Lusaran execs may be held accountable

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) vowed to hold accountable the officials of Barangay Lusaran who will be found responsible in the vandalism of the rocks surrounding the Lusaran Dam.

CCENRO officer-in-charge Reymar Hijara said that painting the rocks surrounding the dam is prohibited and should be penalized under the existing laws protecting the environment.

Hijara said they are already looking into the incident to find out who was responsible for the said project. According to Hijara, they have already sent a communication to the barangay inquiring the details of the project and the people behind it.

Hijara admitted that there is an 80-percent chance that the paint on the rocks will have an environmental impact especially on the water within the two kilometer radius.

“Ang concerning lang talaga dun is anong klase ng mga paint ang yung ginamit nila kasi kung water-based lang siguro maliit lang ang impact nyan sa environment kung hindi water-based yun malaking risk na yung mga organisms mamatay,” said Hijara.

According to him, among the glaring effects of the paint is the chemical substance which can be “poisonous” to the organisms, plants, and the aquatic animals which may cause death.

Metro Cebu Water District’s bulk water supplier, JE Hydro, gets is supply from the Lusaran Dam.

However, MCWD chairman Jose Daluz III said that they are not alarmed by the situation because the water supply from Lusaran Dam will undergo a process of filtration to ensure that it is safe for the public to drink.

Hijara said they were alarmed after learning that the barangay officials of Lusaran are planning to remove the paint using thinner. Hijara said using paint thinner is very harmful to the environment.

“Na alarm naman ako kasi yung thinner harmful din yun,” said Hijara.

To minimize the impact to the environment, Hijara said that the paint should be removed through scraping or pressure washing.

Hijara reminds the public to be mindful of the environmental impact while exercising their freedom of art expression.

He added that there are guidelines that need to be considered to incorporate art and nature. –/FPL (FREEMAN)