Quality of Dagupan bangus affirmed by tests
NO MINE TAILING EFFECTS
DAGUPAN bangus eaters can heave a sigh of relief following the disclosure of the findings of a reputable laboratory firm that the milkfish being raised in Dagupan has no trace of heavy metals as a result of possible mine tailing in the city ‘s rivers.
This findings of Union Mach, a firm accredited by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and tapped by the city government to conduct laboratory analysis on water samples obtained from nine sampling stations, were recently bared by Dagupan City Planning and Development Coordinator Romeo Rosario during an executive meeting called by Mayor Belen Fernandez.
Rosario is head of task force river water monitoring formed by Fernandez at the start of her term to determine the quality of water in Dagupan that produces the tasty Bonuan bangus.
Union Mach, conducted the laboratory tests twice, one during the second quarter of last year, which was a dry season; and during the third quarter of the same year, which was a rainy season.
Rosario said the company was tapped to conduct the laboratory tests due to fears that mine tailing, which have traces of heavy metals from tailing ponds of Philex Mines washed out during heavy rains sometime in August 2012, may have reached Dagupan City, where some run off water from the uplands drains itself in the Pantal River before flowing out to the Lingayen Gulf.
Subjected to laboratory tests were water samples from nine sampling stations from below San Roque Dam down to Agno River and its tributaries, to Tagamusing River in Binalonan, the San Jose River in Urdaneta, Sinocalan River and eventually Pantal River in Dagupan.
Rosarios aid the results indicated that heavy metals found in the water, if any, are in very negligible quantity.
Another testing of the water is scheduled by the government-owned National Integrated Fisheries Technology Research Center (NIFTDC) to validate the results of the two tests.
City Administrator Farah Decano hailed the findings as a big boost to the Dagupan bangus, the number one agricultural product of Dagupan which the Fernandez administration is actively promoting to improve the income of fish farmers.
She said the findings further boosted the quality of the Dagupan bangus since a recent study that revealed bangus contains more omega fat than tuna has made it even more attractive to health buffs, said Decano. (Leonardo Micua)
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