TACLOBAN CITY – The presence of red tide in Eastern Visayas expanded this week to include Leyte province, with 10 bays now having toxic organisms from the nine previously reported in the region, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said on Wednesday, July 31.
In its advisory, the BFAR said the red tide was also detected in Carigara Bay in Leyte province, based on the latest seawater sampling.
Last week, the bureau said nine bodies of water in Samar, Eastern Samar, and Biliran province had been contaminated with red tide toxins, with some parts of the sea showing red discoloration.
These were Matarinao Bay in the towns of General MacArthur, Quinapondan, Hernani, and Salcedo in Eastern Samar; the coastal waters of Biliran Island in Biliran province; Villareal Bay, the waters of Daram Island and Zumarraga Island; Maqueda Bay in the towns of Jiabong, Motiong, Paranas, San Sebastian, Calbiga, Pinabacdao, and Hinabangan; Cambatutay Bay in Tarangnan; Irongirong Bay in Catbalogan City; and the coastal waters of Calbayog City, all in Samar.
“The interplay of unusual weather patterns is seen to have a direct impact on unpredictable weather conditions in Eastern Visayas. El Niño and the onset of occasional heavy rainfalls could have triggered the upwelling of inner shallow bays, bringing up sediments laden with red tide microorganism cysts,” the BFAR 8 (Eastern Visayas) said in a statement.
“These microorganisms then used the organic load that comes with the sediments to start the bloom. This occurred as a series of events in different inner bodies of water and was further intensified by the ever-changing current patterns in these areas, further spreading the red tide blooms.”
Although a local red tide alert has been raised in 10 bays in the region, these areas were not yet included in the latest national shellfish bulletin as samples must be examined by the BFAR central office laboratory.
Currently, red discoloration has been observed in some parts of the Samar Sea. According to the analysis of seawater taken from this area, there is the presence of Pyrodinium bahamense, a toxic microorganism that causes paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Red tide occurs when certain types of algae grow out of control.
The name “red tide” comes from the fact that the overgrowth of algae can cause the color of the water to turn red.
The visible discoloration indicates a high presence of toxic microorganisms.
The public is strictly advised not to collect, sell, or eat any type of shellfish, including small shrimp from the Samar Sea, the BFAR advisory said. (PNA)
Floods in the Metro, warning for EV
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR III
Typhoon Gaemi, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Carina, was a powerful tropical cyclone that impacted East China after severely affecting Taiwan and the Philippines in late July 2024. The third named storm and second typhoon of the annual typhoon season, Gaemi formed as a tropical depression east of Palau on July 19. Owing to favorable environmental conditions, the typhoon intensified and reached its peak with ten-minute maximum sustained winds of 165 km/h (105 mph), and a central atmospheric pressure of 940 hPa (27.76 inHg).
Carina created major damages and inflicted loss of lives and properties. Heavy Rainfall and Flooding: Carina brought intense rainfall to affected areas, leading to widespread flooding. The combination of heavy rain and saturated soil caused rivers to overflow, inundating communities and infrastructure.
Urban areas like Metro Manila faced drainage issues due to inadequate systems, exacerbating the flooding. Carina’s strong winds damaged buildings, homes, and power lines. Coastal regions experienced storm surges, affecting coastal communities and infrastructure.
Now if it can happen in Manila, what stopping the elements of lashing its wrath with us, Eastern Visayas? When Yolanda, wreck havoc and decimated our people and the structures , we knew that it is possible that it may come back again. We knew that it is a clear and present danger. The heavy rainfall triggered landslides in mountainous regions. These landslides disrupted transportation routes and posed risks to residents.
Schools, businesses, and government offices closed during the typhoon, disrupting daily routines. People faced challenges in accessing basic necessities like food, water, and medical supplies.
It is clear that nature and its processes of trimming and pruning the worlds flora and fauna are evident. Further, man is a catalyst for this process to come soon and beat us harder than ever . The environmental degradation through the excesses in plastic pollution and logging creates stronger, harder and wilder weather, we knew that from the PreSchool discussions we had.
Now in Eastern Visayas, we can expect harsher climate realities because of the rampant disregard of our environment, that is similar to Manila in utter disregard of the fact. Manila may be destroying itself, exponentially like a Kamikaze in a hurry, but Eastern Visayas is unaware, at least the people are clueless that its romance with single use plastic is a sure formula for disaster.
Let what happen in Manila be our fair warning, a glimpse of the future.