Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA) general manager Edgardo C. Manda discloses today the 2007 environmental performance of 780 industrial establishments around the Laguna de Bay Region.

Now in its third year of implementation, LLDA's Public Disclosure Program will recognize the exemplary environmental performance of 15 GREEN ratees for exemplary adherence with LLDA's regulatory requirements and 39 BLUE ratees for complying satisfactorily.

The BLACK ratees in this year's cycle which numbers up to 53 will be disclosed excluding Quick Service Restaurants or QSRs pending the revocation of a Memorandum of Agreement forged last July 2007 between the DENR and the QSRs,

The said Memorandum Order seeks to conduct a technical study as to the most appropriate effluent standards applicable to the QSRs or commonly known as fast food restaurants.  The MOA also inhibits(???) LLDA to include the QSRs in this year's shame campaign.

According to Manda, while LLDA is (long) awaiting said revocation, he invited the QSRs to form a technical   working group to take the initiative in crafting the new set of environmental standards appropriate for the QSRs.

"We took this initiative of inviting the QSRs to sit with us and help us create a new set of effluent standards for recommendation to the DENR", Manda said.  "Accordingly, we want to avoid the "sins" of the past wherein despite several compromise agreements, the fast food sector have fall  short of our set standard.

In December 1996, LLDA Board Resolution No. 33 approved the adoption of the effluent standards for BOD for fast-food restaurants to 50mg/L.

In March 2003. LLDA Board Resolution  No. 191, provided for the interim effluent standards for fast food setting the BOD Class C effluent standards to as high as 500mg/L for free standing stores.

In July 2007, the DENR Secretary directed all Regional Directors to issue a Status Quo Order holding abeyance the imposition of fines for quick service restaurants and similar establishments until such time a revised effluent standards and regulations have been issued.

LLDA's "Shame Campaign" seeks to publicize the worst environment violators that dump untreated wastewater into the lake in hopes of pressuring them into action.

Should the infamy of being Pasaway Awardees not be enough to mobilize the polluting companies to action, they will face possible criminal and administrative sanctions, according to Manda.

Under RA 4850, the violators could face fines of up to P1,000.00 per day, and jail terms of up to three years, he said.

"However, the filing of cases is the last recourse and only after exhausting all remedies," Manda said.

He called on these companies to self-regulate and be their own responsible environment stewards for environment sustainability and, at the same time, look at long-term profitability. -end-