QUEZON CITY, (PIA) – Rehabilitation of rivers and solid waste management remains the top priority programs of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR) according to Secretary Roy Cimatu.
"We will continue our programs such as the Battle for Manila Bay and Boracay rehabilitation. Now it’s also the battle against garbage and dirty rivers in your respective CENROs (Community Environment and Natural Resources Offices) and PENROs (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Offices)," Cimatu told the DENR provincial and regional officers during the mid-year assessment of its priority programs last July 5.
To ensure the success of the activities under these priority programs, Cimatu instructed DENR's regional officials and field officers to take the lead in the cleanup of rivers and management of solid wastes.
"I want an inventory of all rivers with corresponding fecal coliform count within your jurisdiction by next month. Henceforth, all regional offices should rehabilitate and clean degraded rivers and other water bodies starting with those in highly urbanized cities," Cimatu said.
At the same time, the DENR chief directed the participation of PENROs and CENROs in the management meetings held at the DENR Central Office "to further boost their morale and sharpen the professionalism of frontline workers."
"The PENROs and CENROs are to be included in the management conferences because they are the DENR's frontline managers and should therefore be present in our command conferences," Cimatu said.
The DENR has a total of 76 Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers and 140 Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers nationwide.
The management conference is the highest level meeting called by the DENR Secretary, which is usually attended by its officials in the central office, bureau and service directors, and regional executive directors.
"I still have a little than a year to go. In the next several months, I would like to see the mark of professionalism from the central office down to the PENROs and CENROs," Cimatu said. (DENR/PIA-NCR)
