DA launches bid for bay cleanup

Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol signs a pact to rehabilitate and transform Manila Bay into a clean, thriving body of water, where fish resources are sustainably managed and protected during the Manila Bay Coastal Clean-Up kick-off ceremony. PNA The Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (DA-BFAR) led an inter-agency Manila Bay coastal clean-up drive to cover parts of the National Capital Region and nearby towns in Central Luzon and Calabarzon.

DA-BFAR said in a statement it hopes to raise public awareness and involvement in the rehabilitation efforts in Manila Bay and in the long run, transform the Bay into a clean, thriving body of water where fish resources are sustainably managed and protected.

The agency is working closely with partner government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Coast Guard and other organizations to rehabilitate, restore and conserve the Bay following the Supreme Court’s (SC) Writ of Continuing Mandamus.

“Our effort to restore Manila Bay is aligned with the Department of Agriculture’s main thrust under the leadership of Secretary Emmanuel Piñol. DA-BFAR seeks to ensure food sufficiency and improve the livelihood of the fisherfolk through the implementation of various coastal resource management programs like the Malinis at Masaganang Karagatan in the country’s major fishing grounds including Manila Bay,” DA Undersecretary for Fisheries and BFAR national director Eduardo Gongona said. PNA