In a visit to the office of City of Mati Mayor Michelle Nakpil Rabat Wednesday, July 13, 2022, EMB XI’s chemical and hazardous waste permitting section chief Engr. Myhrra Harquilla said that the particular Rappler report has a lot of loopholes.
Among them is the so-called Philippine Environmental Management Bureau office which is not a government agency. The agency that sets air and water quality standards and monitors ambient and point source pollutants is the DENR-EMB.
Secondly, the EMB official said that the Rappler report made mention of the unit “parts per million” or ppm which is no longer the unit being used by the EMB in determining the bacteria count.
Harquilla said that what is being used now is “most probable number per 100 milliliters” or MPN/100ml.
Third, the DENR-EMB does not have water sampling stations in Pujada Bay.
“We have water sampling stations in Mayo Bay but none yet in Pujada Bay,” said the EMB XI official.
DENR 11 Regional Executive Director Bagani Fidel Evasco have also earlier said that water sampling is specific only to the area where the water sample was taken and does not necessarily reflect the situation in the entire bay.
“Kapag sinabing may fecal coliform sa isang area, specific lng yan sa kung saang water sampling stations nakuha ang water sample. If sa isang sampling station may fecal coliform, hindi ibig sabihin na sa buong area ganun din,” Evasco was quoted as saying.
Regardless of the water sampling result, the environmental officials said that what is important is that the local government units along with the DENR are implementing mitigating measures to minimize if not prevent contamination in the bay.
According to them, both the province and city LGUs have long instituted measures like continuous mangrove rehabilitation in areas surrounding Pujada Bay; rehabilitation and retrofitting of the sanitary landfill; improvement of garbage collection service; continuing information, education, campaign (IEC) on proper waste disposal; recent creation of IEC Team of the City Integrated Ecological Solid Waste Management Board; bamboo riverbank stabilization program; water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) projects like clustered sewerage system with centralized water treatment facilities in in Magsaysay, Poblacion, Madang Public Market, and Dahican: relocation of coastal residents in Magapo and Calagundian affected by government projects as well as the Magsaysay relocation and overall urban renewal project; as well as updating of Integrated Coastal Resource Management Plan.
For its continuing projects aimed at protecting Pujada Bay, the City of Mati LGU was recently recognized by the DENR for its outstanding practices on solid waste management and its IEC strategies. (PR CIO MATI)
Photo from Mati CIO