Panay River positive for fecal coliform, MENRO says

By Felipe V. Celino

ROXAS CITY, Capiz — The Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office of Panay, Capiz, on Friday, April 24, issued an advisory urging residents near the Panay River to refrain from swimming, fishing, washing clothes, or eating fish from the area after the river tested positive for fecal coliform.

Ramie Detaru, MENRO Panay head, said the finding was based on a recent water quality assessment by the Environmental Management Bureau.

Detaru said the presence of algae in the water may be attributed to the bacteria.

Detaru said fecal coliform in the river may have come from human, animal, and organic waste.

Fecal coliform bacteria originate in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and are excreted in feces.

They are used as indicator organisms for fecal contamination in water and food, signaling the possible presence of disease-causing pathogens.

The advisory was issued to inform the public and prevent possible contamination, particularly through skin contact.

Last week, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office of Panay, Capiz, issued an advisory urging residents not to use or swim in the Panay River after the waterway turned green, raising concerns about possible contamination.

The advisory, based on reports from the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, covers barangays Tico, Agbalo, Cogon, Magubilan, Lus-onan, and Linao.

Mayor Jonathan “Sonny” Besa directed the warning to residents in the affected villages.

The cause of the discoloration has not been determined.

Water samples have been submitted to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Capiz for quality analysis.

The Panay River is a major waterway in the municipality, and residents in riverside barangays depend on it for domestic use and livelihood activities.