P-Noy to attend Earth Day celebration

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is expected to attend the Earth Day celebration at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City on Monday to deliver a “State of the Philippine Environment Address.”

Frederika Rentoy, head of the city environmental protection and waste management department, said the President’s address will be the highlight of this year’s Earth Day celebration, as he is set to give an update on the current condition of the country’s environment.

Officials from national and local agencies, including Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, will also take part in the day-long celebration that includes various cultural presentations, Rentoy said.

Earth Day is annually commemorated worldwide to campaign for environment protection. The activities in the country are spearheaded by the Earth Day Network Philippines and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Aquino’s address will be delivered days after a Chinese fishing vessel ran aground in the Tubbataha Marine Park, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) world heritage site. Authorities seized from the vessel 400 boxes of pangolins or scaly anteaters, which are a protected species in the country.

The Chinese ship was the second vessel that stalled in the Tubbataha Reef this year, following the US Navy minesweeper USS Guardian which ran aground on Jan. 17.

The Philippine government is imposing a fine of $1.4 million on the US for the damage caused by the American warship to the reef.

Authorities have yet to release the official assessment of the damage caused by the Chinese vessel, but earlier reports noted that it could be as extensive as the damage caused by the USS Guardian.