CORDOVA Mayor Cesar “Didoy” Suan once again asked for understanding and patience from stakeholders of the floating and fixed cottages in the town following the decision to temporarily close their operations starting August 29, 2022.
“Sa tanan nga mga tag-iya sa fixed cottages ug floating cottages, pasensya and I hope nga nakasabot mo. Ang atong gusto nga panginabuhi dili lang karon mga buwana or tuiga nga makakaon mo kon dili ang atong gusto nga mapasa pa ang inyong generation to the next generation nga inyong gusto nga pasahan,” said Suan on Monday, August 22, following the flag-raising ceremony outside the Municipal Hall.
During the stakeholders meeting at Cordova Sports Complex on August 17, Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia gave the floating and fixed cottages’ owners in the town until August 28 to operate.
She said that rehabilitation of the seawaters off Cordova will start on August 29, 2022, as the fecal coliform level in the area has exceeded the allowable level.
The seawaters off Cordova have been heavily affected by pollution allegedly caused by the unregulated establishment of cottages on and along the coast.
Suan reiterated Monday, August 22, that the vicinity where the floating and fixed cottages are operating -- seawaters off Barangays Poblacion and Catarman -- is no longer suitable for swimming due to the high coliform level.
He said people may also be prohibited from swimming in the entire Cordova seawaters, and other areas in the town may also be affected by pollution should the cottages be allowed to continue to operate after August 28.
Garcia, however, did not say that all the seawaters off Cordova town would not be available for swimming starting August 29.
The governor only asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) Central Visayas and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) to declare the entire zone, where the floating and fixed cottages are currently established, as an area where there should be no activity.
Suan said they will ask the DENR-EMB to check the other parts of the seawaters of the town to determine where they could allow beach activities, particularly swimming.
"But those area nga atoa nang na check gyud, na inspect nga duna nay presence of coliform nga grabe na gyud kaayo, dili na nato i-risgo ang atoang kaugalingon," Suan said, adding that they will also put up posters in prohibited areas.
(But in those areas we’ve inspected where the presence of coliform has been detected at high levels, we should not take the risk of going there anymore.)
Suan said they will no longer allow the construction of cottages and tables even on the island, so the area can be used by the public for free.
He assured the stakeholders that the return of its operations will be world-class, as it would not just cater the local tourists, but also international tourists.
“Mao na nga we do the political will, kahibaw ko daghang masakitan, daghang wala ganahi sa atong gipangbuhat ug gibuhat ni Gov. Gwen (Garcia), but kahibaw sad kong daghan ang nakasabot,” he said, adding that the move is the benefit of all the stakeholders, including the tourists.
Stakeholders of the floating and fixed cottages in the town earlier expressed disappointment over the short period of time they have been allowed to operate prior to the temporary closure.
The mayor, however, did not mention as to what assistance the local government would give to the owners of cottages, including the pump boat operators who have no license to operate for commercial purposes.
Meanwhile, Suan said they will do its best in order for all the vendors currently operating in their interim market in Barangay Catarman to be transferred before December this year to the new market in Barangay Poblacion.
Garcia earlier noted the interim public market as one of the contributors of water pollution in the seawaters apart from the fixed and floating cottages. (MKG)