DENR, DOTC told to explain 'mountain of coal' at Manila harbor

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is tasking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) to explain various issues raised against them.

Agham Rep. Angelo Palmones accused DENR Secretary Ramon Paje of “sleeping on the job” for allowing businessman Reghis Romero to import coal when he did not have an environmental compliance certificate to stockpile “dirty coal” at the Harbor Center Port Terminal and the adjacent Manila Harbor Center.

Palmones said illegally stockpiling “mountains of coal” was polluting the air and waters of Manila Bay and in violation of a Supreme Court writ protecting the bay.

Palmones also claimed Romero did not have a permit to operate under the Clean Water Act and was thus violating effluent standards.

The DOTC, on the other hand, is accused by the National Statistical Coordination Board of under-spending that would result on missing most of its targets in providing better, faster and safe transportation.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said it would be up to the departments concerned to answer these concerns.

“For first quarter of the year…(DOTC) Secretary (Manuel) Roxas (II) will be able to give us more details… on why (the money) has remained with the agency…Of course, the DOTC is responsible for bidding out certain projects. There is a process that needs to be followed,” Valte said.

InterAksyon.com cited an NSCB report saying 17 out of 27 transport sector indicators under the Philippine Development Plan got a low probability of achieving their 2016 targets.

“Thus, the transport sector has to move double time to achieve the 2016 targets,” the state-run NSCB said.

The Department of Budget and Management reported the DOTC topped the list of under-spending agencies, with P12.2 billion in unspent money earmarked for the first quarter of this year.

Total government disbursements in January to March reached P394.9 billion, or 10.4 percent below the P440.6-billion programmed for the period.

In rail transport, the NSCB said the targets for increased ridership and revenue-to-cost ratio are unlikely to be met.

The DOTC has begun bidding for the P60-billion LRT Line 1 Cavite Extension.

For air transport, the NSCB said the targets for increased international and domestic flights and passenger traffic are very likely to be achieved, except that for the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in Clark, Pampanga.

“But we need to do something constructive and innovative to prevent flight delays due to the increased number of flights,” the NSCB said.

However, cargo traffic in all airports has yet to increase as fast as passenger traffic.

In land transport, targets under the PDP that are unlikely to be met include the following: length of arterial roads with roughness index of three; travel time in Metro Manila; travel speed in Metro Manila; passenger occupants in Metro Manila; using air-conditioned buses; and vehicular accidents in Metro Manila.

But the government is likely to achieve targets for the following: construction of permanent bridges along national arterial roads; and passengers of non-air-conditioned Metro Manila buses.

But the construction of paved roads requires speeding up, from the 25,916 kilometers in 2011 to 31,242 kilometers in 2016.

“This will require spending annually for 1,065 kilometers of paved roads from now to 2016,” NSCB said.

For water transport, the target of 217 million metric tons of cargo throughput has good chances of being achieved by 2016.

“This will require that eight million metric tons cargo throughput be captured by the PPA (Philippine Ports Authority) every year,” NSCB said.

In 2011, the PPA recorded a cargo throughput of 178 million metric tons.

The target on the number of ports certified to International Organization for Standardization standards on selected processes, however, has medium chances of success.

The following have only a low probability of achieving their 2016 targets: Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority cargo throughput; number of water transport passengers; passenger seating capacity in port terminal building; number of water vessels; and percentage of major gateways receiving foreign vessels.