DENR donates trash boats to boost Manila Bay rehab in Bulacan
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Five municipalities in Bulacan received mini trash boats from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in an effort to boost cleanup and rehabilitation activities of major river systems directly draining to the greater portion of the Manila Bay.
DENR Bulacan chief Emelita Lingat reported that four mini trash boats were given to the City of Meycauayan, while the City of Malolos and towns of Calumpit, Hagonoy, and Paombong received one unit each.
“The distribution of these trash boats would be supplemental in our cleanup efforts, as well as in our waterway patrolling and monitoring activities especially in the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System,” Lingat said.
The trash boats would be added to the 13 motorized banca, which had been doled out to cities of Meycauayan and Malolos and towns of Marilao, Obando, Paombong, and Hagonoy since 2018.
For his part, DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno, Jr. noted that the endowment of trash boats to local government units (LGUs) would not only fast-track collection of floating trash in river systems connected to the Manila Bay, but would likewise strengthen the implementation of the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act in each municipality.
“The magnitude of our waste problem can only be minimized through our collective efforts with the LGUs and the citizens. Local communities play a critical role in environmental sustainability, as waste management starts at home,” Moreno ended.
Since the Manila Bay cleanup and rehabilitation program commenced on 2019, the DENR here has collected more than 85,600 tons of wastes from 3,900 cleanup activities conducted in Bulacan.
The province is part of the 190-length Manila Bay area in Region 3. Of this, 43 kilometers are part of the coastline of Bulacan.
