DENR chief attends water summit in Japan
Secretary Jose "Lito" L. Atienza Jr. of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will meet with environmental leaders of the AsiaPacific region on the efforts being undertaken in the country to promote sustainable water management at the 1st Asia-Pacific Water Summit that started yesterday in the Oita Perfecture, Japan.
The DENR secretary said the conference offers a great opportunity for the Philippines and other countries in the region to broaden their perspective on water issues and enhance cooperative efforts in the adoption and implementation of strategic reforms for improved water governance.
Attending the conference are top-level policy and decision-makers beyond the environment and water sector, such as heads of the government and ministers of finance and planning, as well as leaders from the private sector, local government, civil society, and the media from Asia and the Pacific countries.
Atienza said before his departure that many countries in the region share a common problem, like flooding which occurs in several parts of Asia. "While floods inundate our cities and villages during the rainy season, drought and lack of water afflict us during the dry season," Atienza said.
He recalled that Metro Manila nearly suffered from a severe water crisis only several months ago, which was eased by the rains that filled the dams.
"But we have a tendency not to learn from our sad and frightening experience. Now that water is flowing again in our faucets, we have forgotten that water crisis still threatens us. Concrete measures must be done," Atienza said.
The DENR chief deplored that many of our countrymen are wasteful and careless when it come to water. "A big number of our people think that we have a never-ending supply of potable water because there’s water coming out when we open our faucets or pump our artesian wells. That’s a totally incorrect notion," Atienza said.
****
Bishop appeals for simple celebration of Christmas
Leslie Ann G. Aquino
A Catholic Church leader has joined the EcoWaste Coalition (EWC) in appealing for a greener and simple celebration of Christmas.
"Following the example of the Babe in the Manger, Christmas should be a time of strengthening His light within us so that we can give, receive, and spread the real gifts of Christmas, hope, love, charity, peace, and joy," Caloocan City Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez said.
"We pray that we will have more of this inner radiance and less of the store-bought glitter and pomp that quickly fade away at the end of the season," he added.
The public affairs committee chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines issued the appeal due to the commercialization of the celebration of Christmas in the country which not only aggravates the country’s environmental and health problems but also shrouded the true meaning of Christmas.
****
DA cited for lifting ban on US beef products
Marvyn N. Benaning
The US government has praised the Department of Agriculture (DA) for clearing the way to the full access of all US beef and beef products to the Philippine market five months after Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap imposed a ban on such commodities.
According to acting US Agriculture Secretary Chuck Conner, the DA’s move has set the standard for other Asian nations to follow in terms of allowing the complete entry of US beef and beef products in their own markets.
"I applaud Philippine Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap for making a decision that is based on sound science and in line with international guidelines," Conner said. "The Philippines has set the standard for other Asian nations, and we will continue to press for full market access throughout the Pacific Rim."
In May 2007, the World Organization for Animal Health of the Office Internationale des Epizooties (OIE) formally classified the United States as a controlled risk country for BSE.
The scrapping of the ban has heartened Conner, who said US BSE regulatory controls are effective and that US beef and beef products of all ages can be safely traded.
Yap pointed out that his decision to allow the entry of US beef into the Philippine market, which was based on the recommendations of the OIE, showed that the Philippines would not adopt an unecessarily trade restrictive attitude with its trade partners.
"We are confident that the US will recognize this act and convince it that the Philippines is more than ready and willing to ink a free-trade agreement with the US," he added.
|
