Rehabilitation of Manila Bay cannot be postponed: DILG

January 30, 2019

The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) lamented the Makabayan Bloc's call for the government to postpone the Manila Bay Rehabilitation program to pave the way for more "study and consultations." 

  "We wish to emphasize that Manila Bay is in critical condition. Actually, the bay is in ICU. We cannot afford an additional day of delay. Giving in to Makabayan will only make matters much worse," said DILG Assistant Secretary and spokesperson Jonathan Malaya.

Malaya said DILG Secretary Eduardo Año is set to meet with all Metro Manila mayors Thursday to discuss ways to speed up social preparation and transfer of informal settlers to in-city and provincial resettlement sites. 

"Secretary Año also seeks to mobilize the cooperation of NCR mayors in monitoring business establishments and other polluters. The support of our LGUs is crucial in the success of our rehabilitation plan," said Malaya. 

   Malaya said the rehabilitation has been ordered not only by President Rodrigo Duterte but by the Supreme Court in 2008 when it issued a writ of continuing mandamus to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the DILG, among others. 

  He said "instead of asking for a postponement, the Makabayan Bloc should instead do their part in helping the government fight the ‘Battle of Manila Bay’. The administration has exercised the political will to do what is right. Now it's our turn to do our part."

Malaya said that Makabayan's rationale for postponement which is to undertake first a "comprehensive and holistic study" and a "genuine and democratic program that will sincerely" rehabilitate the bay has  been done by DENR and DILG and only needs to be implemented. 

Malaya criticized the Makabayan Bloc’s claim that the rehabilitation plan will pave the way for the implementation of 40 reclamation projects.

"Again this is clearly misinformation. There is no place for reclamation in the Rehabilitation program. In fact, Secretary Año is personally opposed to reclamation projects," he said. DMS