EMB-7 to look at seawater quality in Central Visayas

CEBU, Philippines — The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB)-7 is not only focusing on the waters surrounding Mactan Island in its seawater testing and analysis. “We are getting all samples in all beaches in the region. We wanted to keep an updated data on their respective water quality,” EMB-7 Director Engr. William Cuñado told The FREEMAN.

Cuñado said he ordered his personnel to collect samples in these swimming and bathing water bodies that will be subjected to laboratory analysis to determine its degree of contaminants.

He, however, said these activities may take more time due to the limited number of personnel their regional office has.

“Although we are experiencing that kind of situation, I told them that we should not delay the updating of the result. Hopefully by this month, we can finalize the summary of the analysis for the first quarter of the year,” he added.

EMB is the agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) tasked to monitor water and air quality in the environment.

The seawaters off Mactan Island was earlier highlighted when EMB-7’s water quality testing indicate that the samples show above level of contaminants, particularly fecal coliform, a type of bacteria commonly found in human and animal feces.

These contaminants, according to EMB-7, may be traced to the human waste directly discharged to the seas from makeshift toiletries build in slum areas.

But before the region-wide testing, EMB-7 has established the Beachwatch Program wherein it monitors monthly the coastal waters in Panglao Island in Bohol; the coastal waters in Liloan, Cebu; and the east coast part of Mactan Island.

Enforcement of environmental policies and regulations was further heightened on other tourist destinations like Mactan and Panglao islands following the closure of Boracay in Malay, Aklan.

The DENR formed a special body – the Regional Foreshore Area Taskforce – to hold simultaneous inventory and inspection of all establishments along coastal areas in Mactan and Panglao.

The agency's thrust was to protect the tourism destinations and ecological sites by imposing a crackdown on environmental violators or establishments that fail to comply with the provisions of the Clean Water Act and Solid Waste Management Act. —/GAN (FREEMAN)