Floating cottages from Cordova to be asked to leave Lapu-Lapu’s coastal waters

These are some of the floating cottages, that are believed to come from Cordova and are anchored off the seas of Barangay Marigondon, Lapu-Lapu City. | Photo courtesy of Junard “Ahong” Chan (FILE PHOTO)

LAPU-LAPU CITY, Philippines — The Lapu-Lapu City government is set to send a letter to floating cottages from Cordova town that were seen in the coastal waters of the city.

Alex Baring, head of the City Agriculture and Fishery Office (CAFO), said that the city legal department was already preparing the letter ordering them to leave the coastal waters of Lapu-Lapu.

Baring said that they already observed five floating cottages, one in Punta Engaño and four in Marigondon, that they believed came from Cordova town.

“Dili man gyud gusto si mayor nga mag-operate sila diri sa city,” Baring said.

(The mayor does not want them to operate here in the city.)

Starting on Monday, August 29, 2022, fixed and floating cottages in Cordova were already banned from operating, after Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order No. 25.

This is to pave way to the rehabilitation of the town’s coastal waters, after the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) observed a high level of fecal coliform in the town’s coastal water.

Punta Engaño’s floating cottages

Baring also revealed that in Punta Engaño, around four floating cottages were already existing and operated by beach resorts.

“Basin madamay ni sila, pero depende ni mayor kay for personal consumption ra man kuno to nila,” he added.

(Perhaps, they may be included, but it would depend on the mayor because they were for their personal consumption only.)

On Saturday, August 27, 2022, Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan has observed four floating cottages, which he believes came from Cordova town and that has been anchored at the coastal waters of Barangay Marigondon.

In his Facebook page, Chan urged the owners and operators of these cottages to leave for he would not allow them to operate in the city.

He also inspected one of the four cottages and found out that it did not have proper comfort rooms, where human waste will go directly to the seawater.

Aside from this, its anchor can also harm and damage the corals in the area.

RELATED STORIES

Cordova police inspects coastal waters for implementation of Gwen’s EO 25

Capitol: No more floating cottages in Cordova

Some floating cottages in Cordova town are found on waters of Lapu-Lapu

Cordova’s floating cottages have until Aug. 28 to operate

Capitol intervenes: No more illegal cottages in Cordova

Cordova seawater has high level of coliform – EMB-7

Lapu-Lapu City plans to put up own floating cottages near Liberty Shrine

/dbs