A MONTH since the discovery of the white hues in the waters of Tejero Creek, Cebu City, with government agencies vowed to look into it, the white substance in the waters remain.
A quick check in the area on Sunday, May 5, 2024, showed that the water still appears white and seemed nothing has changed since it was reported a month ago.
After it was reported on SunStar Cebu, the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7, together with the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) and the Cebu City Environmental Sanitation and Enhancement Team (Ceset), conducted an inspection and sampled the water.
CCENRO head Reymarr Hijara, however, said his office has yet to obtain the test results.
"We were not given the result yet, we have been making follow ups, but not update yet," said Hijara on Sunday.
Hijara after the results come out, the next step would be a technical conference with Mactan Rock Industries Inc. and DENR-EMB 7.
Hijara previously accused Mactan Rock, the firm believed to have caused the sudden transformation of Tejero Creek’s murky waters into a white hue, is operating without an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Ceset head Grace Luardo, in a report last April 6, said the occurrence of white substance in the river was due to the improper drainage system of Mactan Rock.
Ceset also issued Mactan Rock a citation ticket on Saturday afternoon for violating City Ordinance 2398, or for lack of a septic tank and proper drainage.
Mactan Rock, in previous SunStar Cebu reports, had denied this allegations. (JJL)