executive signed last May to ensure speedy and efficient actions on government transactions.
“It is the government’s fight against red tape. It is also one way of ensuring the business community, people’s organizations and all our stakeholders that we value them and think of them as partners in this journey. Because they indeed are,” he stated as he underscored the importance of concerted efforts towards sustainable development.
“Protecting the environment would always come first. It is our duty, our mandate, and our personal commitment as good stewards of nature,” RD Adornado pointed out. “I hope that just as we have savored the blessings of nature, we will also be one in protecting and preserving it for a healthy and clean environment will be our greatest gift for the present and future generations.”
