Capitol reiterates ‘no swimming’ orders in Cordova’s polluted seawaters

Floating and fixed cottages on the coasts and seawaters in Cordova town, Mactan Island | Photo from Capitol PIO

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu Provincial Government reiterated orders prohibiting swimming and other leisure activities in Cordova’s polluted seawaters.

Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia issued Executive Order (EO) No. 35 on Tuesday, September 20, that bans public swimming and similar activities in identified areas in Barangay Catarman, Cordova town.

The coasts of Barangay Catarman were among those discovered by environmental regulators to have unsafe levels of fecal coliform, and may pose health risks to swimmers and other beachgoers.

Garcia’s recent orders came a few weeks after the Department of Health in Central Visayas (DOH-7) also urged the public to refrain from swimming in these areas.

EO No. 35 identified at least eight coastal areas in Barangay Catarman which the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) found to have high levels of coliform.

“There is an urgent need to immediately prohibit public swimming and similar activities found within the coastal waters of Cordova, Cebu delineated by the above technical descriptions,” portion of the two-page EO reads.

Authorities have largely blamed floating and fixed cottages in the coasts of Cordova as the culprit behind the pollution of its seawaters.

The local governments have ordered the demolition of all these structures since they also encroached foreshore and easement zones.

Cordova is a third-class municipality that borders Lapu-Lapu City in Mactan Island.

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