Activity 1
After considering which among the environmental management projects are most widely
known here in the Philippines, I noticed that most well funded projects are mainly focused on
rehabilitation and beautifying tourist spots.
One of the recent and most well-known environmental management projects here in the
Philippines is the “Boracay Rehabilitation Project”. The island of Boracay was closed upon
orders of President Duterte on April 26, 2018 as part of a six-month plan to jumpstart the
environmental rehabilitation of the island. Although Boracay reopened on Oct. 26, 2018, the
Boracay Inter-Agency Task Force (BIATF) led by the Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR) is still on track to complete the extensive rehabilitation of Boracay Island by
the first half of 2022. Another similar project is called “Manila Bay Clean-Up, Rehabilitation and
Preservation Project”. On January 27, 2019, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu officially declared
the start of the Manila Rehabilitation at the Baywalk in Manila. Calling it the “Battle for Manila
Bay,” Cimatu, a former Armed Forces chief, said: “This is one battle that will be won not with
force or arms, but with the firm resolve to bring Manila Bay back to life.” And last but not the
least, is the controversial “Manila Dolomite Beach Project”. Dolomite Beach is a project that is a
part of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program launched by Secretary Roy Cimatu in January
2019. The project was controversial not only because of its questionable budget but also
because the health department itself earlier warned that crushed dolomite can cause respiratory
issues, especially when inhaled.
The common denominator of these projects is that it involves both the public and private
sectors. Private sectors cooperating with the public sector to achieve environmental
improvement makes sense because improving the environment of a specific place can attract
business investors and customers while at the same time, implying the message to the people
to maintain the cleanliness of the place. The Environmental Management System, often called
an EMS, was clearly executed here. Through consistent review, evaluation, and making policies
of the management, it created a system which monitors and maintains the interactions with the
environment in order to prevent negative environmental impacts.
There is an increasing awareness of and worry about the environment's fragility.
Organizational strategies are changing as a result of new regulations and tougher regulatory
enforcement. The notion of sustainable development, which emphasizes that the costs of
tomorrow's cleaning must be weighed against today's profits, is growing rapidly.
References:
Coloma, A. (2022). Dolomite beach project to continue under new DENR chief. ABS-CBN News
Retrieved April 7, 2022, from
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/26/22/dolomite-beach-project-to-continue-under-newdenr-chief
DENR-led task force on schedule to complete Boracay rehab project by 2022. (2021).
Denr.gov.ph. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from
https://denr.gov.ph/index.php/news-events/press-releases/3449-denr-led-task-force-on-s
chedule-to-complete-boracay-rehab-project-by-2022
Fact sheet on Manila Bay Rehabilitation. (2019). Calabarzon.denr.gov.ph. Retrieved April 7,
2022, from https://calabarzon.denr.gov.ph/index.php/news-events/press-releases/853fact-sheet-on-manila-bay-rehabilitation/
Manila Bay Cleanup. (2019). Denr.gov.ph. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from
https://denr.gov.ph/index.php/priority-programs/manila-bay-clean-up
Navarrosa, L. (2019). Boracay Rehabilitation: Restoring Paradise. Manilastandart.net.
Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://manilastandard.net/spotlight/cor
porate-philanthropy-csr-champions-of-today/287397/boracay-rehabilitation-restoring-par
adise.html