By Anna Valmero
SANTA ROSA CITY, LAGUNA—To achieve sustainable development, Sta. Rosa City mayor Arlene Arcillas-Nazareno is urging the passage of an “Environment Code” to address concerns on the sustainable use of natural resources.
“I hope that this (Environment) Code will be the embodiment of how Santa Rosa is—a city that promotes sustainable development through sustainable resources,” said Arcillas-Nazareno.
The city will partner with the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines for the formulation of the environment code.
A study by WWF Philippines said that Sta. Rosa's fast-paced industrialization and urbanization “may lead to environmental degradation and abuse, with irreversible impacts such as lower groundwater levels due to high demands of the growing population and industrial sites, poor air quality from motor vehicles and contaminated water from discharge of untreated sewage.”
An environment code contains a comprehensive program on environmental protection and management that seeks to establish policies for environment quality standards.
It is similar to Presidential Decree No. 1152 or the Philippine Environment Code but is catered specifically to the needs of Sta. Rosa.
“The environment code will address the gaps in existing ordinances, creating new legislation if needed, such as garbage collection fees and penalties for improper garbage segregation,” said Maria Amor Salandanan, supervising environment management specialist of the city environment and natural resources office.
Moreover, application for development permits should allocate areas for green projects, Salandanan said.
The city council aims to release and approve the environment code by June.
To formulate the recommendations for groundwater management for the Santa Rosa Watershed, the city government and WWF Philippines will use the results of a five-year study funded by Coca-Cola Bottlers Phils. Inc.
The watershed project covers the cities of Santa Rosa and Biñan, and the municipalities of Cabuyao and Silang. Components include the assessment of water quality of the city wells in potable drinking water and formulation of the Environment Code.
Meanwhile, the city government will also earmark P10 million for a project on flood control and drainage master plan as part of the city’s disaster risk management strategy, said Arcillas-Nazareno .
The Aplaya Waterfront Development Project, designed to take care of the lakeshore communities in the City, is another project aimed to generate additional income for the city.
An advocate of participatory governance, the city mayor reiterated that all stakeholders should take part in environment conservation.
