Guv to DENR: "Close outfall"

Gov. Erico Aumentado demanded the closure of the San Jose drainage outfall amid an "environmental disaster waiting to happen if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will not act accordingly.

This was contained in a strongly worded letter of the governor to DENR Sec. Jose "Lito" L. Atienza, Jr. following laboratory tests which showed coliform contamination and toxic and deleterious pollutants coming from the drainage outfall which was ordered open by the city mayor last Nov. 6.

The governor earnestly appealed to Sec. Atienza to close the outfall and open it only during heavy rains to prevent flooding along CPG North Ave., but immediately close the outfall thereafter.

"This is the recommendation of PENRO Nestor Canda," the governor said after Sec. Atienza asked for an investigation and recommendation on the impending environmental problem in the city.

He likewise asked Sec. Atienza for "DENR to order the implementation of cutting of alleged illegal connections while waiting for the Tagbilaran City waste water treatment facility to be operational." However, he said that those disconnected from the drainage system must be allowed to reconnect and pay the drainage and sewerage service that the city may impose to recoup the cost of setting up the facility.

Sec. Atienza acted swiftly on the governor's request in his bid to save the seawaters fronting the Tagbilaran City Port which is the country's first "tourist port" declared by the Philippine Ports Authority.

Dispatched by Sec.Atienza is a team from the EMB-Central Office led by Engr Esperanza Sajul, chief, monitoring section and another team from EMB-Central Visayas office led by Atty. Fernando Alberca.

Findings of both teams will be submitted to the DENR secretary tomorrow.

DENR authorities were alarmed that coliform are "too numerous to be counted (2,000 colonies/100 ml) as shown in the lab test of the University of San Carlos Water Laboratory test and another test of the Provincial Health Office which showed 2,400 colonies per 100 ml.

The governor stressed the situation, if allowed to continue, will pollute undoubtedly the Tagbilaran Bay and the beach lines of Panglao island facing Tagbilaran and Maribojoc Bay, the resorts along the city's shorelines, particularly the Bohol Tropics Resort Club which is the venue of national and international gatherings.

The marine ecosystem in the city and Maribojoc Bay which are the sources of livelihood for marginal fishermen will face tremendous destruction unless this grave public nuisance shall be abated, the governor stressed in his letter to the DENR secretary.

He quoted Prov’l. Heath Officer, Dr. Reymoses Cabagnot and Renato Villaber, head of the Bohol Environment Office as stating in their respective reports that the "results on the fecal and coliform counts which are way above acceptable standards" will definitely pose danger to the health and safety of constituents.

SITUATIONER UPDATE

A check made yesterday afternoon at the San Jose outfall showed that the flow of "odorous and polluted" water continuously flows at 5-8 kph while the width of the gushing water reached to 50 cms, but following heavy downpour as checked last Nov. 15 (14 days ago) the volume even doubled, according to international ship captain Jun Mendez.

During his spot check at the outfall yesterday, he recorded the volume of water (from the drainage outfall) coming out to the seawaters at 1 drum per 15 minutes or 19,200 liters daily.

"This will be a major destruction and pollution to the marine ecosystem." he stressed.

The outfall is directly across the Tagbilaran City Port which is barely 520 meters and just a stone's throw away from the Bohol Tropics Resort Club.