Dumaguete's Ducom Pier 2b Closed to Diving

Below is a letter that we are in receipt of regarding the closure of the Ducom Pier in Dumaguete. The pier is a World Class macro dive site.

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 methology, 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."

end

The pier is owned by the below listed company:

DUMAGUETE COCONUT MILLS INCORPORATED.
6776 Ayala Avenue
Unit: Suite 1201 12/F Security Bank Center
MAKATI, 1200
Philippines