By Nino Luces
LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – The Buhatan River in Barangay Buhatan, Sorsogon City briefly turned red on Tuesday night, June 16, after thousands of bottles of beer spilled from a delivery truck.
Reports said the truck’s cargo slipped, sending 1,944 cases of Red Horse beer crashing onto the road.
CCTV footage captured the moment the load toppled, scattering bottles across the street.
As crews worked to clear the debris, beer flowed off the road and into the nearby Buhatan River, causing the water to turn red.
The spill also triggered heavy traffic in the area. Authorities quickly launched cleanup operations to restore normal traffic flow.
No injuries were reported, but the incident drew attention because of its impact on the Buhatan River, a well-known tourist attraction and home to the popular Buhatan River Cruise.
The cruise is a community-based ecotourism destination that offers visitors scenic river tours and firefly watching through mangrove forests and coastal communities.
The ecotourism project traces its roots to 2014 and is considered one of the legacies of the late environmental advocate and former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez.
Lopez spearheaded the livelihood initiative while serving as chairperson of the ABS-CBN Foundation, helping transform the area into a sustainable tourism site that benefits local residents.
Officials have yet to release an assessment of the environmental impact, while investigation into the cause of the cargo slip is ongoing.
