To gain the support and cooperation of local government units (LGUs) in its effort to rehabilitate Manila Bay, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) convened on Monday 178 city and municipal mayors within the Manila Bay region.
Aside from local chief executives or their representatives, city and/or municipal environment and natural resource officers and representatives from the so-called mandamus agencies were, likewise, invited to attend the forum.
The Local Chief Executives’ Forum on the Manila Bay Cleanup, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program aims to keep the city and municipal mayors abreast on their critical roles and responsibilities in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay under the Supreme Court’s continuing mandamus.
“Local government units should be at the forefront of efforts to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve the waters of Manila Bay. They should, therefore, be more proactive in encouraging the support and cooperation of their constituents and other stakeholders to bring back the glory of Manila Bay,” Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a news statement.
A Supreme Court decision dated December 18, 2008, and Resolution dated February 15, 2011, GR 171947-48, mandate the DILG and 12 other national government agencies to clean, rehabilitate and preserve the Manila Bay in order to prevent the continuous cycle of man-made pollution.
To ensure compliance to the SC mandamus, the DILG is banking on the full support and cooperation of concerned local chief executives, particularly in relocating squatter families within their respective jurisdictions. J
Image credits: Nonie Reyes
