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Friday, March 05, 2004
Speak out: Maribojoc Bay
Bienvenido I. Lipayon
Regional Director Department of Environment and Natural Resources 7
Please allow us to clarify the classification of Maribojoc Bay as Class SB, for recreational water Class 1 (areas regularly used by the public for bathing, swimming, skin diving, etc.) and fishery water Class I (spawning areas for chanos chanos or bangus and similar species.
The process involved in the classification of water bodies includes survey of the actual usage and water quality sampling and laboratory testing.
Actual usage of Maribojoc Bay is varied, from bathing, swimming, fishing, transportation, fishponds, mangrove plantation and other minor uses.
Results of water quality sampling and test showed, that parameters, such as, temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, 5-day 20 degree centigrade BOD, and total suspended solids are within Class SA.
EMB 7, prior recommending that it shall be classified as Class SB, conducted a public hearing in Maribojoc, Bohol with the participation of the local government units of Maribojoc, Cortes and Tagbilaran City, NGOs, peoples organization, the academe, industries and other stakeholders.
Along the shoreline of Maribojoc Bay from Tagbilaran City to Cortes and Maribojoc are human settlements, industries, beach resorts, agricultural fields and commercial establishments.
If Maribojoc Bay will be classified as Class SA, “the discharge of industrial or domestic sewage effluent” will be prohibited” based on DENR Administrative Order No. 35 series of 1990.
Even treated domestic sewage, industrial beach resorts, agricultural and commercial effluents shall not be disposed of into the said bay.
What came out in the public hearing was that this is unrealistic because all waters will drain into Maribojoc Bay.
With the present condition of discharges of domestic sewage and trade effluents, Maribojoc Bay is still capable of assimilating the amount of wastes disposed of without degrading the bay.
Hence, Class SB is more realistic because with it domestic sewage and trade effluents, having been treated, could be discharged into the bay.
Protecting and managing our environment and natural resources without degrading our economic way of life is an individual and collective effort.
(March 5, 2004 issue)
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