Group says pollution in Manila Bay unlikely in Subic
A GROUP leading the conservation of Subic Bay said pollution is a real threat but efforts are underway to prevent Subic's water from ending up as polluted as Manila Bay.
George Lorenzana, chair of the Greater Subic Bay Tourism Bureau (GSBTB), said a community-wide conservation program is being implemented to preserve and improve the state of Subic Bay both as a world-class tourist destination and an important trade waterway.
He said the project is being coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Environment Management Bureau.
"While we recognize that the threat of pollution to Subic Bay is real, we're not just moping about the situation. In fact, we are already taking concrete actions to prevent that possibility from happening," Lorenzana said.
Earlier, an Inquirer source at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said Subic Bay might end up as polluted as Manila Bay in 10 years if the waste discharges and other pollutants thrown into it remain unchecked and without a sewerage system implemented for Olongapo City.
Lorenzana said a study by Dr. Gerardo Parco, an assistant professor in environmental engineering at the University of the Philippines, concluded that Subic Bay's water "is still considered clean and healthy as [shown] by the presence of diverse marine life."
"The case of Manila Bay won't happen in Subic," Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana and SBMA Ecology Center head Amethya dela Llana said the condition of Subic Bay is different from Manila Bay, where urbanization and heavy industries greatly contributed to waste discharge and pollution.
"In the case of Subic, only light to medium industrial firms have located here and the ecology center regulates and closely monitors the compliance of these locators with existing environmental rules and regulations, including waste management and disposal," Dela Llana said.
Still, Dela Llana said, the SBMA has adopted conservation plans, including a coastal management program to help protect and preserve the bay.
"We are not talking about rehabilitation here. Several independent studies made by various organizations on Subic Bay only recommend preservation and enhancement programs," she said.
SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza assured the public that the SBMA would address the problem and institute measures to stop pollution in the bay.
Parco was the same consultant cited by Jaime Garcia, Subic water assistant general manager, as among those who briefed members of GSBTB and who revealed the state of the bay based on a study they made for the water firm.
Garcia said a study prepared by Parco's group showed how water moves around the bay and where trash, garbage and other polluting materials come from.
"The productivity of the coastal waters around Olongapo is under constant threat of deterioration due to uncontrolled dumping of agricultural and animal wastes and sewage from the riverside residents, which find their way into the rivers and canals and ultimately spread into the coastal water of the bay," an initial study from Parco's group said.
While noting the difficulty of controlling residents from dumping their garbage into the rivers, the group recommended patrols on riverbanks to reprimand residents who throw their garbage into the rivers.
The study also recommended the installation of screen gates at the mouths of rivers to filter and collect the solid wastes and prevent it from reaching coastal water. It also proposed the installation of a sanitary sewerage system on residences, resorts and hotels to prevent the discharge of sewage directly into the rivers.
Patrick Roxas, Inquirer Central Luzon Desk
George Lorenzana, chair of the Greater Subic Bay Tourism Bureau (GSBTB), said a community-wide conservation program is being implemented to preserve and improve the state of Subic Bay both as a world-class tourist destination and an important trade waterway.
He said the project is being coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources' Environment Management Bureau.
"While we recognize that the threat of pollution to Subic Bay is real, we're not just moping about the situation. In fact, we are already taking concrete actions to prevent that possibility from happening," Lorenzana said.
Earlier, an Inquirer source at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority said Subic Bay might end up as polluted as Manila Bay in 10 years if the waste discharges and other pollutants thrown into it remain unchecked and without a sewerage system implemented for Olongapo City.
Lorenzana said a study by Dr. Gerardo Parco, an assistant professor in environmental engineering at the University of the Philippines, concluded that Subic Bay's water "is still considered clean and healthy as [shown] by the presence of diverse marine life."
"The case of Manila Bay won't happen in Subic," Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana and SBMA Ecology Center head Amethya dela Llana said the condition of Subic Bay is different from Manila Bay, where urbanization and heavy industries greatly contributed to waste discharge and pollution.
"In the case of Subic, only light to medium industrial firms have located here and the ecology center regulates and closely monitors the compliance of these locators with existing environmental rules and regulations, including waste management and disposal," Dela Llana said.
Still, Dela Llana said, the SBMA has adopted conservation plans, including a coastal management program to help protect and preserve the bay.
"We are not talking about rehabilitation here. Several independent studies made by various organizations on Subic Bay only recommend preservation and enhancement programs," she said.
SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza assured the public that the SBMA would address the problem and institute measures to stop pollution in the bay.
Parco was the same consultant cited by Jaime Garcia, Subic water assistant general manager, as among those who briefed members of GSBTB and who revealed the state of the bay based on a study they made for the water firm.
Garcia said a study prepared by Parco's group showed how water moves around the bay and where trash, garbage and other polluting materials come from.
"The productivity of the coastal waters around Olongapo is under constant threat of deterioration due to uncontrolled dumping of agricultural and animal wastes and sewage from the riverside residents, which find their way into the rivers and canals and ultimately spread into the coastal water of the bay," an initial study from Parco's group said.
While noting the difficulty of controlling residents from dumping their garbage into the rivers, the group recommended patrols on riverbanks to reprimand residents who throw their garbage into the rivers.
The study also recommended the installation of screen gates at the mouths of rivers to filter and collect the solid wastes and prevent it from reaching coastal water. It also proposed the installation of a sanitary sewerage system on residences, resorts and hotels to prevent the discharge of sewage directly into the rivers.
Patrick Roxas, Inquirer Central Luzon Desk
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