ANALYSIS OF THE PUBLIC OF PERCEPTION ON THE WATER POLLUTION IN

BALILI RIVER IN TABANGAOEN LA TRINIDAD BENGUET IN THE YEAR 2019

BAG-OYEN, DONNA

BALONGLONG, LYAND HERSHEL

BELEO, JAN AUDREY

RIMANDO, JUEM

SORIANO, SHIELA

TAYABAN, FAITH

SUBMITTEDTO THE FACULTY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY

BENGUET STATE UNIVERSITY, LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET

IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS

FOR THE DEGREE OF

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

SEPTEMBER 2019
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Pollution has been known for a very long period of time and it was, and is being
studied then and now. Obafemi (2004) refers to environmental pollution as the process
are whereby various harmful substance are added to the environment (i.e. land, water,
air and acoustic environment etc.) by human and natural activities. These harmful
substances called contaminants are released to the environment that can cause harmful
effects or discomfort to animals, humans and to the surroundings as well. As stated by
Obafemi et. Al (2012), Federal Environmental Protection Agency (FEPA) (1988) views
pollution as man-aided alteration of chemical, physical or biological quality of the
environment to the extent that is detrimental to the environment or beyond acceptable
limits.

Water pollution is one of the environmental issue which become one of the unending
problem in the modern society that threaten the lives of the people. As today, most of the
bodies of water are the ones receiving all the contaminants from the sewage canals,
garbage’s, wastewater, fertilizers and pesticides. This pollution can be the cause and
major source of death and diseases either to the developing or even the developed
countries.

A surface waters and ground waters are the two types of water resources that
pollution affects. There are also two different ways in which pollution can occur. If pollution
comes from a single location, such as a discharged pipe attached to a factory, it is known
as point-source pollution. Other examples of point-source pollution include an oil spill from
a tanker, a discharge from smoke stack (factory chimney), or someone pouring oil from
their car down a drain. A great deal of water pollution happens not from one single source
but from many different scattered sources. This is called nonpoint-source pollution
(Woodford 2019).

As stated in Earth Journalism Network (2016), these combined forms of water

pollution pose threats to human health. In the year 2010, UN Environment program
reported that more people die now from the contaminated and polluted water than from
all forms of violence.

According to the data released by Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEEP)

in 2005, 42.89% of the water in the Philippines are contaminated. These contaminated
water have not only been continuously harming people, but also the aquatic ecosystem
of the country. It is said that approximately 31% of illness monitored for a 5 years period
were caused by water borne sources.

As a whole, human is the first to pin point in such environmental problems they are
situated telling that all the unwanted wastes coming from their products is just for their
own good not thinking that it contributes to the deterioration of the environment.

Balili river is considered as the major river system and an important water source
of Baguio City and La Trinidad. With a total length of 9,760 meters, the upper Balili River
basin starts upstream from Baguio City with its tributary Sagudin River flows into La
Trinidad valley draining 74 of the 128 barangays of Baguio City and 7 of 13 barangays of
La Trinidad (J. Wetlands Biodiversity, 2017).

Balili river was then classified as Class A in 1970’s under DENR water standards
which means the water was fit for drinking after minimal treatments. It is also used to be
fishing and swimming area and a source of irrigation and drinking water for animals. but
its current water quality only classifies for Class D water particularly during summer (J.
Wetlands Biodiversity (2017) & Acro, S. (2018). However, because of development,
contamination and human activities affect some parts and are already considered as
biologically dead due to pollution discharge to it (Cabreza, 2011).

Statement of the Problem

The study aims to analyze the public perception of water pollution in Sitio Tabangaoen,
Balili La Trinidad Benguet Balili River, in the year of 2019.

Specifically, it aims to answer the following questions:

1. What is the level of perception of the respondents on the water pollution in Balili River,
Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet in the year of 2019?
 (a) Causes of water pollution in Balili River
(b) Effects water pollution in Balili River
(c) the possible measures to mitigate the water pollution in Balili River
2. Is there a significant difference on the respondents’ perception on water pollution at
Balili River base on proximity?

Hypotheses of the study

The following are the hypotheses of the study which the research will subject it for the
level of the awareness.

1. There is below level of perception of the respondents on the water pollution in Balili
river in terms of;
a. Causes of water pollution Balili river
b. Effects of water pollution in Balili River
c. the possible measures to mitigate the water pollution in Balili River
2. There is no significant difference on the perception of the respondents’ base on
proximity.

Significance of the Study

Every study has its own significance or importance. This study focus on analyzing the
perception of the resident of Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trininad Benguet to water pollution in
Balili River or the respondents may help in providing or identifying ways to lessen water pollution
in Balili River. The results of the research have significance to the following:

To the students. The results of this study may serve as and warning to lessen the possible
causes that is contributing to the water pollution in Balili River. They may also realize that being
a student they are one of the contributor of the water pollution but also the possible savior of the
bodies of water. This may also be the reason for them to engage in activities concerning the
environment specially bodies of water.

To the parents or guardian. The results of the study may serve as an eye-opener to be one
to lead and guide their families and children to be more active and concern about their
environment. In that way, while it’s not yet too late, they can take action and guide their children
and prevent them from suffering the after effects of water pollution.

To the teachers. The school, being the student’s second home as they call it, the teachers
can monitor their students and observe whether they are or they are contributing to the worsening
of the water pollution. In that way, the teachers could advise and guide their students.

To the society. The outcomes of this study may provide new knowledge on the public
perception on the water pollution. This study may also serve as a basis for the future studies
regarding the same subject.

The study also aims and purposely looking for satisfaction of the researcher’s curiosity and
with the study, the researcher’s purpose is to acquire deeper and better knowledge about the public
perception on the water pollution.

Conceptual Framework

Environmental pollution is caused by the contaminants being produced in the

surroundings that contributes in the fast degradation of our natural resources. As stated by
Obafemi, et al. (2012), Hyman (1992), pollution can be naturally occurring substances, but are
considered contaminants when it exceeds its natural levels. Additionally, contaminations of the
physical and/or biological components of the earth to an extent affecting the normal environments
processes.

The fast growing degradation of our environment poses great affect and challenges not
only to human but to the surrounding itself. According to Department of Health (2001), inadequate
essential basic services such as lack of access to safe water and sanity facilities compounded by
the growing problem on water pollution can bring serious damage. According to Morton (2007),
they had studied that, 95 percent of the waste water flowing from households directly or via septic
tanks is transported into ground water or into public canals and drainage systems and eventually
into rivers and other bodies of water.

Moreover, an expanding population can have a serious environmental implication as it

poses a serious threat to the remaining natural resources. As supported by Borgen Project (2018),
water pollution in the Philippines and lack of proper sewage kills fifty five (55) people every day.
Katrina Arianne Ebora, part of UNICEF’s Water, sanitation and hygiene program in the
Philippines, notes that access to adequate sanitation facilities is a problem for more than 30 million
families.

As stated by Bautista and Morton (2007), poor sanitation and exposure to water pollution
is common in urban communities and water contaminated with human waste can be found in rivers,
canals, bays and streets. Also, the largest risk in the Philippines is among the 25 million people
living in households without sanitary toilets. People residing along the rivers or any bodies of
water have a higher possibilities to contribute in such due to poor and difficult situation they are
in.

On the other hand, organic pollutants such as solvents, pesticides, and by products of
chemical manufacturing most especially on the agricultural activities are also potential source of
surface water and groundwater contamination. Furthermore, Pandey (2006) stated that the chief
sources of water pollution are sewage and other waste, industrial effluents, agricultural discharges
and industrial wastes from chemical industries. Kumar (2012) stated also that more than 2.6 billion
people and/or 40 percent of the world’s population- lack basic sanitation facilities.

In the Philippines, national and local have implemented some laws in helping the
environment. One of the current policy, the Clean water Act of 2004 that help prevent further
pollution of natural clean water sources. From 2004-2010, in Manila, the manila Third Sewerage
Project (MSTP) was introduced as an effort to reduce the pollution accumulating within the
Philippines.
Paradigm of the Study

Input Throughput Output

Survey Interventions Roles and

Worse Water of water measurements
Pollution in Questionnaire pollution in taken by the
Balili River community for
Interview Balili River Balili River

Figure 1

Paradigm of the Study

Scope and Delimitation

This study focuses on the the level of public perception of water pollution in Balili River to
the households of Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet in terms of causes of water
pollution Balili river, effects of water pollution in Balili River, the possible measures to mitigate
the water pollution in Balili River and the significant difference on the respondents’ perception on
water pollution at Balili River base on proximity. In this study, 394 households were the
respondents and the gender and age of the chosen respondents are disregarded.

The questionnaire served as the main instrument to gather the data needed in the study. The
questions were focused only to determine the level of public perception of water pollution in Balili
River to the households of Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet in terms of causes of
water pollution Balili river, effects of water pollution in Balili River and the significant difference
on the respondents’ perception on water pollution at Balili River base on proximity. While the
questionnaire included questions on possible ways to mitigate the effects of water pollution, the
questions were not intended to measure other factors that affect their perception on water pollution.
Objectives of the study

The objectives of the study are as follows:

1. To know the situation of the Balili River and its effects to the people.

2. To find out about the causes that lead the Balili River to become polluted.

3. To find out the effects caused by the water pollution in the residents along the Balili River.

4. To suggest possible remedies to mitigate the water pollution in Balili River.

 CHAPTER 2

Related Literature and Study

A. Water Pollution

Water pollution is one of the phenomenal issue around the world that is highly needed to
be put an action to it. It poses fewer direct threats not only to the environment but also to human
most specially those who are near to lakes and rivers which are polluted. In the Philippines,
exposure to water pollution and poor sanitation conditions and hygiene practices account for one-
sixth of the reported disease cases (Bautista, J. et al., 2007).

Greenpeace (2018) has informed that the most alarming to our environment which is being
stated by environment secretary Angelo Reyes that as many as 50 of the 421 rivers in the
Philippines are already considered as “biologically dead”. It is a state wherein the river does not
longer contain any oxygen and cannot support any but the hardiest kinds of species.

In Cordillera Administrative region it has major rivers that supplies its different areas of
the region as well as in the lowland area. One of these river is the Balili River, which has been the
largest and important water system of La Trinidad Benguet but considered some of its part as
biologically dead. As supported by Cabreza (2018), based on the latest monitoring in Balili river,
the fecal coliform present in the water reached hundreds of billions which is even more worse than
the Manila bay according to the DENR.

Furthermore, Sandoval (2019) stated that due to increasing population, housing, and
commercial establishments and the lack of supervision by the local government units contributed
to the alarming state of the pollution.

Additionally, the Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR have shown a very
high levels of Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) which indicates the high pollution levels. As a
support, in Inquirer (2019), they stated that it has also a large volumes of phosphate and ammonia,
which suggest that laundry and fertilizers from the backyard gardens have been poisoning the
water way.

According to earth journalism (2016), water pollution is more likely in places where
environmental protection laws are weak or poorly enforced, where infrastructure is lacking, and
where there is little awareness of the dangers of allowing harmful substances to enter water bodies
such as lakes or rivers.

Moreover, Fianza, J. & Refuerzo, A. (2009) published an article addressing Balili river
waste problems. According to their one informant that the slaughter house may be contributing to
the river’s pollution as its septic tank cannot hold all the liquid waste coming from the animal
corrals within the area. Furthermore, even if the compartments are connected to the city’s sewer
treatment, the 10 % of it may seep to the creek apart from the rainwater that washes the pavement
of the slaughterhouse that goes to the creek.

On the other hand, despite on the polluted state of the river, it remains as the important
source of irrigation for the La Trinidad farmers. Strawberry and other crops are being planted and
grown thus using the contaminated water from the river poses a threat to the food safety (Napaldet,
J. et al., 2016).
 CHAPTER 3

Research Methodology

This chapter included discussion of the research design, locale and population, data
gathering tool, validity and reliability of the research instrument, and the data gathering procedure.

RESEARCH DESIGN

The researchers utilized the quantitative approach in research using the survey
questionnaire and interviews to gather information on the public perception of water pollution in
Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet. Descriptive research design describes the
characteristics and/or behavior of a sample population. This method is used since the study aims
to analyze the public perception of water pollution in Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trinidad
Benguet.

In addition, the researchers used survey questionnaire and interview as a research tool to
gather the data for this study. Surveying is the form of questioning which is employed to a sample
population with hopes of getting insights into a larger population and interviews were added to
supplement the data gathered.

Population and Locale of the study

The study is conducted in Tabangaoen which is part of Balili, one of the barangays of the
municipality of La Trinidad Benguet and comprises of eleven (11) sitio’s/purok.

The respondents of the study will be the people living in Tabangaoen which are near
from the Balili river. The respondents were selected based on their location/area, specifically
those who reside near the river. The Study were conducted during the months of September to
October, 2019.

The subject of this study were composed of 815 households with a total population of
2,040. The researcher will be selecting 394 households as their respondents. The data will be
gathered within the day it is floated to the respondents.
 The researcher used the Slovin’s formula to determine the sampling size with 10%
margin of error that resulted to 394 households to serve as the respondents. The respondents are
then clustered to two according to their proximity to the Balili River and are randomly selected.

Data Collection Instruments

In gathering the data needed in the study, the questionnaire was the main instrument used.
This was supplemented by observations, participations, interviews and library techniques. In using
these tools of gathering data, they were all focused on obtaining answers to the specific problems
of the study. These were also used to clarify the data gathered through the questionnaire. A
questionnaire is a form probed or distributed to secure responses to certain questions. These
questions should be factual and intended to obtain information about the public perception of water
pollution in Sitio Tabangaoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet of which the respondents are presumed
to have knowledge.

The research questionnaire was constructed based from the opinions of the researchers
which were later shown to the researcher’s adviser for comments and suggestion to further enhance
the data gathering tool and to establish the validity of the research instrument.

Data Collection Procedure

In gathering the essential data, the following activities were undertaken:

1. Integration of comments of the subject facilitator on the proposal paper;

2. The researchers referred to their subject facilitator on the tools and instrument they used for
content and the validity and reliability of the study for critiquing;

3. Finalization of research instrument;

4. Floating and retrieval of the research questionnaire;

5. Consolidation and treatment of the data;

6. Analysis and Interpretation of the data; and

Treatment of the Data

In treating the data, the following were done:

1. T-test with five- point scale with their respective statistical limit and descriptive equipment
will be used.

1.1 Level of perception of the respondents on the water pollution in Balili River, Sitio
Tabangoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet in the year 2019.

a. Cause of water pollution in Balili River, Sitio Tabangoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet
in the year 2019.

b. Effects of water pollution in Balili River, River, Sitio Tabangoen, Balili La Trinidad
Benguet in the year 2019.

Numerical Value Statistical Limits Descriptive Symbol

Equivalent
5 4.50-5.00 Highly Agree HA
4 3.50-4.49 Moderately Agree MA
3 2.50-3.49 Agree A
2 1.50-2.49 Moderately Disagree MD
1 1.00-1.49 Highly Disagree HD

1. Level of perception of the respondents on the water pollution in Balili River, Sitio
Tabangoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet in the year 2019.

c. Possible measures to mitigate the water pollution in Balili River, River, Sitio
Tabangoen, Balili La Trinidad Benguet in the year 2019
Numerical Value Statistical Limits Descriptive Symbol
Equivalent
5 4.50-5.00 Highly Effective HE
4 3.50-4.49 Moderately Effective ME
3 2.50-3.49 Effective E
 2 1.50-2.49 Moderately MI
Ineffective
1 1.00-1.49 Highly Ineffective HI

𝑥1 − 𝑥2
𝑡= ∑ 𝑥 2+ ∑ 𝑥 2 1
√ 1 2 [ + 1 ]
𝑁1+𝑁2−2 𝑁1 𝑁2

Where:

𝑥1 = mean responses of the first group

𝑥2 = mean responses of the second group

∑ 𝑥1= the summation of the processed responses of the first group

∑ 𝑥2= the summation of the processed responses of the second group

∑ 𝑥12= the summation of the square of the processed responses of the first group

∑ 𝑥22= . the summation of the square of the processed responses of the second group

N1= number of the respondents of the first group

N2= number of the respondents of the second group.