Sta. Fe wants probe on vessels dumping wastes
THE municipal council of Sta. Fe town in Bantayan Island will pass a resolution in today’s session asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to investigate the vessels that were dumping their wastes on their shoreline.
The resolution came after Sta. Fe Mayor Jose Esgana complained about the improper disposal of wastes by vessels of Island Shipping Corp. because they don’t have their own septic tanks.
The vessels ply the route from Hagnaya port in San Remigio town to Sta. Fe, Bantayan Island port and vice versa.
The Sta. Fe municipal council earlier approved a resolution asking the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina-7) to deal with the shipping firms to no avail.
Mayor Esgana raised this issue during the 7th governors’ meeting on the protection of the Visayan Sea.
The mayor said the beach resort owners have complained about the human wastes dumped near the shoreline, saying it will drive off their guests.
“I am 100 percent sure these are wastes dumped by the vessels,” Esgana said.
He said they were still waiting for the DENR investigation into their complaint.
Sta. Fe Vice Mayor Celso Espinosa also said residents were also to blame for the presence of fecal matter floating in the sea.
Espinosa said they provided materials to residents to build their own toilets but they used them to build their own piggeries instead.
He said their ordinance penalizes anyone caught disposing of their wastes with a P500 fine.
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