The Cebu Provincial Government will now take over the implementation of coastal barriers to protect the white sand beaches of Sante Fe town in Bantayan Island from further erosion.
This was reached during a meeting with municipal officials of Santa Fe, headed by Mayor Ithamar Espinosa and Vice Mayor Lovely Cabrera, at the Capitol on Tuesday, August 8.
Building a uniform coastal barrier will protect beach front properties from the ongoing erosion of white sands caused by Santa Fe Port. The port, managed by Cebu Port Authority, is made of concrete and does not allow the free flow of sea water underneath, making one side of the port more sandy than the other.
Gov. Gwen Garcia is slated to issue an executive order to this effect in a bid to preserve and protect the white sand beaches of Santa Fe which attract tourists not only domestically but internationally as well.
The Capitol’s long-term solution to the problem is the construction of a new port that will allow the free flow of water. An initial budget of P500 million from the general funds of the province has been earmarked for the project. | Babie Jane Revecoy