Bohol,
with its laid-back lifestyle, monthly fiestas and friendly people, is an ideal
haven for many. A get-away that allows one to step away from the hustle and bustle
of a fast-paced lifestyle and luxuriate in turquoise beaches and fiery sunsets.
Tourists, both international and local, come to Bohol to experience a commune
with nature that is unavailable in more commercialized beaches like Boracay. Here,
the nightlife and clubbing is minimal. One is treated instead to a wide expanse
of untouched beaches, craggy shores, and man-made forests, lulled to sleep by
the cool breeze and the sound of crickets in the still night.
We boast a man-made
forest, an underground cave, the second oldest stone church in the country, the
smallest primate and the largest snake in the world.
Our seamen, nurses and
IT professionals travel to far-flung places around the world to earn a living,
yet all feel a strange pull to travel back home to celebrate the big moments of
life --- a wedding, the birth of a child, a death.
Such is the charm of our
beautiful island.
Imagine the dismay then that many locals, tourists, and
expats feel as events continue to unfold that can only be described as sacrilege.
A section of CPG Avenue between the Coca-cola plant and Bohol Wisdom School
has been getting flooded for the past two years. Two successive typhoons necessitated
a quick-fix. So, despite no permits issued, the Graham drainage outfall into Tagbilaran
City Bay was opened, to quickly drain the flood.
This quick move, a supposed
emergency response, has been hailed by the residents affected as a boon, as it
seems to have solved the problem.
However, an emergency response is only a
step away from a careless habitual action. Despite the temporary relief provided,
it would behoove everyone to keep some facts in mind.
Sewage water is less
dense than sea water. Hence, it floats right up to the surface and spreads wherever
the waves, winds and currents carry it. When the winds are on-shore half of the
year, the foul waters are pushed directly to the beach. The other half, the current
carries the water along the coast of the island.
Further, coral reefs are the
most nutrient sensitive ecosystem of all. Humans can safely drink water with nutrients
a thousand levels higher than coral reefs can tolerate. By the time the people
start to get sick, the reefs are already dead, the same reefs that harbour fish
and octopus for food, and provide protection against hurricane and other extreme
weather.
One striking example of the consequences of poor sewage control is
Boracay's Bulabog Bay. According to eyewitness reports, its waters are now very
green with constant blooms of algae which, in turn, have provoked dense populations
of long-spined black sea urchins. Epidemics have erupted of ear infections, skin
infections, septic infections of cuts, and severe stomach problems for swimmers,
boaters, kite boarders, and parachute gliders who fall into the water.
Will
Bohol be next? Bohol's lifeblood is eco-tourism. Without it, we will lose much
of the economic stride gained over the past few years.
This matter must be
resolved immediately. Otherwise, it will have severe repercussions on our ecosystem
and our business. Our politicians need to place the good of the people and of
the island above individual agendas.
To the political movers who own this
problem, the people say: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Keep
your good intentions and empty promises to yourselves, and get to work.
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