QUEZON CITY, Sept. 2 (PIA) -- Environment Secretary Roy A. Cimatu has confirmed the Ayala Corporation's adoption of Taguig River under the Adopt-an-Estero Waterbody Program.
Speaking before media people covering the cleanup drive in Taguig River led by Manila Water Company, Inc. (MWCI) and the city government of Taguig, Cimatu said that Ayala Corporation has signed a memorandum of agreement with DENR, officially affirming its commitment to help government in its #BattleForManilaBay.
“It has been adopted. We have a memorandum of agreement on it. It is officially adopted,” Cimatu said on Saturday, August 31, 2019.
The cleanup of Taguig River, according to Cimatu, will be conducted jointly by DENR, Taguig City government, and MWCI—one of the companies under the Ayala business group—through the latter’s program “Toka-toka para sa Taguig River”.
Cleaning Taguig River and other esteros and waterways that drain into Manila Bay, according to Cimatu, is the more effective strategy in complying with the Supreme Court mandamus on the rehabilitation of Manila Bay. “We have to clean the source of garbage, the esteros and rivers”, and Manila Water’s intention to “dredge [Taguig] river, remove all the garbage that are embedded on the river floor” will be a big help, he said.
Cimatu also reiterated the department’s promise to make parts of Manila Bay swimmable by December.
“Naka-schedule na rin kami—the next week or two—we’ll lay down already the parts for the Manila Bay Baywalk. Kasi gagawin nating compliant, swimmable by towards the end of the year. That is our own call, our own challenge for ourselves,” he said.
Cimatu said the DENR, through the South Field Office (SFO) and other field offices of DENR National Capital Region, will be able to fulfil its promise.
“That is the reason why we created the field offices for Metro Manila, to step up efforts in environmental enforcement and the cleanup of Manila Bay,” he said.
Taguig River is a waterway connecting Pasig River and Laguna Lake. It stretches approximately 4.7 kilometers from its mouth to Laguna Lake in Barangay Wawa before merging with Pateros River in Barangay Ususan. Pateros River, on the other hand, merges with Pasig River via the Napindan Channel in Barangay Buting, Pasig City. Garbage thrown in said river gets trapped in the water body, depending on tidal flows. (PIA InfoComm/DENR)
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