Bais City Mayor Hector Villanueva yesterday said he is disgusted with the scheduled offshore oil and gas exploration at the Tañon Strait starting next month.

Villanueva said he is afraid that the project might affect the existence of whales and dolphins at Tañon Strait, particularly at the Bais Bay.

The Japan Petroleum Exploration Co. and the Department of Energy will conduct offshore oil and gas exploration along the Tañon Strait, located within the municipal waters of Pinamungahan and Aloguinsan in Cebu province, which is opposite the waters of Bais. The mayor said the disturbances coming from the exploration activity might affect the habitat of dolphins and other marine species.

He said the presence of dolphins and whales in Bais waters has made it a tourist attraction and destination in Negros Oriental.

Even President Gloria Arroyo enjoyed the exhibition of whales and dolphins in Bais, during one of her visits to the city, he said..

Villanueva said he will raise his concern to the president during her visit to Negros Oriental late this month to open the integrated taxation conference in Dumaguete City.*MA

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