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EARTH-2025-0001
The verified case and its evidence have been sent to the office that can act on it.
A containment lagoon at Universal Robina Corporation's Bais Distillery collapsed on 26 October 2025, releasing about 255,000 cubic metres of spent wash into North Bais Bay and the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape, discolouring seawater and killing fish across ten coastal barangays. DENR-EMB Negros Island Region issued an interim cease-and-desist order on 27 October, the DENR filed complaints before the Bais City prosecutor, and the distillery remained suspended pending a Pollution Adjudication Board decision as of December 2025. A Silliman University survey presented on 7 July 2026 found 69 percent of surveyed corals recently dead, 4,494 to 6,000 hectares of waters affected and fish kills up to seven kilometres from the source, with a fishing ban still in place and fishers reporting continued discharge.
This case is documented in public reporting. Every fact on this page comes from the sources below, which are kept against the case so the record can be checked.
GMA News · Oct 29, 2025
Digicast Negros · Dec 17, 2025
SunStar · Jul 14, 2026
Every change of state, timestamped, oldest first. Entries are added, never edited or removed, so the record of how long something took cannot be quietly improved later.
Lagoon 6 of the ethanol distillery released most of its spent wash into North Bais Bay, with discoloured water and dead fish observed and a stop-operations order issued.
Recorded by Bais City government
EMB issued an interim cease-and-desist order against URC Bais Distillery.
Recorded by DENR-EMB Negros Island Region
Operations stayed suspended while the PAB reviewed URC's appeal and the city prosecutor conducted preliminary investigation of charges including violation of the Expanded NIPAS Act.
Recorded by DENR-NIR and Pollution Adjudication Board
Scientists presented survey results showing 69 percent of surveyed coral reefs recently dead and localized fish kills up to 7 km from the source, including one in May 2026.
Recorded by Silliman University Institute of Environmental and Marine Sciences
The measured result
Taken on a return visit after the work was done, not estimated on the day.