Korean resort ordered to stop Batangas work

MABINI, Batangas—Officials of this town ordered a stop to the construction of a pump house for a Korean-owned resort that has been blamed for worsening siltation in the waters of Secret Bay Anilao, a popular dive site.

Nini Casapao, the town’s tourism officer, said the mayor issued the cease-and-desist order against the construction work at Sea’s Spring Resort after it was found dumping debris into the bay.

Casapao said the order was issued days after she and a team from the mayor’s office inspected the construction site on March 7.

Casapao quoted resort personnel as saying the pump house was being transferred to another site because guests had been complaining of the noise it was generating.

Casapao said while her team did not see actual dumping of debris into the bay, it saw silt accumulating in the bay.

The resort, she said, is building the new pump house outside of its property, a 5.2-hectare complex with hot springs, sauna, swimming pools, conference rooms, restaurants and rooms for guests.

Casapao said divers had expressed alarm at the debris being thrown into the bay.

The bay, which is about 14 km from the town proper and 32 km from Batangas City, earned the title second-best dive destination in the world.

“The Koreans are investors who give employment to the community. If we feel and see that they are harming the environment, they will be punished,” said Casapao.

Romeo Trono, country director for Conservation International, said divers had noticed silt getting thicker in the bay.

“The corals die should silt be dumped on them,” said Trono.

The operations of at least 70 resorts in the town would suffer if siltation continued, he added.

Fe Tolentino, human resources manager for Sea’s Spring Resort, denied that debris from the resort’s construction site had been dumped into the bay.

She said the resort stopped the work upon receiving the cease-and-desist order from the municipal government.