6 Attachment(s)
The Real Extent of the DuCoMi Pier During Piling Restoration
http://www.scubamagazine.net/photo/d...angle_good.jpg
February 25th, 2009-Dumaguete, Philippines SMN
As some of you may know, the DuCoMi Pier in Dumaguete, Negros Island in the Philippines is undergoing some restoration of its concrete pilings.
There has been much justified concern by both the pier management as well as local and international divers who have enjoyed the world class macro opportunities of this unique dive site.
DuCoMi management had decided the lower ports of many of the pilings were in need of stabilization, and due to the abundant marine life growth, they were left with no alternative but to remove the decades old growth prior to structural stabilization.
Our friends at Atlantis Hotel and Dive Resort invited us out to experience the wonders of Dumaguete & Apo Island diving, so we had a chance to dive and HD video not only Dumaguete diving, but the DuCoMi pier piling restoration work and it does not appear to be as bad as some have worried about.
The pilings are only having the lower 2 meters of life removed, leaving 90% of what is in place. The sand is being vacuum extracted about 2 meters below the bottom level with concrete forms of wood being encapsulated around the lower rebar additions prior to concrete reinforcement pouring.
The eventual end result will be a net increase of surface area for marine life to grow on.
Aside from the temporary turbidity in the water caused by the passing of a typhoon 10 days prior, we are pleased to report that the marine life is doing quite well thanks to the responsibility, care and concern of DuCoMi Pier management and their cooperation with the international dive community.
After several hundred dives in Asia, the DuCoMi Pier, even during restoration worked, lived up to its reputation as a world class dive site, and yielded up HD video footage of subjects we have not yet seen elsewhere in Asia , such as a tiny juvenile Platax pinnatus batfish, several frogfish, one seen below that was so non-chalant about the ongoing work he yawned for the HDcam, as well as a host of ornate and robust ghost pipefish, seafans, sponges, lionfish, etc.
Several divers reported seeing the elusive flamboyant cuttlefish, a bizarre cephalopod that continues to escape my video efforts.
DUMAGUETE COCONUT MILLS INCORPORATED
6776 Ayala Avenue
Unit: Suite 1201 12/F Security Bank Center
MAKATI, 1200
Philippines
Quote:
Gentlemen:
Just recently, the Board of Directors of DUCOM approved the budget for the repair of the steel piles and concrete slabs and beams of our pier. This project was supposed to be scheduled early this year but we held it in abeyance the approval of the owners.
We deeply regret to say that this project necessitates the scraping of the nudibranches and other living things which consider the pillars as their home but we have to undertake such costly move in order to avoid further damage to our installation. If we don't do this now, we would be incurring much greater cost in the future, which we can't afford.
The project is scheduled to start this coming month and the contractor will be mobilizing this weekend. As we have no idea yet on the details of their repair methodology, we remain hanging on our decision whether or not to continue allowing diving on the early stages while creatures still exist for the nature lovers to see.
What a waste, but we have no choice. We hope to preserve, conserve, retrieve or replace those marine beauties for them to still be visible after the repair works. Frankly we need them as a living proof that our industrial effluent is not polluted. It took years for them to build up on the pillars; we don't want to loose them in a wink of an eye.
If you have any suggestions or comment about their conservation, please feel free to communicate with us. We need environmentalists like you.
Sincerely yours,
Romunaldo S. Domingo
Plant Manager
We will report the next weeks about the development and the achievement of all involved parties."
