WHEN President Arroyo steps down on June 30, she will leave behind an environmental legacy of her nine-year administration that will be passed on to the next administration and future generation, Environment Secretary Horacio Ramos said.

Highlighting Mrs. Arroyo’s milestone achievement during her nine-year administration, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) came up with a summary of some of the achievements in the field of environment and natural resources during her watch.

During Mrs. Arroyo’s administration, the DENR went under a revolving-door policy, having had the most number of secretaries—Jose Mari Gerochi, Heherson Alvarez, Elizea Gozun, Mike Defensor, Angelo Reyes, Joselito Atienza, Eleazar Quinto and Ramos.

Ramos took over as DENR chief early this year.

Ramos, in the first part of Environmental Legacy published by the agency, stressed that the Arroyo administration takes pride in having the most number of environmental laws passed during the past 10 years, which, he said, is more than in any other decade in the country’s history.

Environmental laws

DURING President Arroyo’s watch these laws were enacted: Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2001, a comprehensive law on proper waste management that promotes waste segregation, recycling, composting, and the closure of garbage dumps and landfills; Republic Act 9175, or the Chainsaw Act in 2002, which regulated the ownership, sale and use of chainsaw; Republic Act 9072 for the management and protection of caves and cave resources; Republic Act 9147, or the Wild Life Act of 2001, to conserve and protect the wildlife resources and their habitats; Republic Act 3751 in 2004, which prohibits the cutting and destruction of plants and growing trees; Republic Act 9637, or the Biofuels Act, which promotes the production and use of biofuel as additive to fossil fuel; Republic Act 9729, or the Climate Change Act of 2009, which mandates the protection of the climate system, stabilization of greenhouse-gas concentrations, and strengthening of the country’s resilience to climate change-related disasters.

Increased forest cover

THE country’s reforestation efforts took a major leap during the Arroyo watch with 244,022 hectares planted. An outlay of P1.5 billion—the biggest in the annals of Philippine forestry—was set aside for reforestation in 2009.

As a result of last year’s P1.5-billion allotment for reforestation, so far the biggest single-year allocation from regular budget in the history of forestry, a total of 50,024 hectares were replanted with indigenous trees, generating an estimated 50,024 jobs, Ramos said.

He said that a total of 170,318 cubic meters of illegally cut forest products, equivalent to about 11,354 10-wheeler trucks, were confiscated and 1,864 cases were filed in various “green courts.”

This can be attributed to the strict enforcement of environmental laws, and the protection that the government provided to threatened areas.

Ramos said that under the leadership of Mrs. Arroyo, a total of 25 protected areas, covering 1 million hectares, have been established. This increased the number of protected areas by 44.6 percent. The country now has a total of 109 protected areas, which covers around 3.46 million hectares, or 11.5 percent, of the country’s total land area.

The areas placed under protection during the past nine years include Subic in Zambales, Panglao in Bohol, Samar Island, Northern Panay, Mount Isarog in Camarines Sur, Tubbataha Reef in Palawan and Central Cebu.

A total of 7,134 hectares of mangrove forests were also rehabilitated during the past 23 years, of which 87 percent or 6,228 hectares were accomplished under Arroyo’s leadership, Ramos stressed.

Ramos said 24 percent of the Philippines is now covered by forests.

Wildlife conservation

THE increase in forest cover may be expected to result in enormous ecological benefits, such as reduced carbon dioxide, reduced flooding through water absorption by more tress, subsequently increasing of groundwater and reduced soil erosion and increased habitat for plant and animal species.

Ramos said more forests also means more sources of food and medicines and raw materials for industries and better ecotourism destinations.

More important, better management of endangered species has been experienced over the past nine years. In fact, the DENR reported that the tamaraw, the Philippines’ national animal, increased from 239 heads in 2007 to 274 heads in 2009.

The number of cockatoos, a threatened specie of bird, also increased from 20 in 1999 to 100 in 2009.

Also, since 2001, 24 new species of plants and animals were discovered, which include bats, parrot, mice, rats, frogs, a giant golden-spotted monitor lizard, and raflesia, the world’s largest flower, which were all discovered in the mountains of Cagayan, Camiguin, Cordilleras, Quezon, Palawan and Mindoro, as part of the government’s initiative to protect the country’s rich biodiversity.

Ramos said the expansion in the areas of protection will provide added protection and better adaptation of the plant and animal species against the impact of climate change.

Better air quality

DURING the Arroyo administration, the DENR reported improved air quality in Metro Manila. The total suspended particulates in Metro Manila’s air has been effectively reduced from 162 micrograms per cubic meter in 2003 to 134 micrograms per cubic meter in 2009, mainly owing to efforts exerted by the government in the promotion of clean energy and strict enforcement of the Clean Air Act.

Ramos, however, said the extent of air pollution in Metro Manila is still beyond what is considered to be healthy at 90 micrograms per cubic meter. Air pollution in Metro Manila, he said, is mostly caused by vehicular emission, which contributes about 65 percent of the air pollution in the metropolis.

Better water quality

IN the area of water-quality management, the DENR said majority, or 80.3 percent, of the rivers in the country have clean water. However, majority of the river systems in major urban areas, especially Metro Manila, are polluted but there have been some improvements in the water quality of the major rivers, such as the Marilao River, Bocaue River and San Juan River.

The DENR reported that the biological oxygen demand or BOD, which scientists explain as the amount of oxygen necessary to sustain aquatic life in those rivers, has improved during the past six years.

Pasig River, according to the DENR, is now undergoing comprehensive dredging to remove 2.83 million cubic meters or equivalent to 24.4 million drums of silt and debris and will increase the average water elevation from 12.8 feet to 19.2 feet.

The DENR said the dredging of the Pasig River will be completed by October.

Meanwhile, the DENR also started the dismantling of illegal structures such as fish cages, fish pens and baklads in 2008 to improve water quality, reduce flooding and make the waters more navigable.

According to the DENR, a total of 5,125 illegal structures have been demolished on Taal Lake and Laguna de Bay. On Manila Bay, 96 illegal structures have already been removed.

Solid-waste management

THE DENR, to effectively implement Republic Act 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, launched the “Zero Basura” program to reduce garbage through proper waste segregation, reuse, recycling and creation of new products from garbage.

As part of implementing the law, a total of 6,750 materials-recovery facilities for 7,680 barangays have also been established, and the number of sanitary landfills increased to 30, with 42 more under construction.

Before Arroyo assumed office, there were only 454 existing materials recovery facilities and two sanitary landfills.

Such, he said, helped improved the air quality in the Philippines, especially in the rural areas.

Ramos said such achievement in the area of ecological solid-waste management dramatically improved the country’s capacity of properly disposing waste.

Geohazard mapping

THE DENR, through the Mines and Geosciences Bureau have also completed the geohazard assessment of 91 percent of cities and towns nationwide and produced a total of 835 geohazard maps covering 86 percent of the archipelago.

The DENR said the geohazard mapping of the entire archipelago will be completed this year.

The geohazard mapping aims to reduce risk brought about by natural disasters triggered by global warming and climate change.

The Philippines, which remain highly vulnerable to extreme weather events, experience strong typhoons that result in loss of lives and damage to property.

During the past nine years, the government pursued the geohazard mapping of the country to identify areas prone to landslides, flooding and erosion.