Tanauan, Leyte

Atty. Karen Gempis June 25th, 2008

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I write amidst the heavy rains pouring outside brought by Typhoon “Frank” with splinters of dead branches and ripe mango fruits occasionally falling in our roof. It is unthinkable that such an occasion, as the height of another natural phenomenon will compel me to write and reveal the thoughts running through my mind. As early as 3 AM, I lay fully awake as thoughts of our mango trees might not withstand the strength of ”Frank” and leave my household unprepared for the circumstance. Previously, there has been an increasing tempo of the gusty wind and the rains and I can only tell it is once again another stormy day. With the power out, and water temporarily unavailable, the options of how to spend a stormy Sunday are narrowed. I can just finish reading a book which I just did or begin another piece of article– something I have been unable to do quite lately. Now, there is no more excuse.

My official travel to attend to one of our cases in Cebu City last May gave me the opportunity to go home even for so short a time. As always, I have been fascinated by the sight and sounds of the Queen City of the South as nothing compared to other cities. But still I longed for home. I had only the weekend to spare and being with family—I can only count the most important activities I can manage. But never can it be missed out—those early Sunday morning walk or jog along the familiar streets of San Miguel, Solano, diversion Road, San Roque and finally the beaches of Sto. Niño.

This time I wanted to pass by the neighborhood of San Roque before reaching Bachelor because it has been a long time since I walked this path. I caught sight of the pre-existing structure of what is New Leyte Edible Oil and again quite reminisced that in my younger years, this has already been part of Tanauan and of its beaches beyond. I refer to it as “pre-existing” because as far as I can remember, it has already been there and if I’m not mistaken, even before I was born.

When I was in my teens, I do remember seeing a big structure—cemented piece of a ruin—that was slowly being eaten up by the waves and the sand. As years passed and to date, what remains is a relatively small portion of it on which the waves still pound and crash into. In a young mind back then, I do remember that this cemented structure appeared to be formidable and quite incapable of being submerged into the waters as we even walked through it in our leisurely pass to the other side of the beach—farther to and beyond the “pantalan”. Now nothing will seem formidable and indefatigable in nature—as in this case the force of the tide and of the waters will impose itself consistently on this structure like any other. Nature indeed.

What caught my sight and what will again put me into agitation is the unpleasant sight of the sewage that no longer discretely flow from the exhaust vents or holes of New Leyte Edible Oil. It was in open view or “plain view” of any passerby and the pool of putrid water with trash combined in an enclosed space leaving it stagnant is something that cannot just escape my eyes. I looked at the source and found it very clear that again this company has again deceived or cheated us, of its social responsibilities or to be precise– environmental responsibilities! For even if they are granted an environmental clearance, I do not believe that obtaining such and the responsibility that comes along with it ends and cease upon receipt of the certificate or whatever piece of document is issued by the regulatory agency. The essence of compliance or if indeed there is an honest attempt to comply in good faith to the requirements of compliance is best seen or confirmed in the daily actual operation of this business entity up to the detail of its sewage management and that early Sunday morn is one ordinary day in its normal business life where this attempt at compliance can be gauged. There I saw the lack of effort to comply!

Previously we had a similar article that featured this predicament in Brgy. Sto. Niño affecting our waters and I was made to understand that the water that goes out from this industry is already “treated” and hence safe to join our seas. Since the said blog was published, and considering the present situation, I do not know if this view will still hold. If treatment was the word that will save this industry from compliance to the requirement to dispose of its sewage en route to our waters then why is it that it is not only water that spoils the sight? There is trash everywhere and the depository of this sewage and trash only gets worse each day! A word of caution to everybody—the pool of murky and putrid water with sewage combined is temporarily separated from our beaches by a cemented structure but by the force of gravity and law on inertia, the ultimate repository is our open beaches! Now, I know why one will no longer see people bathing or enjoying the waters in this side of our beaches. Now it is apparent why most of us will prefer passing through Sto. Niño and directly to Bachelor’s Beach only to avoid this sight.

The thought of taking a dip in our refreshing waters has always been a respite for a traveler like me but I choose to contain myself on that fateful day. There is another time. I would always receive mild scolding from my mother in not being able to contain the urge to take to dip but surprisingly, on that day I was in control. For how can one be unable to contain himself? In that side of the beach, just behind the notorious industry, pollution is apparent, starkly believable and merciless. In this side of the “pantalan” it is deserted because one cannot possibly enjoy the waters and the waves with the thought of all the litter you have to see. Just imagine the adverse consequence to one’s health or say what about if little children will bathe in this side of the beach?

In comparison, the other side of the “pantalan” seems to be fine, externally or just by plain view. I saw a few individuals enjoying themselves in the waters and I had this feeling of momentary relief or was it resentment? Because you would agree with me that the waters in that side of the beach are no less different from the same water that presents itself as the direct repository or conduit of the waters and litter coming from the exhaust vents of New Leyte Edible Oil! If we take pride in our beaches, then saving it from pollution must be on whatever side one may be situated, before or beyond the “pantalan”, from where folks and tourists tend to flock to where people seldom tread by reason of the unpleasantness that confronts them!

I may be far away but attention to details has not escaped me. I just feel that something should be done to this industry who shamelessly profits at the expense of the pollution it discharges to our local waters. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt that this area in management could just have escaped them, but I shake my head at the thought that this issue has not cropped up only now. And what a shallow excuse they will labor to present in defense of an obvious poor response to this aspect of compliance. At this point, the company’s capacity to comply with its environmental clearance is questionable and even suspicious. To my objective and personal view, I do not think there is a faithful effort to comply at all, otherwise why allow such a sight to be witnessed by just anybody indiscriminately. And this happened in broad daylight, in the fresh Sunday morn! What about the period of dusk to the crack of dawn? What if the operation continues 24/7? Is this not plainly catastrophic? And this has been going on for years as I can remember! I think this is worse than typhoon “Frank” or “Milenyo”. This is a typhoon in residency unless something urgent is done. Even the term urgency is already ironic. How urgent should an effort be in response to a man-made calamity that has attacked when I was just learning my ABC?

Again this calls for a conscious supervision of our local government as the regulatory body over local industries and businesses. This industry might be prompt and updated in paying the local tax and dues (I just cross my fingers) but I think a few will agree with me that revenue is not all that matters. When the danger and the damage far outweigh the benefit, I do not think there should be tolerance for entities with poor compliance to regulatory environmental requirements.

We do not have to be of radical makeup to urge us to address this issue or be far secure in our monoliths to be unfeeling and refrain from resorting to positive action. But as the old Latin maxim says way back in law school which is appropriate for the sight I was able to behold “res ipsa loquitor” meaning “the thing speaks for itself”, what is there left to say? I suggest only the statements “What are we waiting for?” and “It’s time to draw the line.”

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