Kiana Marie M.

Fleischer February 26, 2020

GE 7 (STS) – C

Articles on the Environmental Protection Efforts of the Philippine Government

1. Canadian Shipping Containers of Trash

According to an article by Pia Ranada of Rappler, it was reported that about 69

container vans filled with approximately 2,000 tons of waste were illegally transported
from Canada to the Philippines (Ranada, 2019). It is important to note that between 2013
to 2014, Canada had also illegally dumped about 103 shipping containers filled with trash
in the country. However, Canada is not the only country responsible for illegal dumping
in the Philippines as Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Australia have also been
reported to have done it. Lea Guerrero of Greenpeace Philippines had explained that
developed countries prefer to send their waste shipments to developing countries because
they have ‘weaker regulation and lower environmental standards’ (Corral, 2019). In
response to this issue, the Philippine government gave Canada a grace period to which
they must transport yet again their container vans. If unable to do so, the Philippine
government would dump the trash on Canadian shores. Hence, the Canadian government
has vowed to pay for the necessary expenditures to ship out the container vans of trash.
2. Boracay Clean-up and Rehabilitation
 According to Melvin Gascon of Inquirer.Net, shortly after the presidential
elections, the then newly elected president, Rodrigo R. Duterte, had already put into
projects the rehabilitation of Boracay, a famous destination spot in the Philippines and
considered the crown jewel of tourism in the country. Prior to winning the elections and
during his campaign period in the island, he noticed a distinct smell of foul air. Hence, he
had commissioned certain agencies to investigate the problem to which was confirmed
that the waters were filthy as the sewage systems in the island were poorly designed. The
government decided to temporarily close-off the island from tourists as the issue could
possibly harm not only the reputation of the island but the health of tourists and locals as
well. The Interior Local Government Department has even sued Florencio Miraflores, the
Governor of Aklan with negligence. The town mayor of Malay, Ciceron Cawaling was
also suspended by the Ombudsman over the matter. The government stated that in order
to keep Boracay as a famous tourist destination, it is the “moral obligation of the people
and the government to make it clean, hygienic and safe.” (Gascon, 2018). After a six-
month extensive clean-up, Boracay once again, opened its doors for those that want to
marvel in the beauty of nature. The rehabilitation and restoration of Boracay that was
orchestrated by the Philippine government shows that it is possible to create a positive
change if enforced properly and if people cooperate for the sake of their love for the
country (CNN Philippines Staff, 2018).

3. The ‘Unflushed Toilet’ of Manila Bay

 According to an article in Global Citizen by Joe McCarthy, the Philippines is
considered the third ranked country in the world to contribute to plastic pollution in the
oceans (McCarthy, 2019). Despite being one of the smallest countries in the world, it is
quite unfathomable how the Philippines could have ranked in such a large-scale issue.
However, statistics would say otherwise. On the internet, it is not uncommon to see
reports on the disastrous effects of garbage to the animals that thrive in the waters and on
land. More specifically, there are some instances of reports or encounters with dead
whales who wash up onshore with their guts filled with plastic waste. Also, reports on
microplastics in the fish that we eat has also shown itself in our social media timelines.
Regarding plastic pollution, it is quite obvious that this matter should be taken seriously
and not for naught.
Manila Bay is one of the country’s famous tourist spots as it was once the place
that held pivotal moments in our country’s rich history and at present it is still considered
so. But as time had progressed, it has also become victim to pollution which is why the
water there is regarded to be unsafe to swim in. Hence, the Philippine Government and
the Philippine Military organized a large-scale clean-up for the Manila Bay to help
reduce fecal coliforms in the water. The participants of the coastal clean-up included
employees of government agencies, members of the academe, and different
environmental and civic groups which approximated to reach 20,000 individuals. The
Department of Environment and Natural Resources spearheaded the cleanup in different
barangays in accordance with the 2008 Supreme Court ruling the DENR and 12 other
government agencies to “clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay for the
enjoyment of the present and future generations.” (Villanueva, 2019).
4. Open Dumpsite Shutdown and Sanitary Landfill Temporary Closure
 In the month of November 2019, the Philippine Government represented by the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources ordered to shut down four (4) open
dumpsites in Pampanga. The dumpsites located in San Fernando, Bacolor and Porac were
found to have illegally operated. However, the government officials of the municipalities
have denied the allegations thrown at them explaining the matter. For the dump site in
San Fernando, officials have assured that it was not in fact a dumpsite but rather a City
Transfer Station. Open dumpsites pose a threat to not only the environment but to the
health of those in the community to which the area is situated. The trash found in the
dumpsites were domestic and sanitary waste. Under Philippine laws, “the establishment
and maintenance of an open dumpsite is strictly prohibited.”. (Del Rosario, 2019).
On February 20, 2020, Bataan Mayor, Antonio Joseph Inton, temporarily closed
the sanitary landfill exclusive to the province as they are investigating Econest Waste
Management Corporation regarding the environmental violations it has committed.
According to a report from the Udenna Environmental Services Incorporated (UdESI),
toxic chemicals are being concealed in the landfill. To add, a statement from the notices
by the Hermosa LGUs and the EMB-DENR states that Econest Waste Management
Corporation is operating “without a valid Discharge Permit and Hazardous Waste
Generator Registration Certificate, some of its treatment units on their leachate treatment
facilities have no protective lining which may cause groundwater contamination due to
leachate seepage." In response to the information, the Department of Environment and
Natural-Environmental Management Bureau are spearheading the investigation. Hence,
Bataan Mayor padlocked the gate of the facility (Esconde, 2020).

5. The Crime that is Transnational Poaching

 The Philippines is home to many wildlife that is native to the country. Many of
these animals and plants are treated as exotic and lucrative forms of income and are often
poached. Wildlife are bought because they are believed to cure illnesses and are used as
medicine and/or they can be collected due to its beauty and rarity and/or they can be
domesticated and taken in as pets and/or they can be eaten and/or they can be used for the
sake of fashion (Mayuga, 2018). That is why, illegal wildlife trade damages the
biodiversity of the Philippines. Evidently, it is not only Filipinos that poach and take
advantage of our wildlife, it is also foreigners who come into PH territories unnoticed
like the Vietnamese fisherfolk who have already committed multiple offenses. In 2018,
about 20 Vietnamese fishermen on a Malaysian-registered vessel were apprehended for
poaching in Palawan (Fabro, 2018). Between 2000 to 2017, approximately 667 pangolins
were illegally trafficked in the country. Pangolins are known to have only eight known
species in the world and Philippines is home to one of them. In 2013, 2,820 dead
pangolins were found in a Chinese poaching vessel (BusinessMirror Editorial, 2019). In
light of all this, the Philippine government is doing all it can to protect its natural
resources through imposing due consequences to offenders and through the interventions
of the Philippine Navy who are responsible for patrolling our waters.

Why the Philippines Biodiversity is in Crisis

There are many reasons to understand why the Philippine Biodiversity is in crisis and to
name a few there is (i) negligence or poor regulation of environmental laws and (ii)
overpopulation, overconsumption, poverty and consumerism.
To explain the first which concerns itself with the lack of strict implementation and need
for stronger policies. The government seems to not heavily impose environmental laws that
protect our environment as many wildlife are taken advantage of and the number of cases of
illegal wildlife trafficking increases annually. Also, the Philippine government is lenient with
matters regarding the observation of waste disposal. Therefore, the mentality of all stakeholders
is affected which means that people may not cooperate in efforts to alleviate such problems and
continue to abuse the environment. Since local governments and private corporations are
negligent and mismanage funds or facilities for the use of environmental protection, people may
be affected. An example is the 900 open dump sites that can be found across the country to
which was mentioned in the preceding articles of this report that it is harmful to the health of the
public (Vila, 2018). Also, since the Philippines is recognized as a developing country, developed
countries take advantage of this and dump their wastes illegally as there is weaker regulation and
lower environmental standards.
For the second reason, overpopulation makes its way into the subject as the influx of
people in the Philippines will only increase the demand for products that are to be extracted from
the environment lawfully or unlawfully. With this increase in consumers, industries will have to
compensate and increase supply, thus affecting the ability of the environment to sustain itself.
This is where consumerism comes in. Many companies or businesses that use raw materials will
prioritize the wants of their consumers that is the reason that companies and businesses tend to
get irresponsible when obtaining the necessary resources to be used for their products – there
will be no corporate social responsibility.
To add, several Filipinos lack the knowledge about taking care of the environment as
they have grown accustomed to burning their trash or have not been acquainted with how or
where to dispose their wastes for example. To add, since there is no proper manner of disposing
of wastes in households, some wastes end up in canals which are poorly designed – hinting that
the Philippines has poor facilities, in this case a proper sewage treatment system. Eventually, the
waste will affect marine and aquatic life and may also affect terrestrial life. Another thing,
poverty plays a role in the biodiversity crisis as people may be forced to poach as a means of
living affecting our rare forms of wildlife.
At present, the Philippines issues with biodiversity only pile up on each other. However,
the government and non-government agencies or organizations try to resolve these issues day-in,
day-out to give the next generation the opportunity or chance to live a better life.

References

BusinessMirror Editorial. (2019, July). Best defenders against poachers. Retrieved from
https://businessmirror.com.ph/2019/07/30/best-defenders-against-poachers/

CNN Philippines Staff. (2018, October). Boracay reopens after six-month extensive clean-up.
Retrieved from https://cnnphilippines.com/news/2018/10/26/boracay-reopens-after-
cleanup-denr-aklan.html

Corral, K. (2019, June). UNWILLING DUMPSITE: IT’S NOT JUST CANADA, OTHER
COUNTRIES HAVE ALSO ILLEGALLY DUMPED TRASH IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Retrieved from https://coconuts.co/manila/news/unwilling-dumpsite-its-not-just-canada-
other-countries-have-also-illegally-dumped-trash-in-the-philippines/
Del Rosario, M. D. (2019, November). DENR shuts down 4 open dumpsites in Pampanga.
Retrieved from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1085874

Esconde, E. (2020, February). Bataan sanitary landfill ordered temporarily closed. Retrieved
from https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1094400

Fabro, K. A. S. (2018, May). 20 Vietnamese fishermen nabbed for poaching in Palawan.

Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/203119-vietnamese-fishermen-poaching-
sharks-rays-palawan

Gascon, M. (2018, July). Duterte ordered Boracay cleanup after catching whiff of foul air.
Retrieved from https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1007549/duterte-ordered-boracay-cleanup-
after-catching-whiff-of-foul-air

Mayuga, J. (2018, November). Online illegal wildlife trade: Species extinction at Internet speed.
Retrieved from https://businessmirror.com.ph/2018/11/29/online-illegal-wildlife-trade-
species-extinction-at-internet-speed/

McCarthy, J. (2019, March). Philippines Launches Massive Effort to Clean 'Unflushed Toilet' of
Manila Bay. Retrieved from https://www.globalcitizen.org/en/content/manila-bay-clean-
up/

Ranada, P. (2019, May). Canada to pay for shipping out 69 container vans of trash –
Malacañang. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/nation/229879-malacanang-says-
canada-to-pay-for-shipping-out-container-vans-trash

Vila, A. (2018, October). Philippines plastic pollution: why so much waste ends up in oceans.
Retrieved from https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/2168819/philippines-
plastic-pollution-why-so-much-waste-ends-oceans

Villanueva, R. (2019, September). 20,000 join Manila Bay cleanup. Retrieved from
https://www.philstar.com/nation/2019/09/22/1953819/20000-join-manila-bay-cleanup