CORON BAY AND SABANG BAY DECLARED AS WATER QUALITY

MANAGEMENT AREAS

Coron and Sabang waters in MIMAROPA Region are now under the protection of

Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) – MIMAROPA through the Water Quality

Management Area (WQMA) program.

Through the issuance of DENR Administrative Orders (DAO) 2016 - 05 and 2016

– 06 for Coron Bay and Sabang Bay, respectively, these waters are now officially

declared as Water Quality Management Areas (WQMAs). Aside from the official

designation, Governing Board on these water quality management areas must be

created. A WQMA governing board will be chaired by the EMB Regional Director and

representatives from the Office of the Governor, Office of the Mayor, Office of the

Barangay Chairman where the WQMA is located, Palawan Council for Sustainable

Development (for Coron Bay), representatives from other regional government agencies

such as DA, DepEd, DENR, DOH, DILG, DPWH, DOST, DTI, DOT, BFAR, CHED,

HLURB, NCIP, NEDA, NIA, PCG, PIA and PNP, representative from NWRB, area

representatives from academe, private/business/industry, water utility and civil society

organizations.

The main aim of the WQMA designation is to improve the water quality through

focused interventions or actions as well as address water quality problems of the area.

Prior to the designation, different activities such as data/information gathering, water

sampling, conduct of public consultation and proposal defence were conducted by the

Bureau as preparation for the official designation.

The designation of water quality management areas is pursuant to the Section 5

of Republic Act 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004 which states that “The

Department (DENR), in coordination with National Water Resources Board (NWRB),

shall designate certain areas as water quality management areas using appropriate

physiographic units such as watershed, river basins or water resources regions. Said

management areas shall have similar hydrological, hydrogeological, meteorological or

geographic conditions which affect the physicochemical, biological and bacteriological

reactions and diffusions of pollutants in the water bodies, or otherwise share common

interest or face similar development programs, prospects or problems.”###

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED

EMB-MIMAROPA conducts stakeholders’ meeting for designation of Coron Bay as Water

Quality Management Area (WQMA) on March 24, 2015 at Corto Del Mar, Coron, Palawan.

Engr. Marcelo dela Cruz III (pictured left above), Focal Person, WQMA, discussed the Philippine

Clean Water Act as well as the WQMA designation process while Engr. Ma. Socorro A. Abu

(pictured right above), OIC, EMED, acted as moderator in the open forum and answered

questions raised by the participants

Stakeholders’ meeting was conducted by

EMB-MIMAROPA for the designation of

Sabang Bay as Water Quality

Management Area (WQMA) on April 23,

2015 at Brgy. Sabang, Puerto Galera,

Oriental Mindoro. Engr. Luis Rongavilla

from NWRB (picture right above)

explained the delineation of Sabang Bay

as WQMA and the mapping of boundaries.

The meeting was headed by the Engr. Ma.

Socorro A. Abu, EMED Chief of EMB –

MIMAROPA (picture left below).

Engr. Marcelo dela Cruz III, Focal

Person, Water Quality Management

Area (WQMA) of EMB-MIMAROPA

discussed the Status of Water

Quality of Coron Bay during the

Advocacy Forum on Tourism

amidst Climate Change on

November 10, 2015 at Coron West

Town, Coron Island, Palawan. This

is in partnership with PIA-

MIMAROPA, DENR-MIMAROPA

and DOH-MIMAROPA and was

attended by Resort and Hotel

Managers/ Owners.

Delineation of Coron Bay (top picture) and

Sabang Bay (left picture) together with Engr.

Luis Rongavilla of National Water Resources

Board (NWRB) on March 23 and 25, 2015.

Water Sampling

DENR Administrative Orders for the official designation