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BY BOY RYAN ZABAL
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Wednesday, March 7, 2018
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BORACAY – Secretary Roy Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) admitted that the “weakest link” of the agency is the enforcement of environmental laws in this famed island destination.
The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has so far served 173 notices of violation to establishments without Environmental Clearance Certificates in the island.
“What is happening in Boracay is a wake-up call for DENR to enforce environmental laws in the country,” said Cimatu. “We need more people with political will to put into operation enforcement teams.”
Cimatu said he wants mission teams to strictly monitor, oversee, supervise, and enforce environmental laws not only in Boracay but the whole country.
The environmental laws include the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, the Philippine Clean Air Act of 1999, the Revised Forestry Code of the Philippines, the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, and Presidential Decree 1586, which establishes an environmental impact statement system including other environmental management and other environmental management-related measures.
Members of the Philippine National Police and other law enforcement agencies must work hand in hand with the teams, Cimatu added.
The Save Boracay mission team – with 140 members from DENR regional offices in the country – has been conducting island-wide operations since Feb. 22.
Its members have been assessing establishments to make sure that no environmental violations are committed.
Out of 578 establishments in Boracay, 195 were not connected to the sewerage system.
The DENR has served 387 show-cause orders to 842 illegal settlers in the island’s forestland.
A total of 207 establishments were also given notices of violations for having no discharge permits and permits to operate. (Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
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