CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga — Central Luzon is slowly, but surely winning the battle for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.
In his speech during the MANILA BAYani Awards and Incentives (MBAI), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Director Karl Caesar Rimando underscored that Central Luzon has been showing positive results and stories of accomplishments from the shared advocacy of protecting, maintaining, and preserving the bay.
“We had sacrificed so much tears, blood, and sweat in cleaning the miles of waterways in our country. Hours, days, and years had already passed in our continuous dialogues with those living near the rivers and seas. It has been years of training our LGUs [local government units], and our communities in the different aspects of taking care of our environment. After almost 11 years, we can now see that we are slowly, but surely winning the battle for Manila Bay,” he said.
The MBAI is in line with the Manila Bay Clean-Up Rehabilitation and Preservation Program (MBCURP) which aims to restore the water quality of the bay in accordance with the Supreme Court Mandamus in 2016.
With this, Rimando lauded the efforts of Central Luzon LGUs behind the exceptional environmental management practices reinforced in the past years.
“From our barangays which despite their small resources, delivered well in waste management, to our cities and municipalities which took part to their heart the love for environment and prioritized programs for the preservation of our surroundings… We want to thank you, recognize you, and award you so that in this way we could honor your diligence and perseverance in maintaining a clean Manila Bay,” he underscored.
Rimando urged LGUs, and partner government agencies to remain in the frontlines until the country achieves its dream of a clean and healthy Manila Bay.
DILG recognized winners in the Barangay Environmental Compliance Audit (BECA) 2021, an initiative that is only being implemented in the region, which awards villages that have shown exemplary performance in the implementation of solid waste management.
Lote Puerto Rivas in Balanga won as the BECA Regional Top Performer for the City Category; while Pinagbarilan in Baliwag, Bulacan was awarded the Top Performer for the Municipal Category.
Moreover, DILG hailed the Top Performing LGUs in the Fisheries Compliance Audit 2021 which aims to assess the compliance in the implementation of the pertinent provisions of the Philippine Fisheries Code and the management of their municipal waters.
Balanga City emerged as the top performer for this category, while the municipality of Sasmuan in Pampanga placed second the municipality of Samal in Bataan ranked third.
DILG likewise recognized the High Compliant LGUs that went beyond compliance despite the challenges and changes brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, and garnered an average score of 90 percent and above in the MBCURP.
Awardees include the cities of Balanga, San Jose del Monte, Mabalacat and San Fernando. Also, the towns of Guiguinto and Baliwag in Bulacan.
Meanwhile, DILG recognized the Top Performers for each province for obtaining the highest scores in the city and municipal level.
Winners were Balanga City and Dinalupihan in Bataan, City of San Jose del Monte and Baliwag in Bulacan, San Jose City and Talavera in Nueva Ecija, City of San Fernando and Candaba in Pampanga, and Tarlac City and Victoria in Tarlac.
MBAI likewise bestowed the Regional Top Performers. Baliwag, Bulacan topped the municipal category with Guiguinto, Bulacan in second place and Dinalupihan, Bataan in third place.
Balanga placed first in the city category. San Jose del Monte landed second and San Fernando third.
And lastly, MBAI also recognized the Three Consecutive High Compliant LGUs which instilled their compliance, exceptional performance, and remarkable initiatives to become a highly compliant city or municipality from 2019 to 2021.
The awardees were the cities of San Jose del Monte and Balanga and Baliwag town in Bulacan.
SOURCE: Jag Lyra D. Costamero (PIA3)
