Monday, April 21, 2008 Check beach waters for cleanliness: councilor
CONCERNED for the people trooping to beaches to cool down this summer, Cebu City Councilor Arsenio Pacaña wants the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) to ensure that the waters are “safe and hygienic” and free from any fecal or coliform contamination.
The legislator said that aside from beaches’ natural beauty, guaranteeing their cleanliness can become an additional “selling point” for beach resorts in attracting more
tourists.
In a proposed resolution, Pacaña called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), particularly the EMB, to revive or intensify its “Beach Eco-watch Program.”
“It may be recalled that (the) EMB tested 26 of the country’s most popular beaches for fecal and total coliform content and discovered that one-third, or approximately eight, did not meet the government’s water quality standards,” he said.
The councilor said it is imperative for the EMB to complement the DOT in promoting Cebu’s beaches as safe and clean for swimming and diving by conducting an annual examination.
In a separate resolution, he also called on hotels to focus on ecological policies and activities to sustain the tourism industry.
He commended Shangri-La’s Mactan Island Resort in Lapu-Lapu City for being one of two hotels in the country recognized as among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (Asean) list of 81 “Green Hotels.”
This was announced in the Asean forum held in Bangkok, Thailand last Jan. 22. The other hotel is the El Nido Resort in Palawan.
The recognition was given for the adoption of the green hotel standards, which include the use of green products, collaboration with the community and local government units, solid waste management, energy and water efficiency, waste water treatment, and management of toxic and chemical substance disposal. (NRC)
