Sustainability Therma Visayas, Inc.

Scubasureros discover thriving marine life beneath Therma Visayas jetty

December 10, 2024

At the western coast of Cebu Island, a coastline bordering Toledo City and facing the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, stands the Therma Visayas power plant's jetty that receives Panamax ships carrying fuel for its power generation operations.

Not far off below the surface, a group of diving enthusiasts called the Scubasureros — composed of marine biologists, Therma Visayas team members, and volunteers — have explored submerged coastal areas since 2022, observing the marine ecosystem and eventually leading underwater clean-up efforts in one of the Philippines’ most biodiverse marine corridors.

Living up to their name — a portmanteau of the words “scuba diving” and “basurero” or garbage collector — the Scubasureros have done tremendous work in their efforts in the nearby Bato Marine Sanctuary, collecting over two tons of plastic waste previously scattered in its seafloor.

Moving eastward, exploring the area surrounding the Therma Visayas jetty for the first time, the Scubasureros were pleased to find a thriving marine ecosystem underwater despite the passage of bulk carriers and the operations of the power plant.

“It was teeming with life, and vibrant with different colors. For the sessile organisms, you can find sea fans, hydroids, some branching corals, sponges, sea squirts, feather stars, barnacles, and soft corals,” described diver and marine biologist Agnes Sabonsolin-Bautista. “Hiding and swimming through them are several species of damselfish, lionfish, batfish, cardinalfish, and nudibranch. The life down there looked pretty healthy.”

“It makes one feel like a fairy floating through a magical garden. My one dive there only has me craving for more dives in the future,” she added.

The Scubasureros indeed found multiple fishes — later classified as belonging to 56 species and 16 families — living in coral reefs assessed as being in fair conditions. A Marine Biodiversity Assessment Report by environmental firm Ridge to Reef also recorded six seagrass species and 28 genera of phytoplankton in the area, as well as 15 species of macroinvertebrates, notably the horned sea star, mostly observed in the mangroves. To date, 14 different species of mangroves have been recorded across the coastline.

Agnes said that the work done by Scubasureros is not just significant because of the amount of submerged trash they collect — “some reefs are clean; it's the coasts that need more help” — but also because of the awareness they raise.

“It gets people involved in conservation and it nurtures the feeling of protectiveness for the reefs. It also reaches out to non-divers, as they see all the marketing strategies in social media. It makes them want to get involved, seeing the photos and videos underwater,” she explained.

Supplementing the efforts of the Scubasureros, Therma Visayas also holds regular coastal clean-up drives along Toledo’s shores, together with the local community. Since 2022, over 9,300 kilograms of trash in these foreshore areas have been collected.

Therma Visayas is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aboitiz Power Corporation, operating a 340 megawatt circulation fluidized-bed coal-fired power plant in Barangay Bato, Toledo City. Since it began commercial operations in 2019, it has supplied power to distribution utilities and provides ancillary services.

The generation company regularly monitors the marine biodiversity within and near its site of operations, complying with the provisions of its Environmental Compliance Certificate and other environmental plans to protect and conserve the coastal area and the waters.

“What we're witnessing here is an example of how industrial development and environmental preservation can coexist,” said Therma Visayas Facility Head Noel Q. Cabahug. “The corals beneath our jetty aren't just surviving — they're thriving. It shows our dedication to responsible operations.”

The Scubasurero project is being managed in close coordination with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - Tañon Strait Protected Seascape; Toledo’s City Environment & Natural Resources Office and City Agriculture Office; Bantay Dagat; and the Philippine Coast Guard.

According to the DENR, the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape is the largest marine protected area in the Philippines under the National Integrated Protected Areas System or NIPAS, covering 534,589 hectares.

“Our marine ecosystems have a crucial role in maintaining balance for marine life. They act as nurseries for animal larvae and protect the reef residents from predators or natural calamities. They are essential to making sure all marine creatures survive,” Agnes said.

“Aside from this, they serve as a refreshing sight for sea enthusiasts,” she added. “I can have a really bad day, week, month or even a year, but going in the water gives you a kind of peace that money cannot buy.”