The Department of the Interior and Local Government – National Capital Region (DILG-NCR), through the Manila Bay Clean-up, Rehabilitation, and Preservation Program Management Team (MBCRP PMT) of the Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division (LGMED), convened the Regional Inter-Agency Committee (RIAC) on April 21-22, 2025, at Cocoon Boutique Hotel in Quezon City, in preparation for the 2025 Local Government Units Compliance Assessment (LGUCA) covering 2024 as the performance year.

Participants included key national government agencies comprising the three clusters of the MBCRPP’s Regional Inter-Agency Committee (RIAC): Liquid Waste Management (LWM), Solid Waste Management (SWM), and Informal Settler Families (ISF). Among the agencies present were Manila Water, Maynilad, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-NCR), Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-NCR), Department of Health – Metro Manila Center for Health Development (DOH-MMCHD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metropolitan Manila Developmnet Authority (MMDA), Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD), and National Housing Authority (NHA).

In her opening remarks, DILG-NCR Regional Director Maria Lourdes L. Agustin, CESO III, lauded the RIAC’s role in guiding NCR local government units to bring out the best in their communities and sustain efforts toward environmental betterment.

“For years, the Department’s MBCRP PMT has consistently and excellently carried out this assessment with the Regional Inter-Agency Committee. And each time, the RIAC has provided sound recommendations to our NCR LGUs on how to enhance their environmental compliance—leading to cleaner, more livable communities,” RD Agustin said.

The convening centered on strategies implementing the LGU Compliance Assessment—particularly how the RIAC will conduct its assessment across the 17 NCR LGUs during the ongoing evaluation. The PMT also cited key environmental indicators requiring attention across the three clusters, as well as the logistical aspects of the assessment.

In closing, LGMED Division Chief Ana Jury Castillo, EnP, CESE, thanked the RIAC for their efforts as part of the DILG’s environmental audit. She also stated that this environmental audit aligns with the ongoing mission of preserving and rehabilitating Manila Bay.

“The work will continue. This assessment is just one phase in a much larger, ongoing mission to restore and preserve the health of the Manila Bay watershed,” LGMED DC Castillo concluded.

The Department is confident that the 17 NCR LGUs are primed and ready for the LGU Compliance Assessment which will commence on the 4th week of April 2025. The regional office will continue to assist and monitor environmental compliance within the Region.