Bais city: The Universal Robina Corporation (URC) has assured that the damaged dike in its containment lagoon at the Bais Distillery in Negros Oriental will withstand conditions that could threaten its structural stability once fully repaired.
According to Philippines News Agency, the finalized repair of the breached lagoon wall at the Bais Distillery is delayed by 10 days because of extra work and the impact of Typhoon Tino on the restoration process. 'The recent typhoon did not affect the integrity of the main dike nor escalate the contamination of the seawater from the collapsed lagoon, though it did cause some delay in the completion of repair,' URC said in a statement on Wednesday.
Originally set for completion on Nov. 4, the firm revealed the updated target date on the 14th of this month 'due to extra work needed for reinforcement to guarantee complete sealing' of the damaged wall. URC guaranteed that the repaired structure "will withstand a repeat of unusually strong and relentless rains, tide action, and earthquakes."
On Oct. 26, part of the ethanol facility's containment lagoon gave way, spilling a large amount of molasses-rich wastewater into the ocean near Bais City and Manjuyod, which URC blamed on recent earthquakes and continuous heavy rainfall. The incident caused the discoloration of the seawater, resulted in fish kill, and the displacement of some 5,000 businesses and families.
URC has initially given PHP5,000 cash assistance to each of the families affected by the wastewater spill. Some 5,000 fisherfolk families have been impacted by the pollution in Bais Bay, including those that have fish pens, fish cages, seaweed farmers, and others dependent on the sea for their livelihood.
The company has reassured that it is fully cooperating with authorities and is ready to take full accountability for the incident. The statement also highlighted that the latest results of seawater quality monitoring from the polluted waters "indicate improvement in dissolved oxygen, pH, and water color in the impacted regions." Marine organisms have also been seen in the areas that were previously discolored.
Water sampling and quality monitoring were carried out in collaboration with the Philippine Coast Guard, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Ta±on Strait Protected Seascape (DENR-TSPS), and Silliman University. URC assured it will continue collaborating with DENR and other experts to study all options for the rehabilitation of the marine area.
An investigation, spearheaded by the DENR, is currently underway to assess the scale of the spill and identify measures to avoid a recurrence of the incident. The company committed a 'steadfast' assistance and support to the affected families and communities until the situation returns to normal.
