Philippine Environment III: Several Polluting Firms Ordered Closed
Ken Ilio
Bicol and Genral Santos City closed for violation of anti-pollution laws.
The firms were: Bicolandia Sugar Development Corp, a sugar mill in Pili,
Camarines Sur; Alabay Agro-Industrial Development Corp, an abaca pulp plant,
and Santa Monica Canning Corp, a tuna processing plat in Barangay Tambler
in General Santos City.
Julian Amador, regional director of DENRs Environmental Management
Bureau in Bicol said that both Bisudeco and Alindeco failed to comply with
DENR regulations such as the installation of anti-pollution devices in their
plants and the dumping of polluted effluents into rivers.
SANCANCO, the country's biggest exporter of canned tuna was ordered
closed by the DENR for discharging wastewater into Sarangani Bay in volumes
above the allowable standar set by the effluent regulations. According to
officials, SANCANCO had been discharging effluent by 3400 mg/l exceeding the
allowable 80 mg/l. Susmaryosep! DENR also said that SANCANCO has been
operating without permit.
DENR Secretary Fulgencio Factoran Jr also fined SANCANCO some P1,000 to
P5,000 daily from Jan 1985 up to the date of the firm's compliance with the
DENR regulation.