A local advocacy group is calling on the Cebu City government and the Metropolitan Cebu Water District (MCWD) to address critical sanitation and water safety issues at the Pasil Fish Port, warning that temporary cosmetic fixes are hiding a public health crisis.

The Cebu Electricity Rights Advocates (CERA) cited that while large tarpaulins were used to hide unmanaged waste during the recent ASEAN Tourism Forum, the underlying environmental problems remain unaddressed.

CERA convenor Nathaniel Chua told DAILY TRIBUNE that the fish port currently lacks a wastewater treatment facility. This results in fish blood, scales, and organic waste being discharged directly into the sea, driving fecal coliform levels to 27 million MPN per 100ml — millions of times higher than safe contact standards.

The group warned of a specific risk to the city’s water supply. When power fluctuations cause MCWD pumping pressure to drop, a vacuum can be created that allows pathogens from the heavily polluted groundwater in Pasil to infiltrate the pipelines.