ZAMBOANGA CITY – Zamboanga City health officials yesterday issued a stern warning to beachgoers in this city after it was found out that many government and privates beaches here contain huge amount of fecal coliform bacteria.
City Health Officer Dr. Rodelin Agbulos said Cawa-Cawa beach, which for the longest time has been labeled as one of the dirtiest beaches in the area, registered a 1,488.3 fecal coliform level test via the Most Probable Number (MPN) method.
A standard fecal coliform level is set at 200 MPN, making Cawa-Cawa a health hazard for any beach habitué.
Also tagged as beaches with high contaminants are those adjacent to Cawa-Cawa like the Golf and Country Club Beach, Caragasan Beach and Bolong Beach.
Agbulos said the city health department is now preparing to install signboards that will warn the public about the hazards of wading on these beaches.
This despite the insistence of locals to patronize Cawa-Cawa which is known here as the ‘poor man’s beach’ since no entrance fee is required. (Nonoy E Lacson)