By Sunday Post
From euphoria to bacteria.
What else describe the situation regarding the euphoria generated by the opening of the controversial San Jose outfull only to be confronted with the
harmful threat of coliform bacteria reaching alarming levels.
“
It’s a major environmental disaster waiting to happen,†thus barked Gov. Erico Aumentado but City Mayor Dan Lim expressed complete surprise.
Caught- in- a damn- if- you- do, damn- if- you- don’t scenario, Mayor Lim said he will honor the order of Gov. Aumentado to close the outfall.
A study from the University of San Carlos Laboratory showed that the coliform level in the seawaters along the shoreline of the Tagbilaran Bay failed to pass the standards of the Department of Environment & Natural Resources (DENR).
Gov. Aumentado expressed “very serious concern†on the opening of the San Jose drainage outfall into the Tagbilaran and Maribojoc Bay in a letter to Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. dated November 24.
Aumentado reiterated this concern over his weekly radio program The Governor Reports simulcast live on the city’s radio stations.
Vowing to Aumentado’s wishes, Mayor Lim said although there was enough basis to justify his position to close the outfull, just the same he will follow the order.
Without fanfare, Mayor Lim ordered the opening of the outfall early this month in answer to the demands of city residents affected by constant flooding because of the clogged drainage system.. Hardly hit were residents living in the vicinity of the Tagbilaran Coca-Cola Plant and Development Bank of the Phils.
The mayor’s decision was greeted with jubilation by affected residents after the drainage was opened. Then the heavy flooding in the critical area became a thing of the past.
But Mayor Lim’s “two minutes of fame†was short-lived.
Shortly thereafter came these findings that the outfall opening yielded high coliform presence in the bay’s area.
Other than the USC laboratory test, Provincial Health Officer Reymoses Cabagnot and Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) head Renato Villaber also presented to the governor results of separate water quality tests made on samples from the outfall before the water reached the seawater. The separate sampling was upon the instruction of the University of San Carlos (USC) – Water Laboratory.
The USC result using the membrane filtration method indicated “too numerous to count†total coliforms, these being greater than 2,000 colonies per 100 ml.
The PHO also maintains a water laboratory to regularly test samples from different artesian wells, waterworks systems, other potable water sources, bottled water manufacturers and even beach areas to monitor coliform and fecal coliform content, among others.
Its test on samples from the outfall showed 2,400 colonies per 100 ml total coliform and 2,100 colonies per 100 ml of fecal coliform.
In their transmittal letter to Aumentado with copies furnished Mayor Lim and Provincial Board member Cesar Tomas Lopez, chair of the PB Committee on Health, Cabagnot and Villaber said the results of both the fecal and total coliform counts are “way above acceptable standards†and “will definitely pose danger to the health and safety of constituents.â€
Villaber also had the wastewater sample ran for toxic elements and compounds. It showed a chromium content of less than 0.015 milligram Cr per liter, but prompted him anyway to submit it to a further test called Chromium hexavalent.
Aumentado attached copies of the laboratory results to his letter to Atienza and vowed to provide him also with a copy of the result of the later test as soon as the result is in.
He also attached to it a copy of the letter to him of Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) Nestor Canda that said for toxic and other deleterious substances, the result for Chromium is 0.015 mg Cr/L as compared to the standard under Class SB bodies of water which is 0.10 for old and existing institutions (OEI) per Department Administrative Order (DAO) No. 35, series of 1990.
This is detrimental to the fishery resources in the area and would ultimately affect human health. The likely generators of these pollutants are the small scale electroplating shops within the city, Canda had explained.
Canda also said a consensus during their September 23 coordination meeting at the Governor’s Mansion tasked his office to send notices to identified establishments illegally tapping into the drainage and monitor compliance within 30 days after which the City Government will cut those still illegally connected.
Meanwhile, just to stop the flooding along CPC North Avenue, Atienza had ordered for the outfall to be opened during downpours but otherwise closed while the illegal sewer taps have not yet been completely disconnected.
Some responded to the notices and voluntarily disconnected their taps. Before DENR could completely validate the compliance, however, Lim had the outfall opened – to this date.
“Until now, the drainage is flowing with the aforecited pollutants and contaminants since the gate thereto was destroyed and accordingly could not be located anymore by Canda,†Aumentado wrote Atienza.
He said if allowed to continue, the situation will undoubtedly pollute Tagbilaran Bay and the beach lines of Panglao Island facing Tagbilaran – and the Maribojoc Bay, the resorts along Tagbilaran’s shorelines especially the Bohol Tropics Resort – now the favorite site for national and even international gatherings, as well as the Tagbilaran City Tourist Port – the only one of its kind in the country today.
“The marine ecosystem in Tagbilaran City and Maribojoc Bay which is the source of livelihood for marginal fishermen will face tremendous destruction unless this grave public nuisance shall be abated,†he said.
ATIENZA’S INITIAL ACTION Aumentado had sent his letter by personal courier. The secretary’s immediate reaction was to send Friday a team both from the central and regional offices of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to assess the situation.
EMB-Central Office Director Julian Amador sent Engr. Esperanza Sajul, chief of the monitoring section of the Environmental Impact Assessment Management Division and Vilma Cabading, science research specialist of the Water Quality Management Section.
On the other hand, DENR Region 7 Director Leonardo Sibbaluca sent lawyer Fernando Alberca and Forester Jose Layese
Accompanied by Canda, the teams inspected the bay’s shoreline from Maribojoc and Cortes towns, down to Tagbilaran, including the port. Alberca and Layese collected samples from the outfall and other points and brought them immediately back to Cebu to beat the six-hour deadline between collection and testing to get accurate results.
Sajul and Cabading stayed overnight. They briefed Aumentado on the activities they conducted for the day.
Atienza’s instruction to cut the illegal connections and to open the San Jose outfall only during actual rainy days have not been followed but even blatantly violated, he wrote.
Worst of all, he added, is that the city government’s long overdue promise of setting up a wastewater treatment plant is far from realization.
Only when the city shall have constructed the plant shall the present illegal tappers be allowed to reconnect – but for a fee – for the drainage and sewer services they will enjoy.
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