THE paint on the rocks at Lusaran Dam in Barangay Lusaran, Cebu City is targeted to be fully removed by Sunday, Aug. 18, 2024, the barangay captain assured.
The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) stated that the rock painting potentially violates environmental regulations, including vandalism.
In a phone interview on Friday, Aug. 16, Barangay Captain Agustin Partulan told SunStar Cebu that at least 100 individuals, mostly residents, have helped the barangay in manually removing the paint applied to the surface of three large rocks along the Lusaran River.
Partulan said they were manually brushing the paint off as they were not allowed to use paint thinner or any other chemical solutions to remove the paint.
He said a barangay councilor, whom he declined to name, has already apologized and has extended help in the removal of the paint.
He explained that it started as a suggestion from the said councilor, who is a member of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community, to beautify the Lusaran Dam.
The Lusaran Dam has been a popular swimming area, not only for local residents but also for those coming from adjacent barangays, Partulan said.
However, he clarified that the barangay did not approve the beautification and the application of the colorful and vibrant painting on the surface of the large rocks or similar initiatives.
“Mao na karong nga (nag-viral) sa social media, daghan na noon ang nanawag, pero wala gyud mi purpose ana nga among pintalan ang bato,” he said.
(That’s why it went viral on social media, many people called before, but we had no purpose to paint the stone.)
He added that personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources visited and inspected the area on Friday; however, he was not able to talk with them due to prior appointments.
In a separate interview, CCENRO officer-in-charge Reymarr Hijara said that the chemicals in the paint have harmful components that are poisonous to organisms in the water.
Hijara said that the damage might extend to organisms living within two kilometers of where the paint was applied to the surfaces of the rocks.
To avoid further damage to the environment, he suggested removing the paint by brushing or pressure washing and not using harmful chemicals such as thinners.
Since the Lusaran River is a source of water for the JE Hydro Treatment Facility nearby, Hijara assured that any harmful chemicals will be treated before the water is distributed through the pipelines as potable water.