Beach Resorts Operation as Potential Lake Water Pollutants: Sketches on Synergy among Stakeholders

The overarching goal of this paper is to contribute to the discourse on capitalism's collision with the environment. Particularly, this study examines the potential lake water pollution of the local beach resorts operations in Talisay, Batangas, Philippines. The increasing volume of wastes from beach resorts in the study sites is one of the major threats in the water quality of the Lake. Specific contributors of beach water pollutant include wastes from sewage system, boating, beach goers, fresh water debris, and plastic pollution. The average results of the water quality indicator tests elucidate that the Dissolved Oxygen (3.59 mg/L), Phosphate (0.06 mg/L), Nitrates (2.53 mg/L), and Chloride (449 mg/L) of the beach resorts sites of the study do not conform to the standards set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). T-test results show significant differences in Dissolved Oxygen and Phosphate test of two compared sites (p<0.05) which clearly indicates water pollution. This paper sees the insistence for the Local Government Unit to strengthen the Local Sanitation Law for all beach resorts in the study sites. I provide preliminary sketches to protect the water quality of the Lake. I argue that the four main stakeholdersthe local government, the locals/entrepreneurs, beach resort owners and the tourists-need to create a synergy. This synergy, following Peter Evans, pertains to institutional partnerships and embeddedness of actors' relations, among others.