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
July 2025
Nutrition Month
“Give us much more than P50 increase
for proper nutrition!”
Invoke Article 33 of the ILO Constitution
against the military junta in Myanmar
to carry out the 2021 ILO Commission of Inquiry recommendations
against serious violations of
Forced Labour and Freedom of Association protocols.
Accept National Unity Government (NUG)
of Myanmar. Reject Military!
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July
3 July – International Day of Cooperatives
3 July – International Plastic Bag Free Day
5 July – World Youth Skills Day
7 July – Global Forgiveness Day
11 July – World Population Day
17 July – World Day for International Justice
28 July – World Nature Conservation Day
30 July – World Day against Trafficking in Persons
Monthly Observances:
Schools Safety Month
Nutrition Month
National Disaster Consciousness Month
Weekly Observances:
Week 2: Cultural Communities Week
Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprise
Development Week
Week 3: National Science and
Technology Week
National Disability Prevention and
Rehabilitation Week
July 1-7:
National Culture Consciousness Week
July 13-19:
Philippines Business Week
Week ending last Saturday of July:
Arbor Week
Daily Observances:
First Saturday of July:
International Cooperative Day
in the Philippines
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