Long after the launching and clean-up drive under the Manila Bay rehabilitation project, the commitment of the Department of Agriculture to restore the pristine of the historic bay lingers and strengthens.
On March 6–7, 2019, the DA Inter-agency Task Force on the clean-up, rehabilitation, and preservation of Manila Bay gathered at the Bureau of Soils and Water Management (BSWM) Convention Hall to review and update the work and operational plans relevant to the project.
DA Undersecretary for Operations Ariel Cayanan shared some quotes during his opening message to stress the importance of plans and project implementation. “Planning without action is just a dream, while action without planning is a nightmare,” he repeatedly mentioned.
According to him, the Department will have a huge contribution to the rehabilitation project, especially if it could initiate programs or good practices that are contagious and can be replicated by other agencies or individuals. Thus, he encouraged everyone to give priority to the DA’s tasks in the Manila Bay rehabilitation and consider it as a big responsibility.
Executive Director Donna Mayor-Gordove of the Manila Bay Coordinating Office discussed the Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy (OPMBCS) 2017–2022 that outlines the specific programs, activities, and projects needed for the rehabilitation. She also enumerated the key performance indicators and the deliverables that the DA needs to accomplish.
In addition, Mayor-Gordove introduced the Manila Bay Agency Scorecard System that will measure the performance and success of the mandamus agencies in the implementation of the OPMBCS. The agencies will be scored in terms of physical accomplishments and milestones (70 percent) and administrative accomplishments (30 percent).
The representatives from the BSWM (croplands cluster), Bureau of Animal Industry (livestock cluster), and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (fisheries cluster) reported the cluster updates on the status of the OPMBCS implementation and the issues and concerns encountered. They also presented the consolidated cluster work plan and proposed budget for 2020.
DA Field Operations Service Director Roy Abaya stated in his closing remarks, “Hopefully we will contribute our part for the complete rehabilitation of the Manila Bay.”
The DA is one of the 13 government agencies ordered by the Supreme Court Mandamus on Manila Bay to clean-up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay. Led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Manila Bay rehabilitation project aims at restoring and maintaining Manila Bay’s water to the SB level, which means that it is safe for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation. ### (Gumamela Celes Bejarin, DA-AFID)
