By Mahatma M. Maulana/Philippine News Agency
GENERAL SANTOS CITY — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) assured Tuesday that it is regularly monitoring beach resorts and establishments within the Sarangani Bay to ensure that it remains free of pollutants.
Dr. Sabdullah Abubacar, DENR-12 regional executive director, noted that the bay is a declared protected and water quality management area (WQMA) and subject to protection and conservation standards and mechanisms.
Abubacar said Sarangani’s Protected Area Management Board, local government units, line agencies and other stakeholders are jointly monitoring developments and day-to-day undertakings of all establishments in the bay.
“All activities of the establishments are properly monitored and they must comply with the rules and regulations on the environment,” Abubacar said in a statement.
He cited the compliance monitoring on the conditions provided under the Environmental Compliance Certificate, which details how establishments will mitigate pollution in line with their operations.
Through the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), resorts and other firms are also required to undergo the environmental impact assessment prior to their establishment.
Alex Jimenez, EMB-12 director, said during the assessment, all potential negative impact that could be caused by their operations are studied and predicted, and the mitigating measures are set.
Jimenez said one major impact of resorts around the bay is the generation of wastewater that could be discharged to the waters.
He said the EMB is strictly monitoring the parameters that should be maintained by the resorts before they can discharge their wastewater.
Jimenez said the agency has been conducting regular monthly monitoring of the physical and chemical characteristics of the beaches to check if they are safe for swimming.
“All the results of the tests we have conducted in all the beaches along the Sarangani Bay are good and we can assure the public that they are safe for swimming,” he said.
Sarangani Bay was declared a protected area through Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Area System Act of 2018.
For the latest updates about this story, visit the Philippine News Agency website
