By PIA-Bohol | 10:06 PM March 15, 2025
Bohol is already a green economy model site, and with this, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is making sure communities are engaged on the responsibilities at hand.
Thus shares EMB senior Environmental Management Specialist Kay Espinosa, at the recent Kapihan sa PIA, which was streamed live via PIA Bohol facebook and youtube channel to campaign for community participation in water quality measures and join clean-ups during the World Water Day this March 22.
Espinosa, who is the EMB’s Ambient Water Monitoring Section, said the EMB keeps track of the status of water bodies, be they fresh or sea water, to guide communities and tourists on the utilization of such resources.
In the late 1990s, when Bohol decided to pick on eco-cultural tourism as its economic driver, it caused a stir among tourists who opt for environment friendly and green technologies, as the green tourists also started to opt for the greener destinations, like Bohol.
In Bohol, where tourism activities include fresh water and aqua sports, the EMB as the agency mandated to implement Republic Act 9275 or the Clean Water Act, the EMB monitors ambient water quality and classifies them according to their utilization as Class AA and Class A for drinking, Class B for skin contact, Class C for Agri-fisheries and Class D for purely navigational use.
For the fresh water bodies’ use, apart from monitoring, the EMB also looks into the measures that abate and control of pollution from land based sources, while it lays down water quality standards and regulations.
While we monitor the water bodies, we also look into the establishments that are discharging their wastes into the water body. Following the Clean Water Act, we prioritize prevention, control, and abatement of pollution from land-based sources like industrial waste and sewage, Espinosa said.
Central part of this task is the establishment of effluent standards for different industries, specifying limits on pollutants that can be discharged into water bodies, before they can be held responsible.
Beyond this, to engage the community’s help, the DENR EMB implements Water quality management areas: specific areas where stricter water use regulations are applied based on concerns of the utilization of such body of water.
With tourists flocking to Panglao, the DENR implemented the Panglao Island Coastal Waters Water Quality Management Area (PICW-WQMA) in collaboration with communities, tourism stakeholders, establish a governing body inclusive of LGUS within the WQMA, perform regular monthly WQM and we provide the LGUS with the data for a scientific bases on their water quality interventions, she explained.
And while the DENR monitors water quality, enforces compliance with regulations, and imposes penalties on violators, the multi-sectoral and interagency governing body sends out resolutions seeking proper action and intervention by the polluting source.
To spread out the word about this initiative, PICW-WQMA has three technical working groups to advance the goals of the WQMA: The information education and communication TWG tasked to encourage communities to own upthe responsibility of abating pollution starting with ecological solid waste management and discipline, Research TWG which conducts researches to back up any action necessary to sustain the efforts of the WQMA, and puts up carrying capacity studies to guide development planners on what to do to sustain and conserve the water resources.
Finally, the WQM TWG advances strategies on managing water quality by advocating for infrastructure interventions like waste management systems, waste water treatment facilities, and recycling systems that aim to minimize dirty and untreated water from getting into the coastlines and impact on the diverse marine resources that attracts tourists to Bohol.
It is in this light that we, at the EMB urges communities to own up the task of ensuring the ideal water quality for Panglao Island and its surrounding waters as well as other water bodies frequented by tourists and locals, as we want to promote tourism and assure tourists that Bohol is that wholesome destination they can learn on and enjoy, Espinosa hinted. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)
