The rocks at Lusaran Dam were painted with bright colors, which went viral on social media earlier this week.| Photo by Juan Carlo De Vela
CEBU CITY, Philippines — “There is a thin line there. You have to look at art and you also have to look at the environment.”
This was the statement of Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia on the brightly painted rocks at Lusaran Dam that went viral on social media recently.
Earlier this week, the colorful rocks, marked with the message “I Love Lusaran,” drew widespread attention and concern from the public, particularly over potential environmental impacts.
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Garcia said if it was done on a bridge, an infrastructure that can be painted, it was fine, but it is different if the painting was done on a rock formation.
Removing paint on rocks
He also cited what Reymarr Hijara, head of the Cebu City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), said that there might be some adverse effects to the environment.
Garcia added it would be better to remove the paint and make sure that the materials used when removing it are safe and not harmful to the environment.
In a previous interview, Hijara said that Brgy. Lusaran considered removing the paint using a paint thinner but the Cenro was against it due to its harmful effects.
Instead, Cenro recommended using a brush or pressure washing to remove the paint more safely.
Despite these concerns, the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) assured the public that the painted area lies outside the water source stream, and any potential contaminants would be filtered out during processing.
“The water quality remains unaffected,” said MCWD chairman Joey Daluz. | with reports from Pia Piquero