- Use of Tamugan-Panigan River prohibited due to discharge
RESIDENTS were advised to refrain from bathing, washing clothes, or collecting water from the Tamugan-Panigan River due to a wastewater discharge on Monday, Oct. 20.
Acting Tamugan Barangay chairman Ronilo Celez issued the advisory on Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2025, temporarily prohibiting any domestic use of river water until further notice.
“The City Health Office has not yet conducted water sampling and analysis of the affected area.
As a precautionary measure to ensure the health and safety of all constituents, we are advising everyone to refrain from using the river water for any purpose,” Celez said in a statement.
To note, a certain JLc Cobero posted on his Facebook page videos and photos of the said river, where the water appeared to be brackish.
In a monitoring report from Bantay Bukid obtained by TIMES on Tuesday, it was found that the Tamugan River (Lower Patag) and Barangay Gumalang (Sitio Lawis) have been affected by a wastewater spill.
On Oct. 20, Bantay Bukid volunteers conducted river monitoring along the riverbanks of Gumalang and Tamugan, where they observed a change in the river’s color (brownish and blackish color) and detected a strong, unpleasant odor from the river.
In their report, Bantay Bukid pointed to a lagoon owned by Lopez Piggery in Tamugan as the alleged source of the spill.
TIMES tried to reach Lopez Piggery, but the latter has yet to respond as of this writing.
The group documented the extent of the pollution and collected water samples for laboratory analysis, which will be submitted to the Environmental Management Bureau – Department of Environment and Natural Resources (EMB-DENR).
The volunteers initially identified a possible point source of the water pollution and called the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO), the Watershed Management Council (WMC), and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – EMB Region XI for a thorough investigation.
“The Bantay Bukid volunteers are willing to collaborate with concerned agencies to determine the exact point source of pollution responsible for the contamination of the Tamugan River,” it said.
The Bantay Bukid urged the authorities to impose fines or file appropriate cases to hold the violator liable and prevent further pollution of the Tamugan River and its tributaries.
