ORMOC CITY – Fourth District of Leyte Representative Richard I. Gomez has filed House Resolution 778, urging the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives led by Cong. Elpidio Barzaga, Jr., to investigate the environmental complaints of Palompon and Albuera, Leyte residents, including the alleged abuse of watersheds and forestland in Palompon, against DBSN Farms.
In support to said resolution, a video pertaining to the complaints of said residents was presented to the said committee on Monday, May 15, 2023.
The complaint presented to the said congressional inquiry was due to the severe foul smell and pollution coming from the same poultry farm owned by a local official, and is located in Barangays San Joaquin in Palompon and Antipolo in Albuera, and is, accordingly, managed by DBSN Farms.
In the video presented, the residents of San Joaquin complained to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) pertaining to their allegation that DBSN was piling or burying a lot of waste with a foul smell from the poultry in Albuera.
The video also showed massive number of flies that are present in the said place, which, accordingly, residents have been struggling with for more than 10 years now.
According to the interviewed residents, “Problema sa mga tao, yun po’ng langaw, yung iba kumakain nag-kulambo na, kami yung mga tao ang nahihirapan more than 10 years na.”
Residents also said that they could not sleep due to the severe foul smell. “Di matabang oi, dili man ka makatog kay arang man baho-a,” a resident from Palompon added.
Moreover, residents mentioned that the source of their drinking water has also become a problem since waste from the said poultry was buried in their barangay, saying, “Gikan sa paglubong og baho sa amoa, diha nagsugod ang among tubig dili na magamit.”
Meanwhile, a former employee who worked for two months with the Farm confessed that there are huge drums stored inside the vicinity of said poultry that have attracted large flies, saying, “Naay mga dagko bitaw nga drum, naa didto gitambak ang lain-lain nga basura pero daghan kaayo og langaw, mga lagong nga dagko.”
Residents are also aware that the watershed, which supported their water system in the previous years before the odorous waste was buried in their barangay, now gives water that is yellowish in color.
“Kahibalo lang ko nga watershed na diha, support na sa tubig tanan diha sa amo, unya kay wala naman magamit, ang tubig diha dili naman gyud madala, color yellow na ang tubig didto,” they unanimously said.
On the other hand, the residents of Antipolo also complained to the DENR because their canal was filled with an indescribable stench that made them sick.
Among the complaints of the residents of said barangay is the wastewater from the poultry that flows to the rivers and ocean.
Accordingly, a video has circulated and gone viral wherein alleged blood worms can be seen living on the said river of said barangay due to severe pollution, and that the water is already bubbly and blackish in color.
Residents of both barangays are now appealing for help and urging DBSN Farms to stop throwing or burying waste in their respective barangays for health reasons. By Gwen Maurillo (EV Mail May 15-21, 2023 issue)
