Like clockwork before sunrise, local fishers set out to sea from Silliman Beach in barangay Bantayan to support their families with their daily fish catch. When it’s time to come home, they are met by locals in the neighborhood who want to buy only the freshest catch of the day.
Buying fresh fish directly from the fishers is one of the reasons why Silliman Beach is one of the most frequented waterfronts in Dumaguete. Fishing, however, is not the only activity that continues to attract locals there.
As the sun rises, children frolic on the beach as the adults go for a quick swim. Crews of paddlers training for their next race are also a common sight. Towards the setting of the sun, especially at low tide, family members engage in beachcombing for driftwood, or gleaning for seashells and seaweeds for their food.
On the weekends, more Dumaguete residents go out there to appreciate the view from the public beach, have their meals, or just pass the time drinking their favorite brew to their hearts content.
Old timers, however, rue that Silliman Beach where they had spent their childhood in is not anymore the same with the pressures of population and human activities, and the impacts of “extensive commercial development”. After the 70s, structures along the Bantayan-Piapi coastal area — composed mostly of hotels, condominiums, restaurants, and outdoor cafes — have led scientists to wonder if it is still safe to swim there.
A two-year study conducted by the SU Angelo King Center for Research & Environmental Management (SUAKCREM) found that the mouth of Mojon Creek that separates Silliman Beach from the runway of Sibulan Airport, the sewer outfalls along the seawall of barangays Bantayan and Piapi, and the Silliman Beach seabed have consistently exhibited pollution characterized by sewer odor, foaming discharge, water coloration, and plastics/garbage debris.
The study, with sampling rounds within the 340-meter waterfront conducted in September 2022 and in June 2023, was funded by the SU Alumni Council of North America (SUACONA), an umbrella group of alumni chapters based in the US and Canada.
The scientists — Moses Alcala, Dr. Paulina Aspilla, Abner Bucol, and Dr. Socorro Parco — detected “extremely high concentrations” of E. coli and enterococci “ranging from one to five orders of magnitude exceeding the referenced standards and criteria”. They noted that E. coli appears to “unusually thrive in seawater” in the study area.
Bacteria
coli was highest at 25,500 colony forming units/100 ml. The guideline for E. coli by the Department of Environment & Natural Resources is only 100 CFU/100 ml. The same study found enterococci bacteria up to 28,900 CFU/100 ml in seawater.
When ingested, enterococci can cause urinary tract and wound infections, meningitis, and other health issues. E. coli can cause diarrhea, UTI, pneumonia, sepsis, and other illnesses. Skin contact with these bacteria may cause dermatological diseases.
Effluents
The amount of ammonia in all offshore seawater samples also exceeded DENR’s guidelines. The researchers said this contributes to a “toxic environment for aquatic organisms”. Many outfall samples failed DENR effluent standards for biochemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, ammonia, total suspended solids (water-borne particles that exceed two microns), phosphates, and oil and grease.
The researchers said an elevated amount of oil and grease in the water indicates a “possible presence of other contaminants such as volatile organics and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons” which are suspected carcinogens.
Fish health
A rapid underwater survey conducted in the shallow seagrass beds at Silliman Beach found that fish biomass was low at 1.3 kilos per 500 square meters. Fish density was also low at 152 individuals per 500 square meters.
A similar survey of the seagrass beds in Camiguin Island in northern Mindanao showed a fish biomass of 17 kilos, with a fish density of 180 individuals.
Microplastics
Since 2020, SUAKCREM has coordinated and partly funded a number of collaborative researches with scientists and students, including studies on microplastics in food fishes collected from the Silliman Beach area.
These studies quantified the amount of extremely small particles of plastic debris in commonly-consumed fishes like the Mottled Rabbitfish (locally known as danggit, balawis) with 39 per cent occurrence of microplastics, and the Zigzag Wrasse (lubayan) at 14.3 per cent.
The researchers also noted the relative abundance of danggit at Silliman Beach suggests their high tolerance to pollution. Danggit, which continually grazes on seaweeds and seagrass beds, are “known for adaptability to changing environmental conditions, including the presence of plastics and other trash along the shoreline and the foreshore bottom”.
The results of the study were presented by fisheries expert Dr. Louella Dolar at an alumni gathering in Atlanta, Georgia to celebrate Silliman University’s 123rd Founders Day.
“There is a need for the public to be aware of such pollution in this popular beach,” warned Moses Alcala, a New Jersey-based environmental geologist, Visting Professor at Silliman. He said he is especially concerned about those who frequent Silliman Beach because they can’t afford the expensive resorts south of Dumaguete, like in the towns of Bacong, Dauin, Zamboanguita, and Siaton.
“This development makes me sad since I literally grew up in Silliman Beach where I spent much of my youth learning how to swim, snorkel, scuba-dive, and do other recreational activities,” Alcala lamented.
“Silliman Beach might be more continually impacted because of the constant discharge from the polluted Mojon Creek,” Alcala said, noting that other beaches in Dumaguete — including barangay Looc and the boulevard areas — would likely be affected due to the presence of numerous sewer outfalls. (Irma Faith Pal)
