Manila Bay pollution blamed on water firms

MANILA, Philippines—Two water concessionaires in Metro Manila owe the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) billions of pesos in fines for contributing to the pollution in Manila Bay due to their continued failure to put up waste water treatment plants.

Environment Secretary Lito Atienza made the disclosure during a Senate hearing Wednesday on his department’s proposed P10.6-billion budget for 2010.

Atienza told reporters after the hearing that the DENR was imposing a daily fine of P200,000 on Manila Water Co. Inc. and Maynilad Water Services Inc. for not complying with provisions in their contracts which require them to put up these facilities.

He added that both companies have been violating these provisions for the past 12 years.

Fines worth billions

“If you compute that, that’s billions of pesos [worth of fines],” Atienza said.

“We feel that we can’t save Manila Bay unless we are able to put up waste water treatment facilities that are required by their water concessions,” the DENR secretary added.

Atienza said the two water firms were now drafting a plan for the immediate installation of these facilities after earlier presenting a program that would have taken years to implement.

According to him, the plan would be presented to the government for possible financing should it fail to get monetary support from the private sector.

“We can include this in the priority program of the national government and I’m sure President Arroyo will be most interested [in supporting] our common recommendations,” he said.

Atienza stressed that Manila Bay was in danger of deteriorating further if the waste water treatment facilities were not immediately put up. –Christine Avendaño, Philippine Daily Inquirer