MANILA — A massive ethanol wastewater spill originating from the facility of Universal Robina Corporation (URC) in Bais City, Negros Oriental has crippled coastal livelihoods and killed thousands of fish. Fishers and environmental groups say the disaster exposes regulatory failures and the urgent need to treat such incidents as human-rights and economic-justice crises, not only technical accidents.

On October 26, a dike at what URC describes as a “settling pond” for molasses-derived wastewater at its ethanol distillery plant in Bais City collapsed.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau, approximately 255,000 cubic metres of this wastewater entered North Bais Bay.

Water quality monitoring at 13 stations in the affected coastal area detected significantly reduced dissolved-oxygen levels—a condition known to trigger mass fish kill.

The spill occurred inside the boundaries of the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, a marine protected area recognised for its biodiversity and as a major livelihood base for coastal communities.

In addition, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Region 7 issued an advisory prohibiting fishing, collection and consumption of aquatic products in the affected area as a precaution.

Impact on coastal communities and livelihoods

The spill’s entry into coastal waters immediately jeopardised thousands of fisherfolk and coastal households in Bais City and the neighbouring municipality of Manjuyod. According to Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), over 3,000 fishers have been rendered unable to go out to sea, collect shellfish or sell their catch due to contamination concerns and visible fish kills.

The decline of dissolved oxygen and the observed fish-kills mean the marine ecosystem’s capacity to sustain communities is being undermined. The loss of income for households reliant on fishing heightens their vulnerability, economically and socially. 

Pamalakaya – Negros Chairperson Vincent Fernandez said that most of the fisherfolk in Bais City and in Manjuyod town are unable to conduct their fishing activities due to the contamination. “It will surely take a long time before thousands of fishermen in the towns of Bais and Manjuyod can return to their livelihood. That is why the local government and concerned agencies must take immediate action to assist the fishers who can no longer go out to sea,” he said in a statement.

Fernandez also mentioned that the fish kill in North Bais Bay will affect fish production in nearby towns.

Beyond immediate income loss, there is risk of medium to long-term harm: reefs, mangroves and coastal marine habitats may be stressed; recruitment of juvenile fish may be impacted; tourism may decline; and the social safety nets for poorer households may be inadequate.

Pamalakaya calls for immediate economic aid and long-term compensation and for URC to shoulder the cleanup costs. 

In reaction, URC has pledged to repair the breached dike by November 4, aid affected communities and support an ecological damage assessment.

Corporate accountability and state oversight

URC stated that the incident resulted from a dike collapse at Lagoon 6 of its settling ponds. Yet the scale of the release (255,000 m³) suggests systemic vulnerabilities in contingency planning and infrastructure maintenance. The DENR has announced administrative, civil and criminal proceedings will be initiated.

The location of the distillery plant and its waste settling ponds within a protected seascape, the Tañon Sea, points to broader issues of industrial zoning, ecological risk and the rights of marginalised coastal communities. Industrial facilities often operate in close proximity to communities whose livelihoods may be impacted, raising questions about whether such communities were meaningfully consulted or recognized in land-use planning.

Furthermore, fishers and women in the coastal barangays who rely on gleaning, shell-fish collection and small-scale fishing may be disproportionately affected by contamination and monitoring bans, yet often have the weakest voice in remediation processes. (AMU)