By Annabel Consuelo Petinglay/PNA
SAN JOSE DE BUENAVISTA, Antique — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) gathered stakeholders and local officials of Antique to discuss the rehabilitation of the Bagumbayan Creek here on Tuesday.
Louie L. Laud, community environment and natural resources officer, said in a media interview after their meeting that no less than DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu gave them a marching order to undertake the rehabilitation of the Bagumbayan Creek, which has become a dumping site of wastes.
“There are several establishments and residents established nearby that are dumping their wastes on the Bagumbayan Creek,” he said.
Its program of work is still being finalized. It will have an initial allocation of around PHP50 million from the DENR for the construction of the concrete wall that would address the indiscriminate dumping of wastes on the creek.
“There should have been a 20-meter easement for residences and establishments from the creek but because they are already there we will just construct the retaining wall as a mitigation measure,” he said.
He said that supposedly, the Bagumbayan Creek is a dead creek and should have no water but because of the more than 44 establishments and piggery that are dumping their wastes on the creek, a high coliform count aside from its effect to the marine life could not be discounted.
Meanwhile, Mayor Elmer Untaran said they are going to have a massive cleanup with the stakeholders for two successive Saturdays starting January 19 and on January 26 at the Bagumbayan Creek.
“We will have a massive clean-up drive for a start,” he said.
Subsequently, the San Jose de Buenavista Municipal Council Committee on Environment, chaired by Dante Beriong, is asking stakeholders to donate working gloves and other cleanup equipment that could be used by student volunteers of the Antique National School, St. Anthony’s College and employees of the municipal government during the cleanup.
