The city of Biñan, Laguna has once again earned recognition for its contribution to rehabilitating Manila Bay.
Vice Mayor Gel Alonte, representing the local government unit, received two major awards from the Manila Bay Clean Up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program (MBCRPP) during the Manila Bay Day Awards in Lipa City, Batangas last December 2.
Aside from earning a Platinum Award for garnering the highest score of 98.31 percent (in the city category, the sixth such award received by the LGU), the Biñan City LGU also placed third at the regional level in the 2023 Local Government Unit Compliance Audit (LGU-CA).
Supreme Court mandamus
“Ang awards po na ito ay connected sa Supreme Court mandamus na nag-uutos sa mga lokal na pamahalaan sa paligid ng Manila Bay, as well as national government agencies, upang i-rehabilitate ang Manila Bay,” Rodelio Lee, head of the Biñan City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), explained in an interview with OpinYon Laguna.
While technically not a part of Manila Bay, Biñan City, as well as other cities and municipalities along Laguna de Bay, are also included in the mandamus.
This is because water from Laguna de Bay also exits into Manila Bay through the Pasig River network, Lee added.
Since Biñan City first joined the Manila BAYani Awards and Incentives program in 2018, it has consistently received numerous awards in the national, regional and provincial level.
These include a 2021 “Outstanding Practice on Solid Waste Management Technology” award and an “Exemplary Practice in Upcycling and Crafts Production” award from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in 2022.
“Una kaming sumali sa LGU-CA noong 2018, noong solid-waste pa lamang ang tinitingnang factor. Doon pa lang, nanalo na kami ng awards. Then in 2019 onwards, apat na categories na ang tinitingnan nila: solid-waste management; liquid-waste management; informal settlers; and information and education campaign,” the CENRO head related.
According to Lee, it was the consistency and sustained support of the city government to initiatives and programs for waste management – including the highly-publicized “Eco-bricks” program – that had enabled the city government to continue receiving awards in relation to the Manila Bay mandamus.
In fact, the city government is looking into future plans for the expansion of Biñan’s waste recovery facility (MRF), he added.
“Malaki po ang naging suporta ng ating pamahalaang lungsod sa pangunguna ni Mayor Arman Dimaguila sa ating mga hakbangin para sa solid-waste management. Pinopondohan talaga ang mga programa, nag-o-operate, may produktong nalilikha, at ini-improve pa,” Lee explained.
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