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DENR National Capital Region
DENR National Capital Region inaugurates its West Field Office

Following the issuance of DENR Administrative Order No.
2019-02, mandating the creation of four (4) field offices for Metro
Manila, the West Field Office formally opened its doors to the
public on Tuesday, 12 February 2019.
DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations, Atty. Juan Miguel
T. Cuna, and DENR National Capital Region Regional Executive
Director Jacqueline A. Caancan led the ribbon cutting. Former
DENR Undersecretary Demetrio L. Ignacio, Jr., EMB National
Capital Region Director, Atty. Domingo M. Clemente, Jr. and DENR
National Capital Region management team stood witness.

Also present are the Assistant Regional Directors for Management
Services and Technical Services of DENR MIMAROPA,
Natividad Y. Bernardino and Vicente B. Tuddao, Jr. respectively.
DENR Undersecretary for Field Operations, Atty. Juan Miguel T. Cuna and Located at the 10th Flr of 1515 L & S Building in Ermita Manila,
DENR National Capital Region Regional Executive Director Jacqueline A. the West Metro Manila Field Office will also house the sub-field
Caancan at the opening ceremonies for the Metro Manila West Field Office. office for the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program.

Information Drive conducted in Baseco Wetlands Center to start

DENR National Capital Region, through the Office of the constuction in LPPCHEA
Assistant Regional Director for Environment and Special
Concerns, conducted an intensive information drive about
the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program (MBRP) from
February 12-15 2019 for residents of Baseco Compound in
Port Area Tondo, Manila.
The learning event was facilitated by DENR National
Capital Region Project Monitoring Evaluation Officer,
Erlinda Gonzales with resource speakers from the
Environmental Education and Information Division (EEID)
of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Central
Office.
The 3-day information campaign sought to encourage
participation and cooperation of Baseco residents on the on- Sen. Cynthia Villar and RED Jacqueline A. Caancan led the cornerstone laying
going implementation of the rehabilitation of Manila Bay. for the soon-to-be constructed Wetlands Center in LPPCHEA
Sen. Cynthia A. Villar led the groundbreaking ceremony for the
Baseco sits at the mouth of Pasig River, west of Metro Manila. Wetlands Center at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat and
Formally known as Barangay 649, it is the largest barangay Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA) on Friday, 8 February 2019.
in Manila both in terms of land area and population. In 2015,
the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) listed close to DENR National Capital Region Regional Executive Director
60,000 residents, most of them living below the poverty line. Jacqueline A. Caancan, together with her Assistant Regional Directors
for Manila Bay Dr. Eva S. Ocfemia and Hadja Didaw D. Piang-
They have little or no access to sanitation services at all and Brahim were present to give Sen. Villar a hand in the ceremony.
dispose their waste through poorly constructed septic tanks The Wetland Center, made possible with the help of Sen. Villar, will
if not directly to Manila Bay. One estimate puts as much as house a training center, library, laboratory and museum, apart from
5,000 families in Baseco have no toilets. serving as field office for DENR National Capital Region. As such,
it is envisioned as a site for learning and advocacy on coastal and
In addition to their sanitation woes, the residents also fail wetland ecosystem conservation and protection.
in managing their solid waste properly as evidenced by the
presence of garbage in the area. DENR hopes to influence Also present to witness the event and participate in the tree planting
Baseco residents in adopting sustainable waste management and coastal cleanup that followed the groundbreaking ceremony
are representatives and officials of the city governments of Parañ
schemes and help in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, aque and Las Piñ as, DPWH, CAVITEX, Philippine Coast Guard,
considering their proximity to the area. Philippine National Police, and civil society organizations.