GMA leads Earth Day celebration, rushes DENR on ‘geo-hazard’ mapping

President Arroyo led the celebration of Earth Day yesterday by ordering the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to rush its "geo-hazard" mapping and ecological restoration and reforestation of areas prone to floods and landslides.

"We are investing in geo-hazard mapping and this is the biggest project of (DENR) Secretary (Angelo) Reyes now," the President said.

Mrs. Arroyo said the DENR will outsource the project, which was formally handled by the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA). The agency reportedly took too long in completing the task.

"We might sell some property of NAMRIA — which is very valuable now, they are on prime property — to pay those who will undertake geo-hazard mapping faster so that we can use this for our programs to protect the environment," she said in a speech at the Earth Day celebration led by the Restoration and Development of Natural Resources Inc.

Various non-government organizations (NGOs), business and industry representatives were invited to recite a pledge to commit themselves to social and moral responsibility, even while making money.

The need for geo-hazard mapping was highlighted after a landslide in Southern Leyte that killed hundreds and rendered thousands of people homeless.

The President said the government also implemented a logging ban in almost all provinces in the country except for a few areas identified by the DENR.

Mrs. Arroyo said the government has launched an industrial tree plantation and reforestation efforts through the Philippine Forest Corporation.

"And this is one area where the corporate sector can help and make a difference, either in investing in industrial tree plantations or contributing to massive reforestation," she said.

The government has also come up with a flood control master plan and a river basin task force to address the problem of flooding.

To protect the country’s sources of water, Mrs. Arroyo ordered the Water Resource Board to be abolished and a Water Resource Office created to calibrate the water supply of all stakeholders in order to avoid debates among them.

She said the government could start advocacies and programs in environmental protection but it would be up to the business and private sectors, including NGOs, to provide the know-how to implement the programs.

The President said that among her administration’s contributions to environmental protection were the passage of the Clean Water Act, the Solid Waste Management Act and the Clean Air Act into law.

She said solid wastes should not go into the country’s water reserves and NGOs should set up recycling centers where the poor could earn from collecting garbage.

Mrs. Arroyo cited the efforts of Narda Camacho’s waste recycling movement, which the United Nations recognized for its role in protecting the environment.

"Recycling is proof that we can win the fight against poverty by protecting our environment," the President said.

According to Camacho, her group, composed mostly of poor families and youths, was able to lessen garbage in Metro Manila by collecting 280 tons of recyclable solid wastes and spending P285 million.

She said manufacturing companies, like Unilever Philippines, buy the recyclable wastes and thus lessen their need to import materials such as paper, plastics and steel.

Early yesterday morning, Mrs. Arroyo visited Smokey Mountain in Tondo, Manila where she attended a mass to celebrate Earth Day. The Mass was held at the site of the proposed Church of the Risen Christ.

The President also visited the Risen Christ Parish Cooperative display center, which features products from recyclable wastes such as hollow blocks made from residual wastes and bags from discarded newspapers.

Former environment secretary Heherson Alvarez called for the public and private sectors to unite against climate change, saying it is an increasing threat to all living things on earth.

"Today, the destruction and ruin of global warming is upon us, upsetting our global temperatures and causing natural disasters such as the hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico that led to the helpless destruction of New Orleans, and the mudslides in the provinces of Quezon and Leyte," he said. — With Katherine Adraneda and Evelyn Macairan