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Friday, March 29, 2024

Cagayan beaches are polluted–EMB

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BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya—Beach resort owners in Cagayan province’s coastal towns should properly observe the regular operations of their wastewater treatment to prevent further pollution of several beaches.

Engineer Marissa Balubal, Department of Environment and Natural Resources– Environmental Management Bureau Water Quality Monitoring Section chief, said they have identified several beaches in Sta. Ana and Gonzaga towns found to be contaminated with high quantity of cauliform types.

“Our report covers second quarter of 2016, and we hope that this has improved already once they have followed our recommendations,” she said during a training for solid waste enforcers in Cagayan Valley at the Tam-an Resort in Barangay Busilac here.

Balubal said the pollution was attributed to several tourists not using the beach resorts’ comfort rooms, and the irregular operation of wastewater treatment facilities in the area.

“These pollutions are caused by irresponsible swimmers who just leave their wastes on the shore, while WWTFs are not regularly used by several beach resorts. Some of these WWTFs are only used when we come to check them,” she said.

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Balubal also said they have intensified their monitoring of beaches in the northern part of coastal towns of Cagayan Valley to ensure their compliance with the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004.

She said they are now conducting surprise inspections among the beach resorts on the quality of their beaches and swimming pools to ensure the safety, health and security of their customers and their compliance to the PCWA of 2004.

Balubal also appealed to beach swimmers to refrain from unhealthy practices to preserve the quality of beaches and other inland bodies of water in Cagayan Valley.

She said most of the rivers in Cagayan Valley have been classified as Class C, which is unsafe for bathing and other domestic purposes.

“This was caused by irresponsible waste dumping on our rivers, creeks and other inland bodies of water. Let us not use our bodies of water as our dumping site for our wastes so that our next generation can also benefit from them,” Balubal said.

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