Just last week, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ordered the cancellation of the quarrying permits (MPSAs or mineral production sharing agreements) of three companies operating in the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL) and Masungi Geopark Project. This came after a three-year campaign by members of the Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition (UMWC), which is composed of Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment, Alyansa Tigil Mina, Non-Timber Forest Products – Exchange Program, Youth Advocates for Climate Action-Philippines, Youth Strike for Climate Philippines, World Economic Forum Global Shapers Manila Hub, and Masungi Georeserve Foundation.
The cancelled permits covered about 1,343 hectares of the Masungi protected area. The UMRBPL itself has a total land area of about 26,126 hectares. This covers parts of Antipolo City, Baras, Rodriguez, San Mateo, and Tanay, Rizal. It is crucial to protect the UMRBPL as it is instrumental in “regulating the flow of water” toward Metro Manila. It is also home to a diverse population of flora and fauna. Aside from that, the area is the ancestral land of the indigenous Dumagat-Remontado indigenous cultural community. According to the UMWC, the cancellation of the permits will help to ensure the safety of the aforementioned community and preserve their cultural heritage and their sacred mountain for years to come.
Waste management is another aspect of environmental protection. The DENR, through its Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), spearheaded the celebration of National Zero Waste Month last January to urge the public to take responsibility for their waste, disposing of every item properly in accordance with the zero waste guidelines: reuse, reduce, recycle. Let us not forget that RA 9003 (the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) has been in effect for 22 years now so there is really no excuse why anyone’s household or community should have no zero waste strategies in place. Some of the basic steps include: composting organic waste, using reusable containers and bags, segregating waste, and recycling.
Even enterprises and manufacturing companies are now subject to the newly enacted Extended Producers Responsibility (EPR) Act of 2022 or RA 11898, which became law on July 30, 2022. This mandates enterprises “to establish EPR programs that focus on waste reduction, recovery, and recycling of plastic packaging; it also promotes the development of environment-friendly products that advocate sustainable consumption and production, circular economy, and full responsibility throughout the life cycle of the products”.
Every time we buy mindfully, refuse single-use plastics, recycle or upcycle, we are saving our planet. Many of us are taking it even further by composting our organic waste, building rain basins, joining environmental groups, volunteering our time and resources on behalf of earth-friendly causes, and so on. Carry on; it is everyone’s responsibility to protect our only home.