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Bulacan is one of the largest farming locations here in the Philippines and it`s just right for a clean water supply for the farmers and their crops and it will always start with the bodies of water around bulacan to be kept clean. With the advancement of technology, we can surely make a way in maintaining and developing the cleanliness of the lakes and such for it is the main source of water not only for the farmers but also for the residents as well.

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Once a body of water gets dirty, it's difficult to clean up. Removing pollutants from a body of water is costly, time-consuming and rare.

But it's not impossible.

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Start on the Canadian border at Lake of the Woods and drive some 425 miles south across the length of Minnesota to Okamanpeedan Lake on the Iowa border.

Both those lakes fail to meet at least one water-quality standard. So do thousands of the lakes and streams in between - about 40 percent of Minnesota's water bodies don't meet pollution standards. That's according to the state Pollution Control Agency, which sent its most recent draft impaired waters list to federal officials this month.

Once a body of water gets dirty, it's difficult to clean up. Removing pollutants from a body of water is costly, time-consuming and rare.

But it's not impossible.

To see the kind of work it takes, MPR News looked at two cases in which action by the local community cleaned up a body of water. One is a river running through the woods of northeast Minnesota; the other, a farm country lake in the southwest.

These success stories illustrate how water cleanup isn't a hopeless task, but one that requires grueling work.

First Fulda Lake: Two decades of persistence pay off

Southern Minnesota lakes aren't known for their pristine water quality at this point in time. More often, it's pea-soup water full of bullheads and excess nutrients including phosphorus from farm runoff. But the case of First Fulda Lake shows that murky lakes can be saved - it just might take a long time.

The ongoing restoration efforts at Fulda date back to July 16, 1996, when the city of Fulda had its first meeting with the Heron Lake Watershed District on how to clean up the lake.

"It was super dirty," said Jan Voit, the watershed district administrator. "They quit using it for swimming and recreation."

Over 20 years later, the lake is getting back to how it used to be.

Problems: First Fulda Lake, 122 acres in size, is a shallow body of water, 7 feet at its deepest point.

As a prairie lake, it faced pollution from agricultural runoff. It's also near a town, from which it received stormwater runoff. Then there's the invasive carp that would root up vegetation on the lake bottom and churn up sediment, making the water even more turbid.

Fixes: Step one was looking for grants to pay for fixing up the lake. Then the watershed district began working with farmers on a drainage-improvement project to ensure they had buffers on open ditches, and swapping in rock inlets for open-tile intakes.

Other grant money was used to pay farmers to do conservation tillage.

In the city, there were lakeshore restorations and educational efforts.

To tackle the carp, the Department of Natural Resources drained as much of the lake as it could and then used a chemical called rotenone to poison treatment to kill the invasive fish. An electric barrier was installed as well.

Impact: The state says the lake now has low enough nutrient levels for recreation - 22 years after initial clean-up work began.

Voit said it's unheard of for a dirty southern Minnesota lake to make progress lake that.

"The only way to make a change on the landscape is to make behavioral changes for the people who live here," Voit said. "You can make a difference. It takes a long time ... but it is possible."

Poplar River: Quick, strong action salvage a prized waterway

Streams like the Poplar River in northeast Minnesota are generally long and winding as they cross flat land before a sharp drop into down the escarpment toward Lake Superior through clay, and silty soil.

So, it's common for the rivers to take a brown color every so often, like after a rainstorm.

But when the lower Poplar River was deemed impaired in 2004, "it was a surprise to everybody," said Tom Rider, who co-owns the Lutsen Mountains ski area through which the Poplar flows.

The community acted quickly to restore the waterway, which is the MPCA says is again clear enough to meet the standard to support aquatic life.

Problems: For decades, there was an ad hoc approach to land management around Lutsen, said Phil Larson, a technician at the Cook County Soil and Water Conservation District.

"You just kinda did whatever you wanted. If you needed a road, you bulldozed a road across the side of the hill," he said. "A lot of that stuff is kind of legacy destruction that happened, and we're still cleaning up from it."

Even 10 years ago, he said, if staff at the ski hill needed a ditch, they'd dig a ditch and put in a culvert to drain it, which isn't very effective.

Erosion took its toll over the years, dirtying the Poplar. Watershed studies estimate a third of the erosion to be human-induced, with the rest coming from natural causes.

Fixes: It turned out that humans could aid the river by addressing both the human-caused and natural erosion. Step one was moving the Poplar away from the "megaslump" - an area where the river butts against a high dirt bank, which is considered the largest contributor of sediment - and installing a tree and rock buffers to keep dirt out.

Lutsen changed how it built ski runs, too. Now, workers preserve the existing topsoil as much as possible when constructing new runs to retain its permeability, Rider said. Lutsen also uses waterbars on ski runs, which divert water runoff into wooded areas or into a stormwater reservoir rather than running down into the river.

Impact: Largely, it's an attitude change. Larson summed up important lesson to learn when it comes to development around water: "Humans can't not make an impact."

Lutsen staff have received training from the MPCA, Rider said. "Our sense of awareness of these issues have improved dramatically."

The federal Environmental Protection Agency will make the final call whether Fulda and the Poplar officially come off the impaired waters list. Regardless, the health of both water bodies is improving.

The common theme for both successful restoration efforts is a great deal of patience and resolve among the people involved.

Voit said the Fulda cleanup has been one of the more rewarding things she's seen in her career.

"It's a testament to the people in the town," she said.

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The difficulties of cleaning up dirty water

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Start on the Canadian border at Lake of the Woods and drive some 425 miles south across the length of Minnesota to Okamanpeedan Lake on the Iowa border. Both those lakes fail to meet at least one water-quality standard. So do thousands of the lakes and streams in between - about 40 percent of Minnesota's water bodies don't meet pollution standards.

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In Bulacan, the agency’s regional office ordered the closure of 15 factories in the Municipalities of Marilao and Meycauayan for pumping waste water directly to river estuaries that link to Manila Bay.

In a report released by DENR on Friday (January 25), the agency issued ‘cease and desist’ order to 12 leather and tannery firms in Meycauayan and three in Marilao.

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BULACAN, Philippines - There is no stopping the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) from its crackdown of facilities that pollute Manila Bay.

In Bulacan, the agency's regional office ordered the closure of 15 factories in the Municipalities of Marilao and Meycauayan for pumping waste water directly to river estuaries that link to Manila Bay.

In a report released by DENR on Friday (January 25), the agency issued 'cease and desist' order to 12 leather and tannery firms in Meycauayan and three in Marilao.

On Monday (January 28), the DENR cemented the drainage canal of five leather factories to prevent wastewater from draining to the rivers of Marilao and Meycauayan.

"Ang mga operations na ganito,na walang waste water treatment facility, walang permit, malaki ang contribution nila sa pollution," explained Emerlyn Claudio, the DENR Region 3 Director.

Claudio accused the said establishments to have violated the Clean Water Act for not having their respective water treatment facility and environmental compliance certificate.

The environment official also noted that the said factories are discharging dark and chemically contaminated wastewater that flows directly to Manila Bay.

Aside from damage to the environment, the factories' operations also cause inconvenience to the residents nearby.

"Ito nga tayo masakit na sa dibdib. Nakakasulasok na ang amoy. Kung yung mga nasa paligid, lalo na yung may exposure, I think this is one of the reasons why may complaint dati. Pero nag-stop sila and then nag resurface naman ang operation nila," explained Claudio.

Local officials vowed to monitor closely the concerned companies after the shutdown.

"Mabaho na may kulay. May sulfite iyan ay nakakarating sa aming barangay. Imo-monitor na namin iyan araw-araw para ma-check kung mayroong tumatapon na tubig na marurumi," said Chirs Polo Delos Santos, an official of Barangay Tugatog.

Meanwhile, the DENR warned closure against other companies if proven to have been violating environmental law particularly by disposing solid, water and chemical waste in aquatic environments such as Manila Bay. - Marje Pelayo (with reports from Nestor Torres)

The post 15 factories in Bulacan shut down for pumping chemical waste to Manila Bay appeared first on UNTV News.

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15 factories in Bulacan shut down for pumping chemical waste to Manila Bay

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BULACAN, Philippines - There is no stopping the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) from its crackdown of facilities that pollute Manila Bay. In Bulacan, the agency's regional office ordered the closure of 15 factories in the Municipalities of Marilao and Meycauayan for pumping waste water directly to river estuaries that link to Manila [...]

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Polluted Waters in Bulacan which can be a source of water for the crops

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Polluted Waters in Bulacan which can be a source of water for the crops

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A creek in Meycauayan, Bulacan that often changes color brings anything but joy to residents. The creek has also emitted a strong odor of decaying fish and strong chemicals for at least three decades.

In an interview, Meycauayan Environment Officer Ricardo Santa Ana said that they will coordinate with the City Environment Office of Valenzuela as there are factories in Valenzuela that may be affecting the water.

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A creek in Meycauayan, Bulacan that often changes color brings anything but joy to residents.

"Minsan blue, minsan green, minsan 'yan nga sabi mo, minsan may red," Arlette Ejercito, a resident, said in Mark Salazar's Tuesday report on 24 Oras.

The creek has also emitted a strong odor of decaying fish and strong chemicals for at least three decades.

In an interview, Meycauayan Environment Officer Ricardo Santa Ana said that they will coordinate with the City Environment Office of Valenzuela as there are factories in Valenzuela that may be affecting the water.

However, Valenzuela City Environment Officer Rommel Pondivida said he was not aware of the creek changing its color.

According to Pondivida, they will wait for the Meycauayan office to reach out so they may conduct an investigation together.

The creek in Barangay Lawa reaches up to Barangay Caingin and Tugatog before spilling into Meycauayan River and then to Manila Bay. - Joahna Lei Casilao/BM, GMA News

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Polluted Bulacan waterway stinks, turns different colors

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A creek in Meycauayan, Bulacan that often changes color brings anything but joy to residents. "Minsan blue, minsan green, minsan 'yan nga sabi mo, minsan may red," Arlette Ejercito, a resident, said in Mark Salazar's Tuesday report on 24 Oras. The creek has also emitted a strong odor of decaying fish and strong chemicals for at least three decades.

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•An in-depth assessment of different nitrate remediation technologies is reviewed.

•Nitrate mitigation through adsorption is very effective with >99% efficiency.

•Naturally available novel adsorbents are a suitable choice for nitrate abatement.

•Activated clay-iron oxide blended nano-composite can effectively remove nitrate.

•Techno-economics based policy analysis foster scale-up towards sustainable practices.

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Solomon K. M. Huno, Eldon R. Rene, Eric D. van Hullebusch, Ajit P. Annachhatre; Nitrate removal from groundwater: a review of natural and engineered processes. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 December 2018; 67 (8): 885-902. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2018.194

Download citation file:

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Nitrate removal from groundwater: a review of natural and engineered processes

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Solomon K. M. Huno, Eldon R. Rene, Eric D. van Hullebusch, Ajit P. Annachhatre; Nitrate removal from groundwater: a review of natural and engineered processes. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua 1 December 2018; 67 (8): 885-902. doi: https://doi.org/10.2166/aqua.2018.194 Download citation file:

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Strategic management of nitrate pollution from contaminated water using viable adsorbents: An economic assessment-based review with possible policy suggestions

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Groundwater contaminated with nitrate has prompted a flurry of research studies around the world in the recent years to address this burning environme…

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The growing concern for the preservation of drinkable water is an important issue that we should be aware of, sustainable ways of maintaining and restoring sources of water; as well as working together with organizations that are proposing of possible strategies in preserving water sources pollution free.

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Manila Water Philippine Ventures unit, Bulacan Aqua Estates, recently inaugurated an innovative treatment facility that will deliver as much as one million liters of clean, potable water per day-the Nanofiltration - Reverse Osmosis Hybrid Water Treatment Plant.

Dedicated to serve a residential community of more than 1,000 households in Malolos, Bulacan, the hybrid water treatment plant was intended to address poor quality issues like high total dissolved solids or organic and inorganic substances such as minerals, salts and organic matter contained in raw water. The hybrid technology that combines Nanofiltration system and Reverse Osmosis was developed by Manila Water Total Solutions. Water goes through a rigorous multi-stage treatment process that effectively removes the total dissolved solids, iron, manganese, radon and other heavy metals to produce treated water that is compliant with the Philippine National Standards for Drinking Water. Apart from this, it is designed to eliminate undesirable odor and taste.

This plant that promotes both mobility and cost-efficiency is Manila Water enterprise's very first hybrid facility that uses the state-of-the art combined technology. Compared to available technologies in the Philippines, the plant achieves the desired treatment process and compliance with lower capital investment and operation.

In 2017, water operations of subdivisions developed by Asian Land Strategies Corporation, Solar Resources Inc., and Borland Development Corporation located in San Ildefonso, Pulilan, Sta. Maria, Plaridel, and Malolos City were turned over to Bulacan Aqua Estates. Low water availability, service reliability, and inferior water quality were among the most common challenges that plagued these subdivisions.

Within two years of operation, Bulacan Aqua Estates has been able to provide 24-hour water supply access to almost 8,000 service connections. By instituting various system rehabilitation and efficiency programs, such as utilization of proper treatment technology, refurbishment and maintenance of water facilities and appurtenances, the company has transformed the water service of these communities.

In order to augment supply, the company has started leakage detection and reduction programs to improve pressure and lower system losses from as high as 70 percent during the start of operation to a current 21 percent. These measures resulted in almost four million liters of recovered water per day, that is then redistributed through the network for the needed water supply of the customers.

With continued efforts like the Nanofiltration - Reverse Osmosis Hybrid Water Treatment Plant, as well as regular water quality tests in coordination with municipal and city health offices, the company furthers the delivery of clean, safe, reliable water supply to more and more households of gated communities across the Province of Bulacan.

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Bulacan Aqua Estates inaugurates state-of-the-art hybrid water treatment facility | Manila Water Company, Inc.

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Manila Water Philippine Ventures unit, Bulacan Aqua Estates, recently inaugurated an innovative treatment facility that will deliver as much as one million liters of clean, potable water per day-the Nanofiltration - Reverse Osmosis Hybrid Water Treatment Plant.

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The project will include components such as Water Source/s; Aqueduct Interconnection, Intake and Lift Station for raw water abstraction; Water Treatment Plant complete with support buildings and structures, treated water reservoir, including Sludge Treatment Facility; Raw and Treated Water conveyance facilities complete with necessary appurtenances; Facilities for interconnection with the WDs; Bridge, Culvert, and River Crossings; SCADA system; Booster Pump Stations; Security Perimeter Fencing; Inventory of Materials and Vehicles; and Access Road and Pipe Bridge Support.

That would be implemented by Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewage System, expecting the project to provide treated bulk water to the various water districts (WDs) of Bulacan to help meet the increasing water demand of its consumers, expand its current service area coverage and increase the households served. The private partner will undertake the financing, detailed design and construction, and maintenance of conveyance facilities, treatment facilities and water source.

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Implementing Agency

Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)

Project Description

The project will provide treated bulk water to the various water districts (WDs) of Bulacan to help meet the increasing water demand of its consumers, expand its current service area coverage and increase the households served. The private partner will undertake the financing, detailed design and construction, and maintenance of conveyance facilities, treatment facilities and water source.
The project will include the construction of various components, such as:

a) Water Source/s;
b) Aqueduct Interconnection, Intake and Lift Station for raw water abstraction;
c) Water Treatment Plant complete with support buildings and structures, treated water reservoir, including Sludge Treatment Facility;
d) Raw and Treated Water conveyance facilities complete with necessary appurtenances;
e) Facilities for interconnection with the WDs;
f) Bridge, Culvert, and River Crossings;
g) SCADA system;
h) Booster Pump Stations;
i) Security Perimeter Fencing;
j) Inventory of Materials and Vehicles; and
k) Access Road and Pipe Bridge Support.

Project Cost

PhP 24.41 Billion

Procurement Mode

Solicited

PPP Structure

Build-Operate-and-Transfer (BOT)

Cooperation Period

30 years (inclusive of construction)

Region

REGION III - CENTRAL LUZON

Sector

Water & Sanitation

Private Proponent

Luzon Clean Water Development Corporation (LCWDC)
Consortium Members: San Miguel Holdings Inc. and Korea Water Resources Corporation

Status

Ongoing operations of Stage 1 and Stage 2 since January 24, 2019 and April 25, 2019 respectively.

Compliance to Key Performance Indicators for September 2022:

KPI 1 - Availability of Supply: 109.68% Compliance (supply of treated bulk water is above the required contracted volume)

KPI 2 - Water Quality: 100% Compliance

KPI 3 - Pressure: 97.69% Compliance (due to the utilization of San Jose Del Monte interconnection point's bypass line to increase their supply)

KPI 4 - Service Coverage: 100% Compliance

KPI 5 - Non-Revenue Water (NRW): 100% Compliance (allowable NRW is up to 5%; for September 2022, 2.63% NRW was recorded).

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Bulacan Bulk Water Supply Project | PPP Center

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Implementing Agency Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) Project Description The project will provide treated bulk water to the various water districts (WDs) of Bulacan to help meet the increasing water demand of its consumers, expand its current service area coverage and increase the households served.

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The Marilao in Bulacan is among four iconic rivers whose polluted conditions are spotlighted in 'Hidden Consequences', a new report published today by Greenpeace. The report calls for urgent action to protect the livelihoods of the people and wildlife that depend on these waterways and the life-sustaining resources that they provide, by demanding that policy-makers commit to a Toxic-Free Future.

Through case studies from various countries, the report shows how toxic industrial effluents have dire impacts on freshwater bodies, and people. But because these chemicals are hidden or invisible, efforts to control them once they have been discharged have not been effective. Greenpeace is calling on the Philippine government to learn from the lessons of developed countries and immediately institute policies to protect the country's precious freshwater resources from industrial pollution.

"This report debunks the short-sighted and negative mentality that 'pollution is the price to pay for progress.' Experiences from everywhere around the world show that industrial water pollution have translated to huge economic, human and environmental costs. Greenpeace aims to show that there is a better way: an effective pollution prevention policy is the win-win solution," said Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

'Hidden Consequences' draws attention to the financial, social and environmental costs of industrial water pollution, showcasing the problems of long-term contamination from hazardous chemicals across several locations in the 'Global North' (2), including the Hudson River, the Dutch Delta, the Laborec River and the 'Swiss Toxic Dumps' (3).

The report illustrates how rivers in the 'Global South': the Yangtze in China, the Chao Phraya in Thailand, the Neva in Russia and the Marilao in the Philippines, dotted by numerous factories and industrial buildings along the length of its banks, are now facing the same situation. The said rivers supply drinking, domestic and agriculture water to the populations of large rural areas, as well as to the inhabitants of big cities such as Shanghai, Bangkok and St.Petersburg.

"The impacts of water pollution on human health, the environment and local economies are rarely considered or compensated, not just because they are hard to calculate, but because of the difficulty in tracking down the polluters and holding them responsible for the cost of cleaning up the pollution. Instead, it is the taxpayer who too often ends up paying the bill," said Baconguis.

"Our government has a choice. Should they expose their citizens and the environment to hazardous toxic pollution, and condemn future generations to pay for the management of contaminated sediments, whose full and final costs are incalculable? Or should they instead commit to a 'Toxic-Free Future', and take precautionary action to support truly sustainable innovation, and progressively eliminate the use and release of hazardous substances down to 'zero discharge'?" added Baconguis.

Greenpeace is calling on governments and corporations to commit to a Toxic-Free Future by taking urgent, precautionary and transparent action to eliminate the use and releases of all hazardous substances.

Preventive measures of water pollution are urgently needed in the Philippines. The government should:

- set up a proper pollutant disclosure system through which the public could easily access a wide range of pollution data;

- immediately establish a list of hazardous chemicals for priority elimination action; and

- create an action plan with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately zero the discharges of toxic chemicals.

-------
Download Hidden Consequences and related materials: Hidden Consequences Report (Full text and Executive Summary) Hidden Consequences Digital Magazine Contacts:
Martin Hojsik, Toxic Water Campaign Coordinator, Greenpeace International, +421 905 313 395

Tommy Crawford, Communications Manager, Greenpeace International, +31 62 700 00 60

Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia , +63917 8715257, (632) 4146512. loc 119 [email protected]

JP Agcaoili, Media Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia , +63917 6312750, (632) 4146512 loc 121, [email protected]

Those images featured in the report, as well as a series of especially commissioned photographs to celebrate the launch of the report, are available here. Please contact:

Greenpeace International Picture Desk, +31 62 900 11 52

Notes to the Editor:

1. The term 'Global South' is used to describe developing and emerging countries, including those facing the challenges of often rapid industrial development or industrial restructuring; such as Russia. Most of the Global South is located in South and Central America, Asia and Africa. Within this report this term refers specifically to case studies located within a group of countries including: China, Thailand, The Philippines and Russia.

2. The term 'Global North' is used for developed countries, predominantly located in North America and Europe with high human development; according to the United Nations Human Development Index. Most, but not all, of these countries are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Within this report this term refers specifically to case studies located within a group of countries including: The United State of America, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Slovakia.

3. See Hidden Consequences Report, page 30.

by Greenpeace Philippines

Greenpeace, CREA call for measures to ensure post-COVID recovery safeguards air quality

by Greenpeace Philippines

Air pollution doesn't have to be an inescapable reality. The ECQ gave Filipino citizens a glimpse of what cities can be like with vastly improved air quality. It also showed...

by Greenpeace Philippines

Long before the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippines has already been at risk with exposure to hazardous materials. Developed nations have been contracting companies to ship their waste...

The Marilao in Bulacan is among four iconic rivers whose polluted conditions are spotlighted in 'Hidden Consequences', a new report published today by Greenpeace. The report calls for urgent action to protect the livelihoods of the people and wildlife that depend on these waterways and the life-sustaining resources that they provide, by demanding that policy-makers commit to a Toxic-Free Future.

Through case studies from various countries, the report shows how toxic industrial effluents have dire impacts on freshwater bodies, and people. But because these chemicals are hidden or invisible, efforts to control them once they have been discharged have not been effective. Greenpeace is calling on the Philippine government to learn from the lessons of developed countries and immediately institute policies to protect the country's precious freshwater resources from industrial pollution.

"This report debunks the short-sighted and negative mentality that 'pollution is the price to pay for progress.' Experiences from everywhere around the world show that industrial water pollution have translated to huge economic, human and environmental costs. Greenpeace aims to show that there is a better way: an effective pollution prevention policy is the win-win solution," said Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia.

'Hidden Consequences' draws attention to the financial, social and environmental costs of industrial water pollution, showcasing the problems of long-term contamination from hazardous chemicals across several locations in the 'Global North' (2), including the Hudson River, the Dutch Delta, the Laborec River and the 'Swiss Toxic Dumps' (3).

The report illustrates how rivers in the 'Global South': the Yangtze in China, the Chao Phraya in Thailand, the Neva in Russia and the Marilao in the Philippines, dotted by numerous factories and industrial buildings along the length of its banks, are now facing the same situation. The said rivers supply drinking, domestic and agriculture water to the populations of large rural areas, as well as to the inhabitants of big cities such as Shanghai, Bangkok and St.Petersburg.

"The impacts of water pollution on human health, the environment and local economies are rarely considered or compensated, not just because they are hard to calculate, but because of the difficulty in tracking down the polluters and holding them responsible for the cost of cleaning up the pollution. Instead, it is the taxpayer who too often ends up paying the bill," said Baconguis.

"Our government has a choice. Should they expose their citizens and the environment to hazardous toxic pollution, and condemn future generations to pay for the management of contaminated sediments, whose full and final costs are incalculable? Or should they instead commit to a 'Toxic-Free Future', and take precautionary action to support truly sustainable innovation, and progressively eliminate the use and release of hazardous substances down to 'zero discharge'?" added Baconguis.

Greenpeace is calling on governments and corporations to commit to a Toxic-Free Future by taking urgent, precautionary and transparent action to eliminate the use and releases of all hazardous substances.

Preventive measures of water pollution are urgently needed in the Philippines. The government should:

- set up a proper pollutant disclosure system through which the public could easily access a wide range of pollution data;

- immediately establish a list of hazardous chemicals for priority elimination action; and

- create an action plan with clear timelines to reduce, restrict and ultimately zero the discharges of toxic chemicals.

-------
Download Hidden Consequences and related materials: Hidden Consequences Report (Full text and Executive Summary) Hidden Consequences Digital Magazine Contacts:
Martin Hojsik, Toxic Water Campaign Coordinator, Greenpeace International, +421 905 313 395

Tommy Crawford, Communications Manager, Greenpeace International, +31 62 700 00 60

Beau Baconguis, Toxics Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia , +63917 8715257, (632) 4146512. loc 119 [email protected]

JP Agcaoili, Media Campaigner, Greenpeace Southeast Asia , +63917 6312750, (632) 4146512 loc 121, [email protected]

Those images featured in the report, as well as a series of especially commissioned photographs to celebrate the launch of the report, are available here. Please contact:

Greenpeace International Picture Desk, +31 62 900 11 52

Notes to the Editor:

1. The term 'Global South' is used to describe developing and emerging countries, including those facing the challenges of often rapid industrial development or industrial restructuring; such as Russia. Most of the Global South is located in South and Central America, Asia and Africa. Within this report this term refers specifically to case studies located within a group of countries including: China, Thailand, The Philippines and Russia.

2. The term 'Global North' is used for developed countries, predominantly located in North America and Europe with high human development; according to the United Nations Human Development Index. Most, but not all, of these countries are located in the Northern Hemisphere. Within this report this term refers specifically to case studies located within a group of countries including: The United State of America, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Slovakia.

3. See Hidden Consequences Report, page 30.

by Greenpeace Philippines

Greenpeace, CREA call for measures to ensure post-COVID recovery safeguards air quality

by Greenpeace Philippines

Air pollution doesn't have to be an inescapable reality. The ECQ gave Filipino citizens a glimpse of what cities can be like with vastly improved air quality. It also showed...

by Greenpeace Philippines

Long before the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, the Philippines has already been at risk with exposure to hazardous materials. Developed nations have been contracting companies to ship their waste...

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Marilao River is one of spotlight case studies in new Greenpeace report on Hidden Costs of Toxic Water Pollution - Greenpeace Philippines

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The Marilao in Bulacan is among four iconic rivers whose polluted conditions are spotlighted in 'Hidden Consequences', a new report published today by Greenpeace. The report calls for urgent action to protect the livelihoods of the people and wildlife that depend on these waterways and the life-sustaining resources that they provide, by demanding that policy-makers commit to a Toxic-Free Future.

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The town of Marilao in Bulacan province has the biggest number of chicken dressing plants nationwide, slaughtering more than 24 million chickens yearly.

The annual operations of chicken dressing plants in Marilao produce an estimated 169,000 cubic meters of wastewater or enough to fill up 68 Olympic-size pools.

This huge volume of wastewater is regularly released into the Marilao River, a major tributary of the Manila Bay, which was declared biologically dead in 1989.

Lack of resources and personnel prevents municipal government offices from gathering sufficient evidence to establish the extent that the dressing plants are responsible for the pollution of the river.

There were efforts to revive the river, but so far failed.

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The Bulacan town where chickens are slaughtered and the river is dead | BY ANNIE RUTH SABANGAN, ROBERT JA BASILIO JR., BERNARD TESTA AND RIC PUOD

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Part 1 of 4
What you need to know about Part 1:

The town of Marilao in Bulacan province has the biggest number of chicken dressing plants nationwide, slaughtering more than 24 million chickens yearly.

The annual operations of chicken dressing plants in Marilao produce an estimated 169,000 cubic meters of wastewater or enough to fill up 68 Olympic-size pools.

This huge volume of wastewater is regularly released into the Marilao River, a major tributary of the Manila Bay, which was declared biologically dead in 1989.

Lack of resources and personnel prevents municipal government offices from gathering sufficient evidence to establish the extent that the dressing plants are responsible for the pollution of the river.

There were efforts to revive the river, but so far failed.

You know you've reached Marilao, a booming municipality in Bulacan province that's usually less than an hour's drive from Manila, when a putrid smell of some biological degradation invades your nostrils. Here you will find a cluster of chicken dressing and rendering plants, which have become undesirable landmarks for the town in Central Luzon.

" Kapag sumasakay ako ng jeep galing Muzon, kahit nakapikit alam kong nasa Marilao na ako dahil sa amoy (When I ride a jeep from Muzon, I can tell that I'm already in Marilao even when my eyes are closed because of the smell)," said a female resident, referring to her regular commute to Brgy. Sta. Rosa 1 in Marilao from Brgy. Muzon in nearby San Jose del Monte City.

Marilao's foul odors, coming from the Marilao River and its tributaries, are so notorious that it is the occasional subject of contempt on social media. The culprit, according to residents, are the poultry processing plants in the adjacent barangays of Santa Rosa I, Santa Rosa II, Patubig, and Loma de Gato that release wastewater to the river.

The smell is worse during dry season, residents said, when there's no rainwater to dilute and dull the odor of the polluted water.

" Bata pa ako naaamoy ko na 'yan. Ang anak ko, may asthma. Sabi ng pedia huwag siyang i-expose sa amoy at huwag paglaruin sa daan. Mahina raw kasi ang baga niya (I've been smelling that foul odor since I was young. My child has asthma. The pediatrician said he should not be exposed to the smell and should not play on the street because his lungs are weak)," said another resident operating a carinderia or eatery in the same barangay.

Marilao has the country's biggest number of poultry processing facilities, slaughtering tens of millions of chickens annually to supply fresh and freshly frozen food to consumers nationwide.

Of the 149 poultry dressing plants accredited by the Department of Agriculture's National Meat Inspection Service as of November 2019, almost one-fourth or 34 facilities are in Region 3 or Central Luzon. ( See infographic 1)

Twenty are operating in Bulacan province and 11 of them are in Marilao. The industry was among the top employers in the town, according to the Business Permit and Licensing Office, with each plant providing jobs to about 300 residents. ( See infographic 2)

It's a thriving industry that has helped turn Marilao into the richest town in the province, tripling its revenue in the last decade to P793 million in 2018.

Like many industrial towns in the country, however, Marilao has struggled to strike a balance between economic growth and environmental protection.

Infographic 1: Annie Ruth Sabangan

Infographic 2: Annie Ruth Sabangan

Poultry processing uses water to turn broilers into meat products that are safe for human consumption. In Marilao, wastewater from the establishments flow into waterways connected to the Marilao River.

Seven of the 11 poultry processing facilities in the town discharge their effluents to a creek, either from the "rear end of the last pond," "compartment," or "tank" of their wastewater treatment plants, based on self-monitoring reports (SMR) that the plants filed with the DENR in 2018. (There is no data available to PCIJ on the other four dressing plants.)

The same seven dressing plants reported using nearly 169,000 cubic meters of water annually to slaughter 24 million chickens. That's enough wastewater to fill up 68 Olympic-size swimming pools. ( See infographic 3.)

Infographic 3: Annie Ruth Sabangan and Angelica Carballo Pago

Water is a huge requirement for poultry processing plants. Workers dip the heads of the chickens into electrified water to put them to sleep, and use hot water to loosen and pluck the feathers. They need chlorinated water to wash equipment for removing the chicken's internal organs and thoroughly rinsing their carcasses. They also use chilled water to protect poultry meat from bacteria.

Foodnorthwest.org, a trade association in the U.S., estimates that approximately 3.5 to 7.0 gallons of water is required to dress each chicken with an average slaughter weight of four pounds. Using this ratio, PCIJ computation shows that between 10 billion and 19 billion liters of water were used to slaughter 763 million heads of chicken killed for food in the Philippines in 2019, based on figures from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

If untreated or undertreated, wastewater from the plants releases oxygen-depleting and fish-killing pollutants such as ammonia, nitrate, phosphate, and total suspended solids.

The succeeding parts of this investigative series will show evidence that this was the case in Marilao.

Infographic 4: Annie Ruth Sabangan and Angelica Carballo Pago

Infographic 5: Annie Ruth Sabangan and Angelica Carballo Pago

Residents have long complained about the operations of the poultry processing plants, believing that their constant exposure to the foul odors has aggravated their illnesses.

" Diyan nanggagaling. Abot ang amoy hanggang doon sa bahay namin sa Patubig (That's where it comes from. The smell reaches our house in Brgy. Patubig)," complained an aging female tuberculosis patient. She particularly blamed a big poultry processing plant in Brgy. Santa Rosa 1 near the Marilao exit of the North Luzon Expressway, for the reeking smell of Sapang Alat (Salty Creek), a clogged and heavily polluted creek adjoining the Marilao River.

The Municipal Health Office (MHO) is aware of the residents' complaints and their concerns about the possible dangers to their health, according to Evelyn San Miguel, one of only two sanitation inspectors at the MHO.

She also has a good view of the outfall from the compound of one of the poultry processing plants -- where the liquid waste from its plants falls out from its pipe -- from a window of the MHO building. "Brown ' yung inilalabas (The discharge is colored brown)," San Miguel said in an interview in September 2019, the same month that PCIJ sailed into Sapang Alat.

The fetid and filthy inlet in the Marilao River in Bulacan leading to a creek called Sapang Alat. Image taken in September 2019. Photograph: Bernard Testa

San Miguel said they forwarded these complaints to the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) and the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO).

The chief of the BPLO, Martin Armando Cruz, downplayed the residents' complaints, however. While the poultry business was the most "water-intensive" of all industries in Marilao, he told PCIJ he didn't think the poultry business was among the most pollutive.

Cruz said the poultry processing plants were releasing chlorinated but clear water, a claim that was contradicted by other interviewees for this report and PCIJ's own findings.

"' Yung wastewater naman nun puti.... Madaling i-clear [kasi] walang chemicals e. Chlorine lang. Kayang-kayang linisin (The wastewater they release is white.... It can easily be treated because there are no chemicals. It's just chlorine. It's easy)," Cruz told PCIJ in an interview in October 2019, referring to the effluents discharged by the dressing plants.

Cruz conceded that the fetid odor from the plants, particularly from the town's biggest plant along Sapang Alat, were a nuisance. But he didn't think it was the cause of the illnesses of Marilao residents.

"Yes, [it's a] nuisance. But is it pollutive? Nakamamatay (Is it deadly)? Nakakasakit (Does it cause illnesses)? Sa aming observation, hindi naman (Based on our observation, it's not)," Cruz said.

Cruz was inclined to believe that domestic wastes caused more harm to the river than the wastewater from Marilao's industries, although he admitted that the LGU had made no assessment of the chicken dressing industry's wastewater.

" Hindi kasi kami nagtse-check no'n, wala kaming testing ng water... ang DENR ang [in-charge] do'n (We don't check that, we don't conduct water testing...the DENR is the one in-charge of that)," said Cruz.

The residents interviewed for this story requested to hide their names out of fear that the business establishments would go after them for their comments.

The Marilao River, a tributary of Manila Bay, has been biologically dead since 1989. It can no longer sustain any life form.

For fish and other aquatic species to survive and thrive in a freshwater resource like the Marilao River, the water body needs to contain 5 milligrams of dissolved oxygen (DO) per liter of water (mg/l), according to DENR standards.

But the DO levels in the river have not even reached 3 mg/l in the last decade, based on tests conducted by the Region 3 office of the DENR's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), which conducts ambient water quality tests on the river.

Meycauayan River is already likely to be low in oxygen levels, causing several marine animals - including fish - to die. Photograph: Bernard Testa

Scientists call this condition "hypoxia," a depletion or reduction of oxygen in water bodies that turn them into "biological deserts" or "aquatic cemeteries."

The river's biological oxygen demand (BOD), which represents the amount of oxygen consumed by bacteria while they decompose organic matter in the water, has been rising, too.

The river's BOD should not exceed 7 mg/l under better circumstances because, above that level, bacteria will use more oxygen to decompose wastes and thus rob fish and other aquatic animals of survival gas. However, EMB tests showed that the recorded BOD level of Marilao River was a high of 44.52 mg/l in 2018 or four times its level of 11.09 mg/l in 2008. It was an indication that pollution had worsened throughout the last decade.

This is a shared challenge among the industrial towns in Bulacan. The Marilao River is part of the Meycauyan-Marilao-Obando River System (MMORS), a heavily polluted river system that is considered the second top pollution source of Manila Bay.

MMORS is responsible for about a third of the organic matter going into the historic natural harbor in the country's capital, next only to Pasig River, which accounts for 60%, according to a study by the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, implemented by the United Nations Development Programme.

Infographic 6: Annie Ruth Sabangan and Angelica Carballo Pago

Other industries are polluters, too

While residents point to the responsibility of the poultry processing industry for the pollution of Marilao River, the local government doesn't have the capacity to gather sufficient evidence to establish the extent that the industry is at fault.

The poultry processing facilities are certainly not the only polluters of the river, which is host to households and other types of industries that produce different types of waste. There are metal and textile factories, manufacturers of plastic products, biscuit and bread makers, and soap and detergent businesses, among others.

Which of these entities contribute the most pollutants to the river? What businesses or industry sectors have effluents with the highest BOD or ammonia? Which ones discharge the most volume of sludge laden with toxic and non-biodegradable heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury?

Along or near the Marilao River's Expressway Bridge alone - one of three water sampling stations in the river - there are almost 2,000 commercial entities spread in nine Marilao barangays. Tabing Ilog, Patubig, Sta. Rosa I, Sta. Rosa II, Saog, Lambakin, Loma de Gato, Prenza I, and Prenza II are the town's business hubs.

The Region 3 office of the EMB also earlier identified 433 establishments in the entire Central Luzon whose wastewater flows into the MMORS.

Which ones among them don't have wastewater treatment plants or have inefficient effluent cleansing facilities? What businesses are the worst river and fish killers? It would take special types of tests to determine all this.

In an interview in September 2019, when PCIJ was starting this investigation, Marilao Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) chief Reynaldo Buenaventura admitted they still couldn't measure the extent of pollution from particular plants or industry sectors because of lack of resources and personnel.

Marilao is only capable of employing "end-of-pipe" pollution solutions, which requires cleaning up wastes when these have already polluted the river, he said.

" May river patrol boat kami, dalawa, galing sa DENR. Araw-araw silang nagpa-patrol pero 'yung solid waste lang ang nakukuha (We have two river patrol boats from the DENR. The boats patrol every day but they only collect solid waste)," Buenaventura said.

EMB's usual ambient water quality tests, which gather "primary parameters" such as dissolved oxygen, biological oxygen demand, and other conventional pollutants, don't trace the sources of pollution, either.

These tests can only give hints and symptoms of the water pollution problem in the Marilao River, but not its direct causes, said Glenn Aguilar, among the EMB staffers in Region 3 who monitor the river.

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Several administrations attempted to revive the Marilao River, but efforts have failed to reverse its DO and BOD levels.

The Marilao River was among the 19 priority rivers monitored by the DENR under its "Sagip Ilog" (Save the River) Program, a 2004 initiative that sought to improve the river's water quality by raising dissolved oxygen levels.

In 2004, the Marilao River Council was formed to rehabilitate the water body. A project called "Clean the Marilao, Meycauayan, and Obando River System" was launched, involving local government units (LGUs), the EMB, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, the river councils, and the Asian Development Bank. They envisioned a "fishable, swimmable, and drinkable" river system.

In 2005, Marilao became a part of a stakeholders' group composed of the three LGUs that have jurisdiction over the MMORS. As a major tributary of Manila Bay, the heavily polluted river system in Bulacan became a focus of efforts to rehabilitate the natural harbor.

There was little to show for all these efforts, however. In 2007, Marilao, along with its neighbor, Meycauayan City, suffered global disgrace after New York-based environmental watchdog Blacksmith Institute included the town in its list of 30 " dirtiest places " on earth. The list raised an alarm over how the town's industrial wastes were being "haphazardly dumped" into the river.

In 2008, the Supreme Court issued a continuing mandamus or order to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and 12 other agencies to clean up and preserve Manila Bay, resulting in renewed attention to the Marilao River. The mandamus stemmed from a January 1999 petition by a group of residents, who won the case in a Cavite court and the Court of Appeals. Ten government agencies, including the DENR and the DILG, appealed to the Supreme Court and lost.

The order prompted Marilao's MunicipalPlanning and Development Office (MPDO) to conduct an inventory of commercial establishments and households adjacent to the Marilao River and its tributaries, supposedly to pinpoint pollution hotspots.

What did they find out? Nearly 60% of the 756 households identified did not have septic tanks, while 71% of 91 business establishments had no wastewater treatment facilities.

It was the first and last comprehensive inventory of households and businesses near the river, said Edmundo Canape, a senior staffer at the MPDO, who signed the 2009 report. Succeeding inventories would only check a percentage of the commercial establishments and households.

In 2011, the Supreme Court again issued a resolution enjoining government agencies and local governments surrounding Manila Bay to implement the 2008 mandamus. The high court cited the 42-year-old Presidential Decree 1152 or the Philippine Environmental Code, which requires all local governments to implement a waste management program.

Part of the directive was for LGUs to address water pollution at source by (1) inspecting all factories, commercial establishments, and homes along the banks of the major river systems in their areas; (2) determining if they have wastewater treatment facilities or hygienic septic tanks based on specifications prescribed by law; and (3) requiring non-complying establishments and homes to set up facilities or tanks within a reasonable time. Otherwise, they faced fines or closure.

Still, the pollution of the Marilao River continued to worsen.

In 2017, then Marilao Mayor Juanito Santiago issued Executive Order 2017-09 for the town to comply with the High Court's 2011 resolution.

In 2018, the DILG flagged Marilao's weakness in environmental governance. The municipality got a score of 45.91% in a DILG assessment and was one of 19 towns and cities in Bulacan that scored below the passing mark of 75%.

The DILG found that Marilao didn't follow the Supreme Court directive when it inspected only 15% of the target number of septic tanks and wastewater treatment facilities. No single notice of violation was also issued by the LGU against establishments that failed to comply with Republic Act 9275 or the Clean Water Act of 2004.

The DILG also noted the town's failure to relocate informal settlers living along the river banks.

No environmental officer for a long time

In the wake of its failing marks from the DILG, Marilao's MPDO took new steps to address water pollution at source.

Based on a 2019 report provided by MPDO staffer Salvador Ramirez to PCIJ, they inspected about 1,000 homes in 16 barangays yearly - a small percentage out of some 50,000 total households - from 2016 to 2018. Notably, the inventory didn't include business establishments.

The MPDO was simply undermanned. The office established the Marilao River Inspection, Inventory and Monitoring Team (MRIIMT) to attend to its old problem, but Ramirez said this team was a one-man squad.

"So that time... kami lang dito. Ako. Ako 'yung bumababa (So that time...it was just us here. It was just me. I was the only one who went to the field to inspect)," said Ramirez.

It was only in 2018 that Marilao would create the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) and hire Buenaventura to become its environmental officer.

The Local Government Code of 1991 does not require the designation of an environmental officer. The town apparently never found the need to have one until Buenaventura was appointed to the post in January of that year. He would later assume the tasks from the MPDO.

In 2019, PCIJ asked Buenaventura if it was possible to send the LGU's river patrol team to go after dressing plants found dumping untreated effluents into narrow, muddy and clogged tributaries.

Buenaventura dismissed it. " Hindi maaabot ng bangka 'yun (That can't be reached by the boats)," he said.

A PCIJ team discovered it was an arduous task, but it was doable under the right conditions.

This series was produced with the support of Greenpeace Southeast Asia-Philippines.

Next: PCIJ reporting team takes a boat to Marilao River to search for the outfall pipe of a notorious poultry processing plant.

Follow PCIJ on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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The Bulacan town where chickens are slaughtered and the river is dead

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Part 1 of 4 What you need to know about Part 1: The town of Marilao in Bulacan province has the biggest number of chicken dressing plants nationwide, slaughtering more than 24 million chickens yearly. The annual operations of chicken dressing plants in Marilao produce an estimated 169,000 cubic meters of wastewater or enough to fill up 68 Olympic-size pools.

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Greenpeace, an international environmental group has released its findings of high nitrate contamination of  water sources in Benguet and Bulacan. According to the report entitled “Nitrates in drinking water in the Philippines and Thailand,” they have examined the water sources like wells and creeks on both provinces and their relation to the use of nitrogen fertilizer in farming within the area.

Furthermore Daniel Ocampo, a campaigner for Greenpeace in south-east Asia has raised the concern of worrisome levels of nitrate pollution, as out of 18 water sources that were taken samples from 5 of them has show nitrate contamination, having alarmingly well above the safety limits, being a standard of 50mg/l of nitrates in drinking water as stated by World Health Organization.

This is a great source of concern for the local population as they relied on groundwater as a source of drinking water.

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An international environmental group is again raising the alarm over pollution in drinking water in the Philippines, as it recently discovered nitrate contamination of several water sources in areas in Benguet and Bulacan.

In its new report entitled "Nitrates in drinking water in the Philippines and ," Greenpeace examined the nitrate levels in drinking water sources like artesian wells and creeks in Benguet and Bulacan and their relation to nitrogen fertilizer use in farming areas in the two provinces.

"Greenpeace has been sending out warning signals that the quality of our freshwater source is declining, and this study is yet another shocking example of how our water protection measures are inadequate," said Daniel Ocampo, a campaigner of Greenpeace-Southeast Asia.

According to Ocampo, their study indicated "worrisome" levels of nitrate pollution in water sources in farming areas in Benguet and Bulacan.

He said the study showed that five out of the 18 water sources where they took samples from, have nitrate contamination that are "alarmingly well above the safety limits" of the World Health Organization, whose standard is 50 mg/l of nitrates in drinking water.

"Communities think that the water they drink every day is clean because physically, it doesn't smell bad or look bad, but it is actually laced with nitrates from fertilizers which people don't normally associate with pollution," he said.

Based on the study, the result of Greenpeace Water Patrol's weeklong investigation during the last week of September, drinking water from two artesian wells in Buguias, Benguet, and three others in Angat, Bulacan were found to have nitrate levels well above the WHO standard.

The highest nitrate level was found in groundwater in Buguias at 50 percent higher than the WHO standard, the study said.

Greenpeace warned that the pollution could have serious health implications for the local population, especially since groundwater is the main source of their drinking water.

The report's author, Reyes Tirado, of the Greenpeace Science Unit in the in the United Kingdom, said nitrate pollution of drinking water from artesian wells correlates with intensive farming practices in the affected areas where nitrogen fertilizers are applied in excess.

"Nitrogen fertilizer consumption in Asia has grown dramatically, increasing approximately 17-fold in the last 40 years. Fertilizer application rates are increasing rapidly in some developing countries, reaching excess amounts that can no longer be used by crops and which cause problems for human health and the environment," Tirado said in the report.

"Excess application of nitrogen fertilizers in intensive crop production leads to nitrate pollution of the artesian wells that people use for drinking water," he added.

Amid the findings, Greenpeace called on the government to take decisive and concrete measures to ensure clean water for the people.

Specifically, the group urged the Department of Agriculture to phase out its subsidies for fertilizers, including the "dangerous practice" of over-using fertilizers in intensive agriculture, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to seriously reassess its programs on the protection of clean water sources.

Greenpeace said the experience of other countries shows that fertilizer reduction policies significantly contribute to a cleaner and safer drinking water supply.

"There's really a problem on how the government makes or implements policies against water pollution. The government is either not doing things properly or doing it excessively," said Beau Baconguis, toxics campaigner of Greenpeace-Southeast Asia.

"It's about time that the government really look into this and take concrete action to ensure non-contamination of clean water sources for the people," she added.

Greenpeace said drinking water with high levels of nitrate could cause serious health problems, especially among children.

The greatest risk of nitrate poisoning, it said, is the "blue baby syndrome" or methemoglobinemia, which occurs in infants given nitrate-laden water and particularly affects babies under four months old.

The blue baby syndrome can cause cyanosis, headache, stupor, fatigue, tachycardia, coma, convulsions, asphyxia, and ultimately death.

Greenpeace said drinking water contaminated with nitrates has a potential role in developing cancers of the digestive tract, and has also been associated with other types of cancer such as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, bladder, and ovarian cancer. - With Dino Balabo

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Drinking water in parts of Benguet, Bulacan contaminated with nitrates

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An international environmental group is again raising the alarm over pollution in drinking water in the Philippines , as it recently discovered nitrate contamination of several water sources in areas in Benguet and Bulacan.

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DENR leads inspection of sanitary landfill in Bulacan

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DENR leads inspection of sanitary landfill in Bulacan

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DENR are collecting water samples from a waterway near Wacuman sanitary landfill to determine if effluents from said landfill are contaminating the water, this is done due to the growing concern of the residents with the growing garbage problems in the province. It was also discovered that the said waste disposal site has been denied business permit by the local government.

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Because of these sprawling green orchards, vegetables and profusely flowering plants, as well as the beautiful women, this lovely land had come to be called Bulacan as sort of shortened term for "bulak-lakan" and/or a derivative of the word "bulak" (kapok) which abound in the province even before the Spaniards came.

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The climate in this province is that November to April is generally dry while wet for the rest of the year. The northeast monsoon (amihan) prevails from October to January bringing in moderated and light rains. From February to April, the east trade winds predominate but the Sierra Madre (Philippines) mountain range to the east disrupts the winds resulting to a dry period. From May to September, the southwest monsoon.

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Primary Roads

Daang Maharlika (LZ)

Jose Abad Santos Avenue (JASA)

San Jose-Lupao Road

Santa Rosa-Tarlac Road

Secondary Roads

Bongabon-Rizal-Aurora Road

Junction Tablang-Gabaldon Road

Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road

Nueva Ecija-Pangasinan Road

San Jose City-Rizal Road via Pinili-Porais-Villa Joson (Palarilla) Road

Tertiary Roads

Bangad-Fort Magsaysay Road

Cabanatuan City Circumferential Road

Cabanatuan City-Carmen Road

Cabanatuan City-Papaya Road

Gapan-Fort Magsaysay Road

Junction Pinagpanaan-Rizal-Pantabangan Road

MH Del Pilar Street (NE)

Muñoz-Lupao Road

Pantabangan-Canili-Basal-Baler Road

Santa Rosa-Fort Magsaysay Road

Sumacab-San Josef-Bonifacio Road

Tarlac-Guimba Road via Victoria

Valdefuente-Fortaleza Road

Zulueta Road

*as of 2015

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Bulacan food is popular with its specialty in a variety of rice cakes for desserts or locally called panghimagas: kutsinta, sapin-sapin-suman, cassava cake, halaya ube and pastillas de leche, the famed delicacy from San Miguel, Bulacan.

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The world's largest indoor arena. It is a multipurpose indoor arena with a maximum seating capacity of 55,000 at Ciudad de Victoria, a 140-hectare tourism enterprise zone in Bocaue and Santa Maria, Bulacan, Philippines[9] about 30 kilometers north of Manila. It is one of the centerpieces of the many centennial projects of the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) for their centennial celebration on July 27, 2014.The legal owner of the arena is the INC's educational institution, New Era University.

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The province has a land area of 2,783.69 square kilometers or 1,074.79 square miles. Its population as determined by the 2020 Census was 3,708,890. This represented 29.86% of the total population of the Central Luzon region, 5.96% of the overall population of the Luzon island group, or 3.40% of the entire population of the Philippines. Based on these figures, the population density is computed at 1,332 inhabitants per square kilometer or 3,451 inhabitants per square mile.

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-Bulacan Is Located Closely North Of The National Capital Region.
-Business Districts Are Rising In Bulacan.
-Cyber Park And Business District
-Bulacan Opens Plenty Of Investment Opportunities.
-Jewelry Industry In Bulacan
-Bulacan Has Attractive Investment Incentive Packages.
-Bulacan Is The Most Populated Province In Central Luzon.
-Bulacan Has A Competent Workforce.

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Bulacan is noted as the land of heroes, beautiful women, progressive cooperatives, small and medium-scale industries. It is also known for excellent craftsmanship in making jewelries, leather crafts, buntal hats, pyrotechnics, bone in-laid furnitures and garments.

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Bulacan, officially the Province of Bulacan, is a province in the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is the city of Malolo

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Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish - Barásoain Church is a Roman Catholic church built in 1888 in Malolos, Bulacan. Having earned the title as the "Cradle of Democracy in the East, the most important religious building in the Philippines", and the site of the First Philippine Republic, the church is proverbial for its historical importance among Filipinos.

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Location of Bulacan in the Philippines