Cleaning up the sea has reached Cebu

The nationwide effect of the rehabilitation of Manila Bay has now reached Cebu when the National Bureau of Investigation and the Philippine Coast Guard shut down the Multifarms Agro-Industrial Development Corp. (MAIDC) in San Fernando, some 30 kilometers south of Cebu City because its drainage system for its pig farm dumped its waste directly into the sea. 

The order was issued against this large-scale piggery in Sitio Magtalisay, Barangay Sangat, San Fernando allegedly violating various environmental laws — RA 8550, or the Fisheries Code of the Philippines, and RA 9275, or the Clean Water Act, dumping pig waste directly into the sea.  We also learned that the piggery has allegedly been operating without a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) since the 1980s. Actually, whenever we go to the City of Carcar, we always pass this place which most people call Barangay “Baho” because you could smell the place even if your car is airconditioned.

After discovering that the piggery’s drainage system emptied out into the sea, the NBI 7 and the PCG 7 decided to close the establishment and asked personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways to destroy the drainage system. The piggery has a population of around 10,000 pigs… and I’m sure that its closure would have a serious effect on Cebu’s famous lechon market. But thanks to the DENR, people have finally realized that the government is dead serious not only in the cleanup of Boracay Island or Manila Bay, but also any business polluting our seas.

Just a few days ago, a group of people cleaned up the Bulacao River in Cebu City and removed tons of garbage from the river. But as I have pointed out, the plans of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña who was asking for volunteers to clean up the Lahug Creek or Guadalupe River… that idea is just too political for me. I mean, for as long as you do not remove the illegal settlers living along the five-meter easement on the banks of rivers or creeks, today’s clean up drive would be meaningless because the same people would still dump their waste into the river. So the volunteers would end up cleaning the waste of the day and do the same thing the next day. 

What is needed for Cebu City is to create a masterplan to recover the five-meter easement from the rich and poor who built structures along the banks of the river. If these people are removed from the five-meter easement, only then can they say that finally they have cleaned up the rivers and esteros of Cebu City. Right now, getting volunteers for the clean-up job is nothing but politics, which we don’t need!

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Last Sunday, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in Cebu held one of the biggest held kick off rallies, which was attended by no less than President Duterte. In that Sunday afternoon rally, Pres. Duterte raised the hands of Vice-Mayor Edgar Labella who is running for mayor and his running mate former Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama. This piece of news had people wondering why the President raised the hands of Mike Rama whose name was on the President’s list as a “drug protector.” While he did not officially endorsed Mike Rama or declared him out of his drug list, Mike Rama insisted that the President’s action is better than words. 

However, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said he was unsure if Duterte’s recent gesture signaled the endorsement of the vice mayoral bid of Rama, who was publicly tagged as a “drug protector” by the President in 2016. Panelo remarked that the President perhaps did not want to “embarrass” Rama during the rally. In fairness to Rama, although the President has not officially removed him from that list, however the President has not shown us any evidence that Rama was really a drug protector. 

Still on the political front, former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that he was ready to face Otso Diretso any time in a grand debate. Bato dela Rosa maintained that a candidate is not measured by his debating skills but by what he has done for the country. 

“Improving the country is done through action and not words. You’re good at debates but you haven’t done anything.”

While I do not dispute the remarks of the former PNP chief, however I would like to believe that Bato is not the right person to do a debate. Bato may be popular, but if he debates with a real debater, he might end up losing his senatorial bid. I suggest that both parties should sit down together and map out plans for a grand debate with real debaters on each team talking about serious issues, not fake ones like DU30 getting a kidney transplant.

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