Over 1K tourism workers displaced by waste spill, ‘Tino’ in Negros Oriental

REPAIR The ongoing rehabilitation of the wastewater containment lagoon of the Universal Robina Corp. Distillery, which collapsed on Oct. 26 and contaminated over 6,000 hectares of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, is shown in this photo posted on Nov. 5 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). --PHOTO FROM DENR FACEBOOK PAGE

BACOLOD CITY—At least 1,280 tourism workers were affected by the ethanol wastewater spill at the Universal Robina Corp. ethanol distillery plant in Bais City, Negros Oriental, and by Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) that came after.

Affected were the tourism workers from Bais City and Manjuyod, Department of Tourism regional director for Western Visayas and Negros Island Region Krisma Rodriguez said.

The spill, which occurred on Oct. 26, has affected over 6,000 hectares of sea that formed part of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape and within the immediate environs of Bais City and Manjuyod town.

On top of displacing hundreds of fishers discouraged from fishing at the strait’s contaminated sea, the spill also adversely affected tourism, as both Bais and Manjuyod are known tourist havens due to their pristine waters and whale watching and diving activities.

The adverse economic impact of the spill was worsened by the widespread devastation caused by Tino when it swept through the Visayas on Nov. 4.

The Tañon Strait Protected Seascape covers more than 500,000 hectares between the islands of Negros and Cebu, known for its rich marine biodiversity. It serves as a feeding, breeding and nesting ground for marine mammals. It is also known to a diversity of fish, mollusks and crustaceans, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

WATER TEST Personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Bais City, conduct water testing at Tañon Strait on Nov. 3, days after it was contaminated by the ethanol wastewater spill of the Universal Robina Corp. Distillery in Bais City, on Oct. 26. -PHOTO FROM DENR FACEROOK PAGE

Bais City and Manjuyod have both declared a state of calamity to address the needs of displaced communities.

Assistance

Rodriguez said they gathered the list of the tourism workers and have endorsed it to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the provision of family food packs and other immediate assistance.

The displaced tourism workers may also qualify for the emergency cash transfer that is about P5,000 per family, she said.

The affected workers included tour guides, boatmen and those who work in accommodation establishments, she added.

According to Rodriguez, concerned government entities should focus on the repair of roads and bridges that lead to tourism destinations in Negros Oriental that were badly damaged by Typhoon Tino.

Rodriguez said the huts on Suyak Island in Sagay City, in Negros Occidental, were also damaged by the typhoon.