Between Sawang Calero and Shell Island: ‘Mountain’ of trash found underwater

CEBU, Philippines - Piles of garbage “over six feet high” occupying a large swathe of the bottom of the sea between Barangay Sawang Calero and Shell Island in Cebu City was discovered yesterday when a group of local and foreign divers checked the area.

Task Force Bantay Dagat Executive Director Ranolfo Sebusa said three Japanese divers and Philippine Coast Guard and Department of Environment and Natural Resources personnel dived there to inspect for underwater garbage, which they already did late last year.

What they saw was disheartening to environmentalists and nature advocates.

“Pwerte na kabaga sa basura, puno na og basura ang kadagatan nga atong gibana-banang sobra six-feet ang kabag-on (The pile of trash has grown. The sea was full of garbage that I estimate to be around six feet high) ,” Sebusa said.

“Gi-dive na ni nato last year apan karon atong nasayran nga nagkadaghan ang basura ilawom sa kadagatan. Pwerting ngitngita na gyod (There are now more garbage the bottom looked very dark),” he added.

Sebusa said they checked the area only last December, and the pile of assorted wastes, including plastics and sacks, has really grown.

“Kuhaon gyod ni kay mahimo ning isla sa basura. Limpyohan nato para mobalik og lawom ang atong dagat. Limpyohon mintras dili pa mo-worsen (We might end up having a n island of garbage. So we have to clear  the garbage and restore the sea to its original depth.  We need to do it so it would not worsen),” he stressed.

However, Cebu City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CCENRO) head Randy Navarro laughed and belittled Sebusa’s description on how thick the underwater garbage was.

“Dunay basura ilawom sa dagat pero dili kapin six feet uy, Mura naman ng landfill nuan. Naay nagkatag ug naglutaw-lutaw na basura from (Yes there is garbage under the sea but it is not a six-feet pile.  That would already be like a landfill.  But there are pieces of garbage floating six to eight feet underwater,” he said.

Navarro said the video taken underwater was shown to Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) members, including City Councilor Nida Cabrera, committee on environment chairperson.

This Tuesday, the city’s SWMB would meet to discuss the perennial problem, especially on undersea garbage.

Navarro said they would discuss ways on how to remove the underwater garbage.

“Ato ba ning i-handpick pero madugay lagi or siphon na lamang (We either pick them by hand or siphon it off),” he said.

The Cebu City Hall, though, only has a siphoning machine intended to suction garbage and waste in canals and septic tanks.

In line with Republic Act (RA) 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act) , Navarro said there is a need to strengthen the city’s information and education campaign in the different barangays, various sectors and  public schools  to minimize the garbage problem.

“Ang nahitabo man gud ang atong mga constituents pataka ug pasagad og labay og basura didto sa atong mga kasapaan hinungdan nga mo-pollute sa atong kadagatan. So karon nagproblema ta (What is happening now is that our constituents just threw their garbage discriminately in our rivers, int he process polluting our seas. So now we are having this problem),” he said.

“Mosamot na if di nato alimton. Ato ng i-dredge and conduct further education drive for proper disposal of garbage, and alihan ang kasubahan para dili moadto sa dagat,” Sebusa, for his part, said.

Likewise, CCENRO has revitalized the Cebu Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team (CESET) and Barangay Environmental Officers (BEOs) to help the city government in its flagship program “Gubat sa Basura”.

Meanwhile, Navarro said that in time for the “World Water Day” celebration on March 22, there would be a coastal clean-up in all 15 coastal barangays of the city.

And like on Feb. 9, there would be mangrove planting, which would be attended by at least 200 people, at Shell Island, particularly between Cebu City and Cordova town, on the same day.—/RHM (FREEMAN)