From our mailbox…VSSQ donations update

Hi All,

First off, Happy Holidays!

Here’s a quick update on what’s been happening on our latest donation endeavor. We had a shipment of donations last Saturday…. Employees from Accenture 6750 (through the supervision of Dru! — you rock, man! ) generously donated 9 boxes of clothes, assorted food items, and medicine. We also got a load of donations from Mr. Jason Quema in form of used clothes. Kudos to you, guys and gals!

These donations were shipped via 2Go by VSSQ volunteers Archie Abellar and Jason Quema (thanks for the help, guys!) and will be received by the VSSQ Iloilo team hopefully by the end of this week. Will try to post pics soon 😉

The donation drive doesn’t stop here. We welcome donations from you and your friends, and any help you can give to our cause. 🙂 We’ll be scheduling a donation drive shipment by the end of December (or early January) again, so let us know if you know of people who might wanna give some more donations. After, ’tis the season of giving!

Remember, we CAN make a difference!

Cheers,

Lette Teodosio
Volunteer
Visayan Sea Squadron

Toll fees on oil tankers eyed

BY ROMY AMARADO
Visayan Daily Star,
Nov. 30, 2006

AS an offshoot of the Guimaras oil spill, the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas wants the Maritime Industry Authority to consider the imposition of toll fees on oil tankers passing through its inner seas.

During its full council meeting in Dumaguete City, Tuesday, the RDC said in a resolution that the proposal to impose the fees should be among the preventive measures to prevent another oil spill.

The amount generated from toll fess could be used for clean-up activities in the event of another oil spill and for marine disaster mitigation, it added.

The resolution noted that Marina may be the appropriate agency to evaluate the proposal since it is included among its functions aimed at preventing marine pollution in navigable waters of the Philippines.

The proposal was taken up by the Development Administration Committee of the RDC during the committee meting earlier where the need to institute measures to prevent the occurrence of another Guimaras Oil Spill was realized.

The RDC also said this may require the support of the local government units as the Local Government Code states that the Sanggunian may prescribe the terms and conditions and fix the rates for the imposition of toll fess or charges for the use of any public road, pier or wharf, waterway, bridge, ferry or telecommunications system funded and constructed by the LGU concerned.

The committee, however, decided to refer the matter first to the Marina.

Guimaras fisherfolk count huge toll of spill on livelihood

By Jonathan Mayuga
Correspondent
BusinessMirror, Nov. 30, 2006

NUEVA VALENCIA, Guimaras—Thousands of fishermen directly affected by the oil spill that devastated this town along with three others in the province of Guimaras have expressed gratitude to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund or IOPC for coming to the rescue.

While they hailed the IOPC, they expressed dismay that Petron Corporation, which owns the bunker fuel oil that “messed up” their source of livelihood, seemingly abandoned them and broke its promise to compensate them for the damage caused by the spill.

Mayor Diosdado Gonzago said the IOPC had promised to release the claims of around 4,500 fishermen before Christmas, and he expects 1,000 more to file their claims.

He said the compensation ranges between P3,000 and P24,000, depending on their level of income before the August 11 sinking of M/T Solar 1, the oil tanker carrying Petron’s 2.3 million liters of bunker fuel oil.

A massive information campaign was launched on Wednesday in this town by Guimaras Gov. JC Rahman Nava concerning the environmental impact assessment recommended by experts who attended a two-day conference in Iloilo City, to tackle the Guimaras oil spill.

The IOPC has also promised to release an initial P22 million for the compensation claims of 1,400 fishermen in the town of San Lorenzo, who are among the 3,700 claimants in the town alone.

For a bachelor like Rex Cayanan, 24, a resident of barangay Tando, the compensation he will get of P13,000 will be a blessing, considering that he needs money more than ever because Christmas is near.

He said his brother Rico, 18, will receive P8,000 and two other sisters will get P3,000 each.

Cayanan, however, was dismayed at the way Petron’s representative allegedly “bargained” to have their compensation reduced.

According to Cayanan, he should receive P100,000 at least, considering the damage to his motorized banca and fishing nets, but he said Petron’s representative told them it would take a very long time if they ask for a bigger amount.

“That’s why I settled for P13,000. Anyway, this would be a big help for me and my [extended] family,” he said.

For Samuel Gandiela, 41 and his wife Maria Theresa, 35, who will receive P12,000 and P3,000 each, however, the amount is not even a quarter of what they actually lost because of the spill.

They are also concerned over the long-term effect of the spill on their livelihood, noting that since the spill, their catch was drastically reduced from a high of 20 to 30 kilos a day to a low of five kilos to nothing at all.

For Felomino Galbe, 64, and wife Myrna, 54, who will receive P20,000 and P3,500 each, the compensation is not enough compared to the trouble of having to borrow money from loan sharks. His motorized banca and fish net, which stretches up to 600 meters and costing P285 per meter, were destroyed.

“Petron promised to shoulder the cost of fixing our bancas and buying us fish net, but it broke its promise,” he said.

Worse, they said Petron had abandoned the clean-up operation in their barangay with still so much work to do.

“Who will do it now that they stopped the clean-up?” they said.

It was learned that Petron had stopped the clean-up in most areas in Nueva Valencia as early as October, prompting those who depend on the P300 fee they receive for the cleanup to return to fishing, with little hope of catching fish enough for their subsistence.

“Sometimes, we eat shells even if they taste bad because we have no choice,” one fisherman told BusinessMirror.

In at least three barangay in this town, the oil spill is blamed for the continuing deterioration of mangrove areas, including that of the University of the Philippines- Visayas Marine Reserve in Taklong, Nueva Valencia.

Nestor Yunque, a marine biologist and head of the UP Visayas Marine Reserve said the oil spill, or what remains of it, continues to cause the death of mangroves, which in some areas has now reached up to 40 meters.

He said officials are checking the possibility that the spraying of dispersants by the Philippine Coast Guard could have aggravated the situation, noting that in some areas, there are signs the oil spill’s impact had ceased to affect the mangroves—the most affected among those hit by the oil slick.

Although the oil spill has very little impact on fish, the fact that most people think they are not safe to eat even though the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) certified they are safe for human consumption has severely affected their livelihood.

“Who would eat fish when people think they are contaminated?” Yunque said.

RDC sends Marina proposal to impose toll on oil tankers

The Freeman 11/30/2006

THE Regional Development Council of Central Visayas has referred to the Maritime Industry Authority for study a proposal to impose toll on oil tankers sailing through inner seas in the country.

The proposal was raised during the RDC full-council meeting in Dumaguete City last Tuesday, through its development administration committee.

The proposal was also an offshoot to the oil spill in Guimaras that was deemed as the country’s worst environmental disaster, which has affected the health and livelihood of people in that place and neighboring islands.

The idea of toll imposition might be included among the proposed measures to prevent another oil spill that have been under discussion at the national level, through the direction of President Gloria Arroyo.

Toll revenues could be used for clean-up activities or marine disaster mitigation in case another oil spill occurs, the proposal said.

RDC chairman George Arnaiz, also the governor of Negros Oriental, commented that the proposal is timely after another barge loaded with oil debris from Guimaras sunk in Misamis Oriental last week.

Marina is the appropriate government authority to evaluate the proposal the agency’s functions include formulating plans, policies, standards, procedures, rules and regulations.

Marina is also tasked to develop the maritime industry by enforcing rules for the prevention of marine pollution in navigable waters of the Philippines, undertaking researches and studies and submitting reports and recommendations. (Gregg M. Rubio)

P22M being readied for San Lorenzo fisherfolk

By Maricar M. Calubiran
The News Today, Nov. 29, 2006

ABOUT P22 million is being readied by the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) for the compensation claims of 1,400 fisherfolk in the town of San Lorenzo, Guimaras. The 1,400 fisherfolk are among the 3,700 fishermen claimants in the island-province after they incurred damages on their livelihood as a result of the Solar 1 oil spill.

IOPCF Deputy Director/Technical Advisor Joe Nichols said the fisherfolk have agreed to settle their claims on the basis of IOPCF’s offers.

Nichols added that additional claims are still coming in. There are some 13,000 farmers in the island province of Guimaras claiming damages.

The compensation package designed for the fisherfolk range from P6,000 to P30,000. The compensation claims are good for 12 weeks or three months. Claims will be made available in the form of check payments from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

As a matter of IOPCF policy, only the qualified claimant can get the check from the bank and no other parties are authorized to transact or receive the check on behalf of the claimant. This cut downs any dubious claims from any individuals or groups.

The agreement between the claimants and the IOPCF and The Shipowners Protection Limited is considered a welcome development. Nichols said he is looking forward to making substantial payments to all the affected fisherfolk and resort operators before Christmas.

Earlier, the IOPCF also paid some P396,888 to 21 tour operators out of 34 claimants from their group. The IOPCF corrected its earlier report that 22 tour operators already received their compensation claims.

Computations of the compensation depends on the kind of resort, number of visitors and the corresponding losses it incurred during the oil spill. Should a resort owner demand a much higher compensation, the IOPCF will ask the claimant to back up his claim with supporting papers or documents.

—————————————————————————————————

IMAGINE that! P30,000 in payment for untold losses in one’s livelihood. Nobody knows how long the fishermen will not be able to work. And yet, they all agreed to accept such low payments. Does anyone get the feeling that the fisherfolk are being shortchanged by IOPCF? Where was the provincial government during these negotiations? Who helped the fisherfolk negotiate for the oil spill claims? Dang! Where are the ambulance chasers when you need them?

Nawalan na ng hanap-buhay, na-denggoy pa! Ay, caramba!

Agriculture dep’t trains Guimaras farmers on veggie production

THE Department of Agriculture’s regional field unit 6 conducted a marathon training in vegetable production for farmers affected by the Petron oil spill last Aug. 11. The training covered five municipalities in Guimaras.

Training started in the municipality of Sibunag last November 21 and 22 and was attended by 50 farmer-participants.

According to Jindra Linda L. Demeterio, OIC of DA-RFU 6, the training will equip the identified beneficiaries with basic vegetable production knowledge and post-harvest handling with emphasis on container-based gardening.

“The participants will be given garden tools such as a hoe and trowel and open-pollinated variety (OPV) vegetable seeds like eggplants, sweet pepper, pole sitao and squash. Also one unit drum for rain trapping and one sack organic fertilizer will be availed by the farmer participants,” Dir. Demeterio added.

The municipality of San Lorenzo hosted the second training where some 50 farmers participated in the lecture/discussion and workshop on new technologies on vegetable production.

Nueva Valencia, which was badly affected by the country’s worst oil spill caused by the sinking of M/T Solar I, will be the third to host the training on Nov. 27 to 29, 2006. This will be conducted in two separate venues namely, Barangay Igdarapdap and Barangay Lucmayan, with 40 and 50 expected farmer participants, respectively.

The fourth and fifth trainings will be held at the municipalities of Jordan and Buenavista on Dec. 5 and 6, and Dec. 7 and 8, respectively. Some 60 farmers are also expected to attend the training.

The DA-RFU 6 allotted P10,000 for every municipality for the conduct of this training for the farmers who requested for the vegetable seeds.

Nelly Felarca and Felecitas Neturada, who are in-charge of vegetable production at Western Visayas Integrated Agricultural Research Center (WESVIARC), were the resource persons for the training, together with technicians from provincial and municipal units.

Felarca said the training focused on producing organic or chemical-free vegetables in the households. This can be an alternative livelihood for the farmers who requested for specific vegetable seeds from the DA.

Topics discussed were agro-ecosystem analysis, an overview of vegetables industry, crops management, crops protection, container vegetable production and post-harvest handling. (The News Today, Nov. 29, 2006)

Experts still ‘clueless’ on oil spill damage, rehab

PCAMRD deputy director Cesar Pagdilao, NDCC executive officer Glenn Rabonza, WWF president Lorenzo Tan, UPV chancellor Dr. Glenn Aguilar (standing left) and Petron chair Nicasio Alcantara in a chit-chat before the press conference on the two-day scientific consultation on the Solar 1 Oil Spill. (FAA, The Guardian Iloilo)

By Francis Allan L. Angelo
The Guardian Iloilo
Nov. 29, 2006

HOW long will it take to rehabilitate Guimaras and how much will it cost to bring back the island to its feet after the devastating effects of the M/T Solar I oil spill?

Even the scientific community is still groping for answers as they continue to project the actual damage and the length and cost of rehabilitation of the island province.

Scientists, economists and sociologists yesterday concluded the two-day scientific conference on the Solar Oil Spill aimed at laying down the foundations for the rehabilitation of Guimaras, 109 days after the worst ecological accident in the country hit Guimaras on August 11.

After the presentation of 43 various papers on the environmental, social and economic effects of the oil spill, figures on the actual damage and duration of the rehabilitation process have yet to be determined.

The conference was spearheaded by the University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV), World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and Petron Corp.

Dr. Glenn Aguilar, UPV chancellor, said the conference was meant to integrate all scientific findings of “rapid assessments” conducted in the aftermath of the oil spill.

Aguilar said it is very difficult to come up with an overall status of Guimaras as the scientific studies were done on a component basis.

“Each assessment was conducted in their own unique focus and time frame although the same methodology was used. We still have to polish and strengthen their findings so we can come up with a holistic picture (of the island). The studies were done on a very rapid manner so we must give the experts time to fix their reports,” Aguilar said.

Aguilar said the outputs of the two-day conference were not very detailed and will be subject to another gathering after Christmas break.

The UPV chancellor also debunked notions that the assessments, particularly on the environment and health aspects, were conflicting.

“The data presented even reinforced each study. We will just have to subject them to a more focused discussion and intensive polishing of the experts,” Aguilar said.

Lory Tan, WWF president, said the lack of data on oil spill in tropical countries like the Philippines is hampering the projections on rehabilitation of the island.

Tan said the conference achieved the aim of extracting data which will be used to map out protocols and responses to similar ecological accidents.

Interestingly, Guimaras Governor JC Rahman Nava was absent in the press conference. But General Glenn Rabonza, executive officer of the National Disaster Coordinating Council, said Nava already has a plan for their province “which will be enriched by the scientific data.”

The conference was attended by more than 100 participants who discussed major topics on biological, physico-chemical and fisheries, socio-economics and health aspects of the oil spill.

One of the scientific results Aguilar presented during the press conference was the effects of the oil spill on mangroves.

At present, 45 percent of mangroves in Guimaras are contaminated with five of 30 species already dying.

Rapid assessments also show no massive destruction of corals. Mortalities were also notices in some seagrass areas covered by all but the effects are insignificant in terms of total cover.

MORE ‘clueless’ news in SunStar and Visayan Daily Star. Pity.

Master plan for oil spill response mapped out

By Blanche Rivera
Inquirer, Nov. 28, 2006

ILOILO CITY – The Philippines’ National Oil Spill Contingency Plan would need “major innovations” to address adequately future massive oil spills, scientists and environmental experts said.

One hundred ten experts who gathered here for the Scientific Conference on Guimaras on Tuesday agreed that the use of chemical dispersants should be disallowed as an immediate response to an oil spill.

Jose Lorenzo Tan, president of the local branch of the Swiss-based World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines), said one of the suggestions in the conference was to remove the authority of the Philippine Coast Guard commander on site to use dispersants to contain an oil spill.

“In this conference, clearly in every single area – corals, mangrove, sea grass – the consistent and unanimous statement is that dispersants are not to be used in any nursing, spawning, life-sustaining habitat. That was very clear,” Tan said in a press conference at the Grand Hotel Tuesday.

The Scientific Conference – where 43 papers were presented, 101 experts broke into scientific workshops and over 180 stakeholders attended – sought to integrate all the assessment reports, including those made by Silliman University, University of the Philippines-Visayas, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on the impact of the August 11 oil spill that damaged much of Guimaras’ marine ecosystem.

(For the full story, click Master plan.)

Editorial – Too much of a coincidence

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered a full-dressed investigation into the sinking of a barge carrying oil debris off the coast of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental last Monday. The Chief Executive could not have taken a more appropriate measure in dealing with the incident.

Under contract by giant oil firm Petron, the barge Ras was loaded with 630 tons of rock and sand with oil debris collected from the oil-spill clean-up operations in the island province of Guimaras when it sank after battering by huge waves.

The hammering on the barge with huge waves may have been the direct cause of the vessel’s sinking, but the probability is that the vessel was overloaded which contributed in no small measure to its going down the seabed.

Petron had barely scratched the surface, in a manner of speaking, of the bunker oil spillage brought about by the sinking of the tanker Solar I last August when a similar accident occurred in Misamis Occidental. The irony of it all is that Petron Corporation, is partly owned by the Philippine government; 40 percent of its stocks belongs to the government.

Greenpeace, a non-government organization engaged in environment protection, strongly suspects the barge incident which came just a little over three months after the sinking of the tanker Solar I loaded with more than a million litters of bunker oil was due to gross negligence. Indeed, the sinking of two vessels both contracted by Petron under similar circumstances is too much of a coincidence.

As a result of the oil spill in Guimaras, considered the worst-ever of its kind in this country. Many residents of the island province have lost their means of livelihood which is fishing. The possibility of a similar disaster in Misamis Occidental and nearby areas due to the sinking of an apparently overloaded barge is not remote.

Whoever in the oil firm was responsible for what amounts to a criminal neglect should be made to bear the full brunt of the law. (Mindanao Daily Mirror, Nov. 24, 2006)

Petron liable for debris spill – prov’l board, senator

By Lizanilla J. Amarga
SunStar Cagayan de Oro
Nov. 28, 2006

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Senate President Manuel Villar and the Provincial Board want oil-giant Petron Corp. to face liability for the sinking off Plaridel, Misamis Occidental of a barge carrying debris from the oil spill cleanup in Guimaras.

Villar said in a press conference recently that Petron should be made to explain and held liable for the sinking of Barge Ras, which was carrying 59,000 sacks of oil-contaminated debris.

“This is the second time for Petron. They should face it,” he told local media.

Villar said that when Petron’s tanker spilled some 600 tons of bunker fuel in the seas off Guimaras in August, the Senate immediately allocated some P3 billion for the fast cleanup of the oil spill, which was already killing the environment in the affected areas.

He said he could not fathom why Petron would use a mere barge that was not designed to carry oil-soaked debris from the Guimaras oil spill to Northern Mindanao.

“I don’t know what happened to the fund, but we will look into this…on the part of Petron, they are still not free from this,” he said.

Stupendous act

The Provincial Board on Monday passed a resolution “strongly condemning Petron Corporation for its recklessness and total disregard for the safety and protection” of the environment.

Provincial Board public safety committee chairman Norris Babiera said the sinking of the barge contracted by Petron to carry the wastes is a disastrous threat to the aquatic resources of the place and possibly will also affect nearby areas including the province of Misamis Oriental.

“The use of a barge, which is not competent to carry hazardous materials like oil spill debris is a stupendous insult to our environmental and maritime safety laws,” the resolution reads.

Babiera said because of “this recklessness and stupendous act of Petron,” the lives of the people and the livelihood of fishers even in Misamis Oriental are “put into jeopardy.”

Toxic wastes banned

Babiera authored a separate ordinance banning the entry and passage of ships carrying hazardous toxic waste materials within a 15-kilometer distance from the shoreline of Misamis Oriental.

The ordinance, approved on first hearing Monday, provided penalties for violators.

Babiera said the move aims to protect the province’s rich marine resources.

He added that the Local Government Code of 1991 empowers local government units to legislate and enact laws under the general welfare clause, to conserve and protect its environment from destruction.

Civil Defense Office Director Salvador Estudillo admitted they have not started retrieving the 59,000 sacks of oil-spilled debris.

“The barge sank real deep and we are still looking for an equipment similar to the ones they used in the Guimaras oil spill,” Estudillo said.

Editorial: Criminal neglect, profiteering

SURELY the country’s shipping industry needs to look into itself and implement sweeping changes within its ranks to avoid two major accidents that occurred in this part of the country in the past two weeks.

The first of course was the sinking of a barge in Plaridel town, Misamis Occidental that unloaded several tons of oil debris into the waters, setting fears of a major ecological disaster in that area and in outlying areas of Region 10, including perhaps Misamis Oriental and even Cagayan de Oro by way of the Macajalar Bay and Gingoog Bay.

According to Councilor Alvin Calingin he is scheduled to file a resolution calling on the city government to require Petron to pay damages for its role in the oil debris incident pr else face a damage suit.

In a radio interview, Calingin said the pollution caused by the oil debris may somehow find its way to Macajalar Bay within Cagayan de Oro and some parts of Misamis Oriental.

But no sooner had this happened when a ferry sank off the coast of Surigao del Sur province, drowning more than 10 people with one o the passengers being the mayor of a small town in Surigao province and one town councilor. An inquiry is being sought into the incident.

Overloading is being blamed as the cause of the sinking and this problem had also been seen in similar maritime mishaps in years past, most notably that infamous Dona Paz tragedy that killed thousands of passengers. And to think this happens every once a year or two years since that occurred.

According to Surigao del Sur Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers, the passenger manifest didn’t reflect the actual number of passengers in the vessel and thus this is one solid ground for filing administrative and even criminal charges to those involved, including even the management.

But it is the maritime authorities who also bear the biggest brunt of the blame for allowing this to happen so many times.

In a country surrounded by thousands of islands, the shipping industry in this part of the world owns the sorriest safety record to date.

And the inability and inaction of the maritime authorities to do anything about it has cost thousands in lives and–when taking the oil debris debacle in Misamis Occidental–millions more in damages to the environment.

Latest word is that the Marina suspended the license of the shipping firm pending investigation. But the action, it seems, is too little to late.

And the cause behind all these tragedies remains the greed for profit. The public should roundly condemn those perpetrators but most especially the government agencies concerned for having all the power and most of the resources to prevent these tragedies from occurring but have failed to do so or either chose not to. (SunStar Cagayan de Oro, Nov. 28, 2006)

How to rehab Guimaras?

Scientists gather for Solar Oil Spill today

By Francis Allan L. Angelo
The Guardian Iloilo,
Nov. 27, 2006

THE two-day scientific conference on the Solar Oil Spill in Guimaras Island begins today to find means on how to rehabilitate the island-province and to establish protocols and responses to future oil spill incidents.

(Dr. Glenn Aguilar, UPV chancellor/Photo from The Guardian)

Dr. Glenn Aguilar, University of the Philippines-Visayas (UPV) chancellor, said the scientific conference, which will be held at the Iloilo Grand Hotel, is the next step after the cleanup of Guimaras.

Aguilar added it is important to immediately restore the environment of the island and bring back normalcy to its communities, particularly the fisherfolks.

The UPV and the World Wildlife Fund led by Lorenzo Tan spearhead the conference.

In an earlier interview, Tan said the conference will identify the areas that need rehabilitation and the possible sources of assistance, particularly foreign donors.

“There should be credible scientific findings that must be presented to probable donors so they can extend help to us in the effort to help Guimaras get back on its feet. If they see the hard evidence on the long term effects of the oil spill on the environment, concerned institutions would be there to extend support,” Tan said.

Tan said the conference will pave the way for a national oil spill protocol/policy that will guide the national government’s responses to such ecological accidents.

One of the initial suggestions presented by scientists and environmentalists to President Arroyo during her three visits to Guimaras August is to prohibit tankers or ships carrying hazardous cargo from sailing near sensitive areas.

Another proposed policy is to phase out all single-hulled tankers by 2010 although this suggestion is seen to meet stiff opposition from ship owners and liners.

Dr. Rex Sadaba, a renowned UP mangrove expert, will present the result of his studies on 16 sites around Guimaras.

Sadaba confirmed that some mangroves in the island have been dying after the oil spill but he held his conclusions until today’s conference.

Sadaba said experts in other ecological sectors such as seaweeds and fishing grounds will also be present in the conference.

22 Guimaras resort operators first to get compensation claims

By Maricar M. Calubiran
The News Today, Nov. 27, 2006

THE International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) has already paid the 22 resort operators in the island province of Guimaras of their compensation claims resulting from the Solar 1 oil spill incident. The fishermen from the town of San Lorenzo comes next after they also agreed with the compensation package.

IOPCF Deputy Director/Technical Advisor Joe Nichols said out of the 34 claimants for the tourism sector in the province, 22 tourist operators have already agreed to settle their claims on the basis of IOPCF’s compensation offers and The Shipowners’ Protection Limited, the shipowners’ insurer.

Nichols, however did not say how much the IOPCF has paid the 22 resort operators but the claimants were happy and contented with the compensation offered to them. The payment was made Saturday in the province of Guimaras.

Apart from the resort operators, the fishermen from the town of San Lorenzo are next to receive the compensation claims after they also agreed with the compensation package. The compensation package designed for the fishermen range from P6,000 to P30,000. The compensation claims is good for 12 weeks or three months.

Nichols, in an e-mail said “prospects of being able to make substantial payments before Christmas are now looking good.” The payment for the fishermen will be made in form of a check through the Land Bank of the Philippines.

As a matter of IOPCF policy, only the qualified claimant can get the check from the bank and no other parties are authorized to transact or receive the check in behalf of the claimant. This would cut down any dubious claims from any individual or group.

The IOPCF is also expected to come up with a deal with the fishermen from the towns of Sibunag and Jordan on Monday. A total of 13,000 claimants have filed their claims before the IOPCF. Of the 13,000 claimants, 3,700 are identified as fisher folk from the towns of Sibunag, San Lorenzo and Jordan.

Short takes on Guimaras oil spill

BUNKER 0: SUMIRIB
By JP Carpio linaofilms

THE film shows a series of moments involving the people of Sitio Sumirib, Barangay La Paz in the municipality of Nueva Valencia, province of Guimaras, Republic of the Philippines, one of the areas most affected by the massive oil spill from the sunken tanker Solar 1 chartered by the Petron oil corporation. The film focuses more on their thoughts and feelings regarding this man-made ecological disaster, and the actions they are taking to somehow cope with very difficult times ahead. It is the 6 minute version of the full 10 minute film “Bunker 0: Sumirib Plus”, which was shown at the Robinsons Galleria recently. It is presented here in Ilonggo and Tagalog languages with English subtitles.

GUIMARAS SEA MONSTER
From fuseman

Related post Toxic Mango

Gov’t admits job to remove debris tough

By Lizanilla J. Amarga
SunStar Cagayan de Oro
Nov. 25, 2006

RETRIEVING the over 59,000 sacks of oil soaked debris from the Guimaras Oil Spill cleanup that sank with Barge Ras over Plaridel waters, Misamis Occidental will be “physically difficult”, even requiring a special submarine and other advance equipment used in the Guimaras Islands, authorities said Friday.

Misamis Occidental Governor Loreto Ocampos, Environmental Management Board regional director Dr. Sabdulla Abubacar, and Office of Civil Defense regional director Salvador Estudillo Friday said not a single sack of the over 59,000 oil-soaked debris has been recovered since Monday.

Ocampos said it is physically difficult to retrieve the 59,000 sacks of oil debris considering that Barge Ras sunk over 200 feet deep in the Plaridel waters.

He said this is beyond the capacity of ordinary scuba divers and those from the Philippine Coast Guard who can only reach a maximum of 150 to 200 feet.

“We will be needing even a special submarine similar to the one used in the Guimaras cleanup,” said Ocampos.

He added that Petron gave assurance that it will be using the same technology and equipment it used in the Guimaras cleanup in retrieving the oil soaked debris in Plaridel.

Abubacar said, “As of now, no sign of oil on the water surface where the barge sank. No move yet to get the contaminated debris hence it doesn’t pose immediate danger to marine lives and environment.”

But he said he has requested the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Northern Mindanao to send over a marine biologist to “study and assess the impact of those debris to marine lives and environment in the long run.”

“That (marine biologist report and recommendation) will determine our action to be undertaken,” he said.

Estudillo for his part said the “sacks are still under the sea” and all efforts are now being exerted to look into recovering it.

But already, Abubacar and Estudillo received reports from Petron that there were 31 pieces of five-feet long absorbent oil spill booms recovered by the Coast Guard at Oroquieta Pier.

“However, they pose no danger to environment since oil are minimal, dried and weathered already — from Roy Buhay of Petron Monitoring the sunken barge,” Abubacar’s told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

But Task Force Macajalar chairman Manuel Ravanera, secretary general Sustines Magallanes, and spokesman Bencyrus Ellorin voiced alarm on the recovery of these oil booms at Oroquieta considering that the barge’s cargo is technically called “tar balls” which are strong pollutants.

They explained that tar balls are composed of hard to degrade oil residue such as asphaltenes and resin, which produce noxious fumes like hydrogen sulfide that is extremely dangerous to the environment and human health.

The barge that sank off the coast of Plaridel town in Misamis Occidental may pose direct threat to the 60-hectare Fish Sanctuary of the municipality that was established by fishers and the local government unit. This in line with the Fisheries Code of 1998 and the water quality of neighboring coastal areas in Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental.

“We are also very alarmed by reports that debris believed to be coming from the sunken barge had already reached Oroquita City. Near Oroquita in the municipality of Sinacaban is the very rich and beautiful Misamis Occidental Aqua-marine Park, which was established by virtue of the National Integrated Protected Areas law,” said Ellorin.

Magallanes for his part said it is of their “deepest regret” that authorities did not heed the call of the fishers to authorities to ensure the seaworthiness of sea vessels in the aftermath of the Guimaras incident.

“It is very sad that the wisdom of the poor fishers are often ignored by the authorities,” he said.

A Regional Fisherfolk Forum was held last August 30, 2006, which was participated by fisherfolk leaders from Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental, Lanao del Norte, Camiguin, and Bukidnon.

They passed a resolution asking authorities to check the seaworthiness of sea vessels carrying petroleum products and hazardous materials plying the municipal waters of the region and Bohol.

“Obviously this was not heeded when authorities allowed the ill-fated LCT Ras to sail from Guimaras Strait to Lugait, Misamis Oriental where the debris are to be disposed in the Holcim Cement factory because said barge is not designed to carry hazardous materials and not for open sea travel,” said Ellorin.

Ravanera said they are now mapping out plans to file charges against Petron and Harbor Star with not just a damage suit but also a criminal charge.

He said these companies “should be slapped the strictest hands of the law for such recklessness that is unparalleled.”

“We are coordinating with fisherfolk groups and local officials in Misamis Occidental for this,” he said.

Plaridel Municipal Mayor Edilma Bulatin is adding her voice to the clamor on actually slapping oil firm Petron Corp. with legal charges in court particularly when the equipment and the sea vessels needed to retrieve the sacks with oil-soaked debris did not arrive Friday.

She added that Municipal Board members are now looking into coming out with a resolution to this effect.

That oil barge sinking off Misamis Occidental

The Southern Beat
By Rolly Espina
The Philippine Star 11/25/2006

Excerpt

THE sinking of that oil barge off Plaridel in Misamis Occidental Monday was something that was bound to happen.

At least, the Philippine Coast Guard had opposed the use of barges to transport oil-contaminated debris from Guimaras province. But the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) and the regional inter-agency task force on the Guimaras oil spill allowed it anyway.

Capt. Luis Tuason, PCG commander for Western Visayas, said he had written Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela, chief of Task Force Solar I Oil Spill, and Marina regarding the risks of transporting the oil debris by barges.

But apparently that went over the head of the recipients of the PCG warning. And as Capt. Tuason pointed out, Marina issued a “special permit to transport hazardous cargo” to the barges contracted by Petron.

What surprised Tuason was that Marina asked the PCG to inspect the barges after the issuance of the special permits. Normally, he said, inspection should have been conducted before the permit was given.

“We already told them that we were not amenable to using the barges. But they still wanted us to inspect the vessel before going to Lugait in Misamis Occidental. And they wanted the inspection conducted after the permit had been issued,” was how Tuason put it.

“In short, that was like washing their hands off the responsibility,” he told Iloilo mediamen.

Barge Ras was on its way to Lugait when it sank Monday night off Plaridel, Misamis Occidental.

None of the six crew of the tugboat Vega, which was towing the barge, was reported missing.

The barge left Cabalagnan port in Nueva Valencia Sunday and was being towed by Vega when water entered the cargo hold of the barge and sank it.

Petron health, safety and environment manager Carlos Tan explained that strong winds blew off the tarpaulin covering the barge, allowing the water to come in.

Hazardous materials, Tuason pointed out, should be transported not in bulk and in sealed containers by regular cargo ships or other closed vessels like tankers.

Petron officials also said that no oil sheen has been detected. Company personnel, he claimed, are monitoring the shoreline to assess potential damage.

But Plaridel officials are not taking things lying down. The town mayor claimed on television that while there had been no perceptible oil oozing from the deadly chemical, there was no guarantee that the oily debris would not destroy the municipal fishing grounds of Plaridel.

But the point is, the barge sank despite the warnings from the PCG. So what is Marina’s answer to that? As well as Petron’s?

(Click Southern Beat for the entire column.)

Petron hit for ‘lame excuse’ on barge sinking

By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan
SunStar Bacolod,
Nov. 24, 2006

“ANOTHER stupendous insult to our people, environment and our laws!”

So said Rep. JR Nereus Acosta (1st District-Bukidnon and co-chairperson of the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development (PLCPD) in reaction to the oil spill off the coast of Misamis Occidental after a barge carrying oil debris from Guimaras sank in the area.

In a statement, Acosta said: “The first time (August 11 oil spill off the coast of Guimaras Island), Petron said it was an accident. We said they should face liabilities. For repeated delinquency, let us now fully exercise the rule of law for crimes such as this.”

Acosta, a staunch environmentalist and reproductive health advocate, is also a mover of the Population, Health and Environment (PHE) Network, a coalition of scientists, population experts, health advocates, conservationists, community- builders and policy technicians in various government and non-government organizations.

“What do we need to see in order for us to pin down Petron? We are a nation endowed with natural resources and yet, we let private corporations like Petron destroy all of these, to the detriment of ourselves and our very own people!” he added.

Barge Ras was carrying 630 metric tons of debris in about 59,000 sacks, or about 600 tons, of debris from Guimaras when it sank 5 kilometers off Misamis Oriental reportedly due to “rough seas.”

The PHE Network proposes measures to reduce the risks from oil spill pollution.

World Wildlife Fund-Philippines, a member of the network, also raised the need to make risk-maps for coastal areas and to review current shipping routes to give new options for vessels with hazardous cargoes.

Members of PLCPD have also pushed for legislation to establish an oil spill trust fund, provide adequate disaster-response technologies, require double hulls for hazardous cargoes, and raise penalties for environmental pollution.

The UN require ships carrying hazardous cargo to shift to double hull type carriers by 2015 but local tankers have not been sold to the idea because of the additional costs it would entail.

“Aside from its standing liabilities, Petron should also answer why they employed the services of a firm that was obviously not competent,” Acosta said.

Siphoning of remaining bunker oil delayed anew

Joel Weston, Sonsub Regional Manager for Asia-Pacific, explains to the media the process of recovering the remaining oil from sunken vessel MT Solar I. (Photo by A. Chris Fernandez, The News Today, Nov. 24, 2006)

By MONTESA GRIÑO
Visayan Daily Star, Nov. 24, 2006

GUIMARAS – In a move that will surely make environmentalists angry, the siphoning of the remaining bunker oil from the sunken M/T Solar 1 on Guimaras Strait is being moved back from the already very delayed January 2007 schedule, to February or March.

The Singapore-based Sonsub company had been tapped to do the siphoning, announced its regional manager for the Asia-Pacific region, Joel Weston. He met the media yesterday.

It was earlier reported that a Norwegian company was being eyed to siphon the remaining bunker fuel and that it would commence the work in January. This angered environmental activists who warned that the tanker is an ecological time bomb.

The longer the oil stays in the strait, the worse the destruction it will bring to marine life in the affected area, they stressed.

Weston said the siphoning may make 25 days. Right now, Sonsub is preparing the needed equipments and personnel, he added.

Petron Corp. will be paying Sonsub six to eight million dollars for the operation, Weston said.

The sunken M/T Solar 1 was chartered by Petron supposedly to ferry its over two million liters of bunker fuel from Luzon to Mindanao. The tanker, however, sank at the rough Guimaras Strait in August, causing a massive oil spill that displaced thousands of Guimaras residents affected the island’s marine ecosystem.

Petron claimed to be on the second phase of its clean-up operation in Guimaras when another of its chartered vessel sank. This time, it’s a barge tasked to ferry the oil spill debris collected in Guimaras.

COMPENSATION

Around 13,000 fisher folks displaced by the oil spill may get their compensation claims before this year ends.

According to Joe Nichols of the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund, they now have the names of all the claimants.

“The claims vary… (These are relative to) damage (caused) by the oil spill to the livelihood of each affected fisherman and their fishing activity,” he stressed.

Nichols said some of the fishermen will received P6,000 while others as much as P30,000.

The compensation to be given to laborers tapped for the clean-up operation would be different.

“So far, no claimant had been disqualified,” Nichols said.

PROBE

In Manila, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered multi-agency Task Force Guimaras to investigate the sinking of the barge — carrying the collected oil spill debris from Guimaras — off Misamis Occidental.

This aims to help authorities plan strategies so damage to humans and the environment can be minimized.

“The President expressed concern about this unfortunate incident and tasked agencies concerned led by Task Force Guimaras to get to the bottom of it,” said Presidential Spokesman and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye.

Arroyo created the task force this year to address concerns like environmental clean-up and rehabilitation, as well as livelihood assistance to oil spill victims in Guimaras.

The environment, transportation, energy, social welfare and health departments as well as Philippine Coast Guard compose Task Force Guimaras.

Malacañang is optimistic that the damage arising from the barge’s sinking won’t be as extensive as what hit Guimaras which continues to reel after the sinking of MT Solar I.
During a Palace briefing, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that since the debris were packed in containers, the Palace expects minor damages arising from the mishap.

MARINE INQUIRY

The captain and crew members of the barge have been summoned to appear before the Special Board of Marine Inquiry today.

The captain and crew members of barge Ras will face the Special Board of Marine Inquiry in the Philippine Coast Guard headquarters in Cagayan de Oro at 10 a.m.
The captain maintained in his sworn affidavit that the vessel capsized after the water entered the barge’s hatch.

Authorities said the site where the barge sank as well as the shorelines of Oroquieta, Lopez Jaena and Polo Point in Misamis Occidental were free from oil sheen but the local government still demanded for the immediate retrieval of oil debris.

Petron said that the barge and the debris would no longer be salvaged because these pose no environmental threat.

Ras was on its way to Lugait, Misamis Oriental to transfer over 50,000 sacks of oil debris from Guimaras when it capsized, raising fears that the debris might affect the community and the marine environment of the province.

Investor backs out in wake of Petron barge sinking

By Lino Dela Cruz
Iligan Correspondent
SunStar, Nov. 24, 2006

ILIGAN CITY – A prospective investor in the local tourism industry had reportedly backed out after the sinking four days ago of a barge carrying oil debris from the sunken oil tanker in Guimaras, 3.16 nautical miles off the municipal coast.

The investor has planned to put up a beach resort in Plaridel town, Misamis Occidental.

Plaridel town Mayor Edelmar Bulatin said the investor backed out for fear of lasting pollution due to the sinking of barge LCT Ras, which carried some 35,000 sacks of oil debris from the sunken oil tanker Solar 1 in Guimaras last September this year.

The barge was being towed by the tugboat Vega when rough seas and big waves caused it to sink.

Maritime authorities said the seawaters could have entered the barge’s hatch and triggered the sinking.

The coastline facing Panguil Bay in Misamis Occidental is known for its scenic beaches.

Local officials in Oroquieta town said they recovered an oil absorbent apparently coming from the sunken vessel and they fear that an estimated 4,000 fishermen along the province’s coasts will be affected.

Bulatin said even as the oil coming from the Guimaras oil spill is already weathered and absorbed by the sand, rocks, and absorbents packed in jute sacks that was loaded in the sunken barge. The jute sacks will eventually be destroyed and the seawaters contaminated.

Government authorities and environmental groups are now in the area to gather seawater samples that will be brought to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Board in Northern Mindanao.

On the other hand, the environment groups and the local government of Plaridel are now planning to file a criminal case against Petron, the oil shipper, and Harbor Star, the carrier.

Meanwhile, Holcim Cement, in Lugait, Misamis Oriental, which is utilizing the oil debris from the Guimaras oil spill, assured the public that the process they are using in utilizing the oil derived from the debris for the cement plant’s fuel will not harm the environment.

Bobby Sajonia, plant manager, said the driftwoods, rocks and sands where oil is absorbed are separated and not burned and the burning and emission are controlled.

“The emission is still below the allowable standard.” Sajonia said.

Editorial – Carelessness

SunStar Cagayan de Oro
Nov. 24, 2006

THE sinking of a barge reportedly carrying 100 tons of tar balls off the coast of a Misamis Occidental may only serve to confirm the dismal safety record of the country’s shipping industry.

Whatever the reasons for this accident, affected residents won’t care since they and their families would bear the brunt of the damage wrought on their waters for years to come. And owing to their connections, the perpetrators may yet get away with only a slap on their wrists.

First to be held accountable of course are the management and crew of the barge and Petron, which dismissed the spill as nothing to be alarmed about since the tar balls–or the oil debris, which the barge carried from damaged Guimaras–had “been weathering for sometime.”

This contrasts sharply with an admission from Office of Civil Defense (OCD) officials who, while stating that the barge carried only a small load of oil debris, stated that it would certainly affect the ecosystems in the affected areas.

The management or owners of the barge and Petron certainly have a lot to answer for not only to the people of Guimaras but to the thousands of affected residents of Misamis Occidental.

And it is up to local and the national government officials to see to it that these persons and entities bear the full brunt of the legal, moral and socio-economic consequences of their actions.

Time for Petron to revisit sea transport contracts

By VG Cabuag
Reporter, BusinessMirror
Nov. 24, 2006

PETRON Corp., the country’s largest petroleum company, may have to revisit the way it gives contracts to various shipping firms that transport fuel products after it encountered two sea mishaps in just three months.

According to Jose Luis U. Yulo Jr., a former independent director of Petron and who headed the firm’s audit committee from 2001 to 2006, the next operational audit of Petron should now focus on the safety of the vessels contracted by the company. In previous years, Yulo said the audit committee focused on the oil losses of Petron—the quantity when the fuel was loaded did not match when it was offloaded to its destination—a matter that hounded the firm for years.

“We did not focus on the safety of the vessels [that will transport petroleum products] yet because that was not the problem then,” he explained, adding that they fixed the oil loss problem by calibrating the equipment and doing some operational changes.

The government, through the Philippine National Oil Co., owns 40 percent of Petron, while Saudi Arabian Oil Co. holds another 40 percent; the rest are held by the public.

Yulo said the company is undergoing three stages of operational audit, one internally and one each both for the government and Saudi Aramco. This means all aspects of operation of Petron would have to be reviewed—even the way it enters into contracts with other parties.

“Petron is one of the best-managed companies in the world. That is why it has overtaken (Pilipinas) Shell and Caltex (Chevron Philippines) in market share in 2005. Still, accidents may happen where Petron has [no] control nor fault,” Yulo said.

At a Senate inquiry on the sinking of MT Solar 1, senators questioned the way Petron handles its contracts with the vessels that transport its products. On August 11, Solar 1, owned by Sunshine Maritime Corp., sank in rough seas off Guimaras Island, carrying 2.2 million liters of bunker fuel, in what was called the worst oil spill in the Philippines. Until today, the vessel remains submerged with more than a million liters of fuel still to be siphoned off.

On Monday evening, the oil barge Ras hauled by tugboat Vega, carrying the debris from the oil spill site, sank five kilometers off Plaridel in Misamis Occidental, also due to rough seas.

According to initial investigation, unlike the papers of the Sunshine Maritime that the maritime regulators had virtually cleared on any irregularity, Ras owner Harbor Star lacks the proper documents.

Maritime Industry Authority said Ras’s permit allowed it to ply routes only in rivers, such as the Pasig River and Manila Bay. Vega, on the other hand, was not registered with the Marina, which makes its operations to ferry the debris illegal.

Allegations of oil pilferage again cropped up during the investigation of the Board of Marine Inquiry, the special oversight body created on the Guimaras oil spill, with some quarters saying the oil theft may have caused the MT Solar 1 to sink.

During the past several months, there have also been reported cases of oil theft involving Petron’s operations in Limay and Manila.

Communities affected by the sinking of Ras may also seek compensation from the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund, House Deputy Majority Leader Eduardo Gullas said.

Gullas, who represents Cebu province’s First District, said that under IOPC rules, ‘costs incurred for preventive measures and further loss or damage caused by preventive measures” following an oil spill “may be compensated.”

The IOPC Fund is financed by levies on certain types of oil carried by sea. The levies are paid by entities that receive oil after sea transport.

Petron Corp. had said the IOPC Fund would extend a total of $315 million to cover “pollution damage” as a result of the Solar I incident. This would cover cleanup costs, spoiled property and consequential losses.

Petron said it had chipped in a total of P120 million to the IOPC Fund since 1999.

Gullas, meanwhile, renewed his call for the Senate to expedite the approval of a bill enforcing in the country all international rules on the accountability of ship owners for oil spill damage, and ensuring instant and adequate compensation for parties that suffer losses as a result of the discharge.

From our mailbox…Petron ex-director hints of questionable transport contracts

REACTING to the recent sinking of the Petron-chartered barge carrying oil spill debris from Guimaras, former independent director of Petron, Jose Luis “Nonoy” Yulo writes:

“During my last months as Chairman of the Audit Committee, we had already identified problems with the barging contractors, and indeed have started to focus on this. After I left Petron in March of this year, I had informed my successor, former budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin about the problem during my meeting with her a few months back.” (Nov. 21, 2006)

Loaded statement if I ever read one.

Petron denies chartering sunken barge (so what else is new?!)

The Philippine Star 11/24/2006

ILOILO CITY — Nobody’s claiming responsibility for the sinking of the barge Ras, which was carrying oil debris when it sunk Monday night.

“I’m very definite about it, that Petron did not charter the barge,” Malou Erni of Petron Foundation said during a press conference yesterday, shortly after reading a press release from Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc.

Erni made her statements in reaction to Malacañang’s order for an investigation into the sinking of the Ras.

The Ras was transporting oil debris left by the oil spill in Guimaras island last August, after the oil tanker M/T Solar I sank off the Guimaras coast.

Harbor Star, owner of the Ras as well as the tugboat Vega that had been towing the Ras when the barge sank, said they were collectively contracted by the Protection and Indemnity Club (P&I Club) — one of the insurers of M/T Solar I, the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation Ltd., and the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund.

The Ras was loaded with 59,649 sacks of oil-coated debris when it sank in the vicinity of Plaridel town, Misamis Oriental Monday night due to rough seas and high winds. The oil-contaminated debris, weighing approximately 600 metric tons, is composed of twigs, driftwood, rocks and sand.

Likewise, Joe Nichols and Britt Pickering of IOPC and the P&I Club, respectively, have vehemently denied chartering the sunken barge.

(The full story at Sunken barge.)

Defying law and logic

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc
The Philippine Star 11/24/2006

Excerpt

Off the coast of Misamis, disaster already struck because of similar defiance of rules and reason. The sinking of the open barge carrying 600 tons of oil spill debris from Guimaras is the result of the cleanup task force ignoring Coast Guard warnings.

Capt. Luis Tuason Jr., Coast Guard commander for Western Visayas, had strongly objected to the use of open barges to move the sludge out of Guimaras. But the other agencies, including Petron Corp. whose rented tanker had spilled 2 million liters to begin with, thought they were smarter. The Maritime Industry Authority, in its hurry to entice barge owners into sending their vessels over, relaxed the rules on carrying hazardous cargo.

The Marina tried to wash its hands of responsibility for the decision soon afterwards. Instead of inspecting the seaworthiness of the barges, as its main work, it delegated the task to the Coast Guard.

And so the idiocy had to happen twice. Motor tanker M/T Solar sank in Aug. because the shipmaster insisted on sailing in very rough waters, with defective gear. The open barge Ras sank also in rough seas because the crew, emboldened by a Marina special permit, similarly sailed into a storm.

(For the entire column, click Gotcha.)

Debris from sunken barge found

Inquirer, Nov. 23, 2006

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Three plastic bags containing oil-absorbent booms were found in Oroquieta City, some 30 kilometers from Plaridel, Misamis Occidental where a barge carrying debris from the Guimaras oil spill sank on Monday evening, officials said.

The booms, measuring three meters long and six inches wide, were made up of materials similar to baby diapers.

Authorities on Thursday said the discovery of the floating booms could indicate that the ropes used in tying the plastic bags have come loose causing them to drift to the surface.

The barge, Ras, was being towed to the Holcim cement plant in Lugait, Misamis Oriental to deliver 56,649 sacks of sludge and debris when it sank off Polo Point in Plaridel town. The two sailors manning the barge were safely rescued by their companions, who were manning the tugboat towing it.

The tugboat’s captain had told authorities that huge waves breached the barge’s hatches, causing it to sink.

(Click Debris found for the full story.)

One disaster after another

BIG DEAL
By Dan Mariano

QUESTION: Where on this planet does an attempt to mitigate a country’s worst environmental disaster create an ecological catastrophe of its own?

Answer: Only in the Philippines.

When it sank off the coast of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, around 11 p.m. Monday, the barge Ras was carrying 59,000 sacks of oil debris. The debris—about 600 metric tons—reportedly formed the last batch collected from Guimaras, off whose waters the 988-ton Solar 1 tanker sank on August 11 with over 2 million liters of bunker fuel in its hold.

A special board of marine inquiry found Petron, which had commissioned Solar 1, liable for overloading the tanker at the oil company’s fuel dock in Limay, Bataan. That case has yet to be officially closed, but here comes another.

It was no surprise that in its very first announcement on the Ras sinking, the country’s biggest oil company emphasized that it was the International Oil Pollution Commission that had hired the ill-fated barge.

Petron spokesmen added that the debris from Guimaras consisted of sand, rocks and vegetation to which part of the oil slick from Solar 1 had adhered. After months of exposure to the elements, the debris contained “hardly any toxic materials, much of which have already evaporated by now,” one of the spokesmen added.

(For the rest of the column, click Big Deal, Nov. 24, 2006.)

Philippine reefs on display in Chicago

By FELIPE F. SALVOSA II, Sub-Editor
BusinessWorld, Nov. 24, 2006

PERHAPS the best place to appreciate the richness and diversity of Philippine marine life is outside of the country, and in, of all places, the windy city of Chicago.

Aside from its skyscrapers and imposing architecture, Chicago is also home to the world’s largest indoor aquarium, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, a city icon that has become the model for zoos and aquariums elsewhere for more than 75 years.

Three years ago, the Shedd opened its 10-room, $45-million Wild Reef exhibit, the biggest opening since the publicly funded aquarium unveiled its Oceanarium exhibit of dolphins, beluga whales, sea otters, and penguins.

First-timers would have no idea the Wild Reef, which occupies the Shedd’s new, 28,000-sq. ft. underground wing, is really all about Philippine coral reefs and the sea creatures that thrive in it.

The Shedd was already showcasing five distinct regional aquatic ecosystems — the Pacific Northwest coast, the waters of Ilinois, East African lakes and rivers, the Florida Everglades and the Caribbean reefs, and the Amazon River. Its long-term exhibit master plan called for an Indo-Pacific coral reef exhibit, making Philippine reefs the natural choice. Wild Reef was the highest point of the Shedd’s $97-million renovation and expansion program that spanned five years, with funding from the city of Chicago and Illinois state, as well as the private sector.

(For the rest of the story, click RP reefs.)

Coast Guard to probe barge sinking

By Leila Salaverria
Inquirer, Nov. 23, 2006

THE Philippine Coast Guard has formed a board of marine inquiry to investigate the sinking of a barge carrying nearly 60,000 sacks of sludge and other oil-soaked debris from the cleanup of the oil spill in Guimaras province.

Rear Admiral Damian Carlos directed the Coast Guard’s Northern Mindanao office to investigate the incident that took place Monday night off Misamis Occidental, said PCG spokesperson Lieutenant Commander Joseph Coyme.

The barge Ras of Harbor Star Shipping Services Inc. sank in the vicinity of Polo Point, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental, while loaded with 59,649 sacks of oil debris, the Coast Guard said.

The barge was supposed to bring the cargo to Lugait, Misamis Oriental.

Coyme said Northern Mindanao district commander Captain Cecil Chen heads the board that will look into the incident, which raised fears of another oil slick affecting Misamis Occidental.

(For the full story, click Coast Guard.)

P130M for Guimaras environmental rehab okayed

A FUNDING of P130 million for the rehabilitation of the environment in Guimaras has been approved.

DENR regional executive director Julian Amador said Secretary Angelo T. Reyes had instructed their regional office to immediately send a work and financial plan to the Department of Budget and Management for the said amount so that cash allocations can be made immediately.

The fund will be for the different rehabilitation activities that will restore the environment of Guimaras and affected municipalities in Iloilo in its natural state or may be even better than before.

The fund was promised by President Gloria Arroyo to the Task Force SOS when she visited Guimaras right after the oil spill incident. She had been a witness to the havoc wrought by the black mongrel that had turned the green mangroves and sea grasses into oil dripping statues.

During her visit, Arroyo had declared that the Office of the President would provide funding for the rehabilitation of the environment.

Initially, the task force recommended a P230-million funding. However, upon computing the needed amount, they found out that P130 million is more than enough to defray all expenses that will include activities on information, education and communication.

The rehabilitation of the area covers air and water quality monitoring in various sampling sites. (Rhodora A. Capulso, The Guardian Iloilo, Nov. 23, 2006)

Governor, green group mulls raps vs Petron, barge owner

By Lizanilla J. Amarga
SunStar Cagayan de Oro
Nov. 23, 2006

MISAMIS Occidental Governor Loreto Ocampos and a local environmental group Wednesday threatened to slap Petron Corp. and shipping company Harbor Star damage suits for the sinking of a barge carrying oil-soaked debris gathered from cleaning up the Guimaras oil spill at Plaridel, Misamis Occidental.

The regional office of the Environmental Management Board (EMB) is preparing their water sample tests as well as looking into the hiring of an expert marine biologist to have an independent assessment of the impact the incident would have on the environment.

But Defense Secretary and National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) Chairman Avelino Cruz convened Taskforce Guimaras and immediately issued a statement declaring the oil soaked debris from Guimaras harmless.

Barge Ras, which was carrying around 59,000 sacks of oil debris from the August 11 sinking of the 988-ton Solar 1 tanker off Guimaras island, sank about five kilometers northeast of Plaridel, Misamis Occidental last Monday around 11:10 p.m.

The Barge Ras was towed by Tugboat Vega to Lugait, Misamis Oriental when it sank due to rough seas.

The barge, which was owned and operated by Harbor Star, was contracted by Petron Corp. to ship out debris from the Solar 1 oil spill and bring it to Holcim Cement at Lugait, Misamis Oriental for processing.

In separate interviews with Sun.Star Wednesday, Ocampos and Partido Kalikasan chairman Manuel Ravenera said they are now looking into the filing of charges against Petron Corp. and Harbor Star.

Assessment

Ravanera said they are now conducting their own independent probe on the incident and thinking of filing charges after assessment of the pertinent facts.

In a statement furnished to this paper, Greenpeace Southeast Asia campaigner Beau Baconguis said oil firm Petron Corp. is to blame for this incident that spilled 600 tons of oil debris in Misamis Occidental waters just as that of the Guimaras Island incident.

Baconguis said the national government should hold Petron Corp. accountable to the “fullest extent of the law” over this latest incident “whether it is due to gross negligence or plain stupidity.”

“Petron has yet to fully answer for its disastrous oil spill in Guimaras, but here it is again with another environmental disaster in the making,” he said.

EMB Regional Director Abdullah Abubacar said he has issued two orders in relation to the incident.

He said the first was on initiating an immediate water-sampling test in the area where Barge Ras sank “to determine the level of contamination.”

Abubacar said they were informed that the 59,000 sacks of oil debris are composed of sand and gravel “with oil slick stuck to them, thus, it is highly unlikely that oil will surface.”

“The water sampling is part of our precautionary measure,” he said. “We’re just praying that the oil debris won’t scatter. That’s why they need to get to it as soon as possible.”

Abubacar said he has also issued a letter to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Director Dichoso to ask him if it would be possible to hire an expert marine biologist who would determine the over-all environmental impact of the incident.

NDCC spokesman Anthony Golez in a statement said the oil debris that spilled in the waters off Misamis Occidental does not pose any danger to the province’s marine environment.

Golez said the team dispatched to Plaridel town to check on the sunken barge Ras saw no oil sheen from the site.