Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff – ECAN Monitoring and Evaluation Division Head attended to the meeting of the Coron Bay Water Quality Management Area (WQMA) Governing Board on December 6, via Zoom.
The meeting was presided by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – Environment Management Bureau (EMB)-MIMAROPA and participated by the local government unit of Coron and its stakeholders.
The Environment Management Bureau (EMB) reported the results of monitoring of the water quality of Coron Bay conducted from March 30 to November 17, which revealed the presence of fecal coliform in seven sites from Brgy. Tagumpay to Bgy. 5 (Discovery) and Governor’s Wharf. The results exceeded the water quality guidelines of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The medium-scale Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) that was constructed in Coron was also brought to light and discussed. Due to its lack of tenurial instrument, Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), and other necessary permits from DENR, it cannot be operated yet, which could otherwise be used in addressing the wastewater pollution in Coron Bay.
To hasten and beef up the process of completing the required permits/clearances to operationalize the STP, the PCSDS representative suggested that the Local Government Units of Coron, Coron Rural Water Sanitation Association (CRSWA), CENRO-Coron, and PCSDS-District Management Office Calamian should sit down with the Environmentally Critical Areas Network (ECAN) Board and find ways to facilitate the permitting process that will pave the way for the operation of the STP.
CWRSA has also bared its plans to construct a water quality laboratory in Coron. Moreover, it also looks forward to the joint venture agreement with the LGU of Coron for the construction of a large-scale STP in a private land area located in Barangay Guadalupe, in the same municipality.