Marikina wins ASEAN’s ESC award

MANILA, Philippines — Marikina was among the recipients of the prestigious Association of Southeast Asian Nations Environmentally Sustainable Cities Award during the 5th ASEAN ESC and Certificates of Recognition Award held in Jakarta recently.

The city of Marikina received the highest scores for all three categories on clean air, land, and water through the assessments conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Marikina’s air quality is within the standards of the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The city also has a dedicated anti-smoke belching unit, which conducts daily roadside inspections to check the emission level of motor vehicles.

The city posted a 47 percent reduction in the number of apprehended smoke belchers from 4,183 violators in 2018 to 2,204 in 2019.

The award giving body said 100 percent of Marikina’s households have access to water provided by Manila Water. The provided tap water meet s the drinking water standards of the World Health Organization.

Parañaque received a certificate of recognition under the category “Clean Land for Big Cities.”

The city was cited for its solid waste management program.

Third Secretary Noel Rodriguez of the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to ASEAN received the awards on behalf of the two cities during a ceremony held at the Indonesia’s Ministry of Environment and Forestry in Jakarta.