No oil SPILL incident occurred in Pujada Bay, Davao Oriental, the Coast Guard Station Davao Oriental confirmed on Monday.
This development was confirmed after a thorough investigation was conducted by CGS Davao Oriental, along with Coast Guard Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement and Response Unit, Provincial Public Information Office- Davao Oriental, and Coast Guard Substation Pujada on Nov. 7.
The maritime patrol was the result of a report from the local community of Macambol Village in the City of Mati.
According to CGS Davao Oriental, the station deployed personnel to conduct a surveillance of the possible contamination.
The group conducted a visual inspection and water sampling to examine the possible effects and the cause of the alleged oil spill.
However, upon inspection, no oil spill occurred in the bay.
Despite this, CGS Davao Oriental assured the public that they had placed preventive measures against pollution threats that can affect the marine resources and coastal communities.
CGS Davao Oriental reminded the public to report any sighting of oil slicks or similar incidents to preserve the ocean.
Pujada Bay is a highly valued protected landscape and seascape in the City of Mati, Davao Oriental, as it covers a total land area of 20,873.43 ha with fertile coral (1,175.75 ha), seagrass (610.440 ha), and mangrove (262.719 ha) ecosystems.
On July 31, 1994, Pujada Bay was declared a protected landscape/seascape through Presidential Proclamation No. 431 of then-President Fidel V. Ramos under the administration of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources pursuant to Republic Act No. 7586 (NIPAS Act of 1992).
This was reinforced by Republic Act 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018 (E-NIPAS), approved by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The bay was declared one of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World (MBBW) by the Paris-based Les Plus Belles Baies Du Monde in 2020.
