MWSS TO WAIT FOR DENR PERMIT ON LA MESA HOUSING
MANILA, MAY 4, 2006 (STAR) The administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) yesterday gave assurances that no construction will be undertaken at the La Mesa water reservoir until required permits from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) are secured."I will assure you that we will do everything we can to prevent and avoid the contamination of the La Mesa waters in the construction of the housing project near the water reserve," MWSS Administrator Orlando Hondrade told The Star.
He said the project proponents should primarily secure environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) from the DENR before the MWSS housing project can be constructed at the La Mesa Dam area.
Other conditions set for the construction of the project include the establishment of facilities and the use of technology to ensure that the water reserve will not be contaminated and the forest would be preserved.
Hondrade said that these facilities could amount to at least P100 million.
Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, however, said that no application for a permit has been filed in the agency in connection with the MWSS housing project.
He also gave assurances that the DENR will conduct a thorough study on the matter and if warranted, would file an appeal before the Supreme Court (SC).
"I’ll have our people look into the environment implications of this (housing project) and make our position known," Reyes said. "Definitely, the matter of the environment is non-negotiable."
The SC has earlier ruled that the housing project should be allowed to proceed near the La Mesa water reservoir. This is now being used by the project proponents to press for its construction.
But Reyes warned that if the housing project is unsafe, it will inevitably affect the water table. "If the project will pollute the water and prejudice the interest of the people of Metro Manila over the long term then we have to take appropriate legal remedies," he said.
The DENR chief conceded though that the high court’s decision should be taken into consideration. "We can’t just set aside the SC. But we have to consult with our lawyers about it... We have to ascertain the environmental impact of the project over the long term," he explained.
The proposed housing project is part of the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between the MWSS and two of its labor unions — the Kaisahan at Kapatiran ng mga Manggagawa at Kawani sa NWSA (KKMK-NWSA) and Balara Employees and Laborers Association (BELA) — in 1968.
Under the agreement, the MWSS will allot 58 hectares of its property near the La Mesa watershed to be sold to the unions at P5.50 per square meter, with total value of P3.19 million. The property was raffled off and awarded to 1,411 union members. Eventually, a new site located within the perimeter of La Mesa Watershed was designated for the project.
The deal was, however, only consummated with the turnover of the absolute deed of sale to the claimants last March.
This prompted environmentalists and cause-oriented groups to revive opposition to the planned establishment of a housing project in the La Mesa Dam compound, insisting that the project poses danger to the reliability of the water supply in Metro Manila and nearby provinces. — Katherine Adraneda, Delon Porcalla
New PMS chief named By Aurea Calica The Philippine Star 05/04/2006
Former agriculture secretary Arthur Yap has been named chief of the Presidential Management Staff (PMS), Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced yesterday.
Yap will replace Rene Velasco, who has been appointed chairman of Petrochem, a subsidiary of the Philippine National Oil Corp.
Ermita said Yap would also serve in a concurrent position as presidential adviser on jobs creation.
"He will continue (being adviser on jobs creation). It’s not an incompatible position," Ermita said though he would not elaborate on why Velasco has left Malacañang.
Yap resigned as agriculture secretary in July last year after the Bureau of Internal Revenue filed tax evasion charges against his family-owned company.
After a few months, President Arroyo reappointed Yap to government service as her point man in her program to create one million employment opportunities nationwide.
A former economics student of Mrs. Arroyo at the Ateneo de Manila University, Yap served as agriculture undersecretary for Luzon operations, administrator of the National Food Authority, chairman of Food Terminal Inc. and president of the Philippine International Trading Corp.
Yap also worked in various law offices and co-founded Yap Jacinto Jacob Law Offices.
Velasco, on the other hand, was director general of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) before he was named PMS chief in February, replacing Rigoberto Tiglao, who was appointed Philippine ambassador to Greece. He also served as deputy presidential chief of staff.
Yap said the President had granted his wish of having his job generation portfolio retained by his new assignment as PMS chief.
Yap also currently heads the task force on emergency employment with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and the Philippine National Police.
"I asked the President if I could bring my job generating projects with me to the PMS because the convergence work should not stop," Yap told The STAR.
He said Mrs. Arroyo informed him of his appointment two weeks ago.
"She (the President) said that would not be a problem because one of the functions of the PMS is to operationally monitor the government’s legacy programs and also acting as jobs coordinator for the Cabinet," he said.
Yap pointed out that he had set into motion his programs to convert denuded uplands into agribusiness areas that could generate two million jobs by 2010.
Yap said the program is currently being undertaken in coordination with the Departments of Environment and Natural Resources, Agriculture (DA), and Agrarian Reform. - With Paolo Romero
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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