• CHERYL G. CRUZ
Manjuyod Mayor Raffy Alipio Andaya has temporarily banned Oct. 27 visitors to the town’s white sandbar due to water discoloration caused by the collapse of the URC SURE Bais Distillery’s lagoon dike.
In Executive Order 54, series of 2025, issued yesterday afternoon, Andaya said the distillery’s lagoon dike collapsed due to earthquake-induced cracks and continuous heavy rainfall the past several days.
“This incident has caused the discharge of wastewater effluent into nearby waterways, resulting in the occurrence of water discoloration affecting the coastal waters and marine environment of Manjuyod, including the vicinity of the Manjuyod White Sandbar,” the mayor added.
The contamination poses potential health and environmental hazards, and immediate preventive action is necessary to ensure the safety of visitors, residents, and stakeholders, Andaya said. “The municipal government deems it prudent to temporarily suspend tourism activities at the Manjuyod White Sandbar until the situation has been properly assessed and cleared by competent authorities.”
In a meeting with representatives of URC-SURE or URSUMCO, town officials urged the company to immediately implement corrective actions to prevent further environmental damage, the LGU said in a press release yesterday.
Andaya also requested for the temporary suspension of URSUMCO’s operations until the concern is properly addressed and resolved, it added.
“Tourism operations at the Manjuyod White Sandbar shall resume only upon clearance and recommendation from concerned regulatory and environmental agencies, confirming that the area is safe and free from contamination,” the EO stressed.
The Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, Tourism Office, and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office have also been directed to coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and other concerned agencies for the immediate water quality testing, assessment, and monitoring.
The Coast Guard Station Negros Oriental also issued an advisory temporarily suspending all trips from Punta Campuyo, Manjuyod to the Manjuyod White Sand Bar, and vice versa; and from Canibol Wharf in Bais to the Manjuyod White Sand Bar, and vice versa.
“All voyages along the concerned route are temporarily suspended until further notice. Operations shall resume once the affected area has returned to normal conditions,” the advisory added. | CGC
