Nueva Valencia fishers to receive oil spill damages on Jan. 8

SOME 5,000 affected fisherfolk in Nueva Valencia, the worst hit municipality in Guimaras from Solar I oil spill, will get their claims on Jan. 8, 2007.

This, after the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) finished releasing compensation checks in three towns – San Lorenzo, Sibunag and Jordan.

Nueva Valencia residents have been clamoring for the release of their oil spill compensation which was promised to be given them this Christmas season.

But corrections in the official entries of name and addresses of the oil spill claimants delayed the release of the checks.

IOPCF returned the master list of claimants to the municipal government of Nueva Valencia after it was found out that there were duplicitous claims, meaning the names of the claimants were submitted to the IOPCF twice.

The residents of Brgy. Tando, one of the worst hit coastal villages in Nueva Valencia, had been waiting for their checks as fishing activities in the village continue to drop.

“We have few catch here compared to last year. We are very much affected with the oil spill. Our only hope is the release of our oil spill claims so that we have something to spend for Christmas and New Year,” said Tando barangay captain Olivia Evangelista.

Meanwhile, Provincial Legal Officer Plaridel Nava denied reports that the venue for the releasing of compensation checks will be transferred to Guimaras from the original venue at the fifth floor of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol.

“As per letter of the IOPCF to Gov. JC Rahman Nava, the venue remains in Iloilo City,” Nava said.

IOPCF requires the claimants to personally get their check and to present two valid identification cards either from SSS, GSIS, BIR TIN card, driver’s license, passport, Philhealth, Postal ID, company ID, voter’s registration record and senior citizen ID. (Balita.org, Dec. 30, 2006)

ABS-CBN News’ 2006 Year in Review

Oil spill in Guimaras

WEARING rubber gloves and using dishwashing liquid and a scouring pad, Remmy Cayanan was busy scrubbing rocks on the beach of Nueva Valencia town in Guimaras. With a bitter smile, she laments the loss of their clean sea “Eto wala na ang malinis na dagat namin (Our unpolluted waters are gone).”

For P500 a day, Remmy was among those hired by Petron Corporation to help in cleaning up the black greasy mess on the coastline of the town for two weeks.

On August 11, the M/T Solar 1 owned by Sunshine Maritime Corporation and carrying some 200,000 liters of bunker fuel oil of Petron, sank off the coast of Guimaras. Thousands of liters of bunker fuel oil found its way on the pristine beaches of the island province, also famous for its sweet and succulent golden yellow mangoes.

In a letter to Petron president Khalid Al-Faddagh, the provincial government of Guimaras declared these statistics: 239 kilometers of coastlines affected; 58 hectares of seaweed plantations damaged; 105 hectares of mangrove areas hit; 1,180 fisherfolks who temporarily lost their jobs; and numerous cases of respiratory illnesses and stomach and skin disorders reported. Accordingly, this is the worst oil spill in the country.

Days after local and international uproar, Petron and Sunshine Maritime have owned up to the responsibility for the oil spill. But the bulk of the task of rehabilitating Guimaras now lies on the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund, an international body whose mission is partly to provide financial assistance to residents affected by massive oil spills.

Despite claims made by Petron that the physical cleanup of the affected coastlines is 100-percent complete, traces of oil can still be found on the beaches of Guimaras. Complete rehabilitation is another thing and it may take several years.

It is thus painfully difficult for Remmy to erase from her memories the black smudge on the white-sand beaches of her province, especially after toiling under the hot sun just to clean up the mess left by the sunken ship. But she is fervently hoping that in due time, fish will thrive once more in their waters, vulnerable mangroves will soon recover and their simple and quiet lives in Guimaras will be back.

(For the rest of the yearender, click ABS-CBN News, Dec. 30, 2006.)

2006: Maritime’s most disastrous year

IN MY PACK By Ruth G. Mercado
The Freeman 12/30/2006

2006 may well be remembered in the maritime industry as the and most catastrophic year since the 1987 sinking of the Doña Paz. With most accidents happening in Cebu and Eastern Visayas, the ghastly spate of tragedies ought to shed a straightforward assessment as to whether the outsourcing arrangement between Coast Guard and the Maritime Industry Authority was effective or if there was faithful enforcement of maritime safety. It would also have laid bare impediments why regulations on wooden-hulled ships are taking so long to finalize and implement.

Sadly and surprisingly, maritime and Coast Guard, who are supposed to be in the business of tracking disasters, seem remotely aware of the horrific phenomenon. In a striking demeanor of nonchalance, there seems little care by authorities in taking a hard, serious look about why disasters are happening and happening successively.

Nevertheless, in the absence of an official list from Coast Guard and Marina, The Freeman has made its own tally based on investigative coverage. Nationwide, there were at least 15 maritime disasters and mishaps in 2006 including such high profile cases as fire onboard MV Asia Philippines, Superferry 12 and Heaven Star and the murder of a former Biliran governor onboard MV Cagayan Princess. Well-etched in maritime history are the oil spills in Guimaras and Misamis, the disappearance of MV Zarraga, cargo ship collision, and several incidents involving wooden ships in the sinking of motorized bancas in Cebu, Surigao and Pangasinan. At least 50 people have perished in all these accidents and while there are no confirmed figures, there is no quantifiable proof on the millions of pesos worth of property and marine life lost in the Guimaras and Misamis oil spills.

Marina administrator Vicente Suazo has since belittled the peculiar coincidence of accidents and dismissed speculations that a curse may haunt the maritime industry. In Cebu for instance, two ships caught fire at mid-sea exactly a month apart in almost the same circumstances. The MV Superferry 12 caught fire at its top decks in the morning of March 9 and exactly a month later on April 9, an early morning fire erupted on the top decks of MV Heaven Star. Initial inspection point to lighted cigarette as probable cause of both fires. While the Superferry 12 fire damaged all suites at the top deck, the Heaven Star fire burned eight life rafts and decommissioned 42 bunks.

Then while 19 were believed to have perished when motor banca SunJay sank off the coasts of Southern Leyte in January, some 19 were also presumed dead when motor banca Leonida II sank at Bilisan Island, Surigao in November.

Anti-oil pollution laws, which remain non-existent in this country, plague Guimaras and Misamis oil spills as the vessels carrying the bunker oil and oil debris are reportedly spoofed with spurious documents either of the vessel or its crew.

What may be a redeeming factor for the Coast Guard is their quick response in search, rescue and retrieval missions. But even then, finger pointing and blame passing between Marina and Coast Guard are quicker than emergency response. Marine inquiry proceedings are of little help. Proceedings drag on aimlessly as hearings are often postponed purportedly because lawyers have conflicting diary schedules.

Equally frustrating is how authorities circumvent their own laws. While laws specifically provide that accidents be heard and tried in the place where these happen, exceptions are made to transfer hearing venue with no plausible explanation. Hearings for the Superferry 12 that happened in Cebu and the oil spill that happened in Guimaras were both transferred to Manila. Can prosecution and indemnification be expected if lawyers and authorities who are supposed to uphold maritime laws and maritime safety, are now the very persons seeking exception from the law?

The disaster perhaps is not so much at sea. What is perhaps disastrously deadly is when present structures, systems and procedures of maritime and coast guard authorities are no longer effective. Until there is prosecution, until there is indemnification, until there is accident prevention, only then can Coast Guard and Marina claim they are relevant to the maritime industry and show they are sincere and faithful about their jobs.

Anti-oil-spill order placed on hold

By VG Cabuag
Reporter, BusinessMirror
Dec. 29-30, 2006

THE Philippine government’s plan to implement a United Nations rule, which intends to reduce oil spills was put on hold after a recent-shake up at the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

According to a transport official, an order which mandates double hulls on oil tankers was supposed to endorsed during the Maritime Industry Authority’s (Marina) board meeting last September, weeks after a carrier spilled crude off Guimaras island, destroying the area’s mangroves. While the order’s approval was deferred for the next Marina board meeting, it has yet to be scheduled.

The same transport official disclosed that even Marina was puzzled by the apparent policy shift since the order was already approved in principle after Marina administrator Vicente T. Suazo Jr. held series of meetings with the country’s association of tanker owners, which did not oppose the move.

However, the owners had little choice since oil companies such as Petron Corp. and Pilipinas Shell are already requiring them to use double hull, double bottom vessels, making Marina’s circular just a formality.

Meanwhile, after Marina’s September board meet, former DOTC undersecretary Agustin Bengzon, who was in charge of maritime affairs, was replaced by Maria Elena Bautista.

Bengzon was transferred to head the Maritime Leasing Corp., a subsidiary of the state-led National Development Company (NDC), replacing Teodoro Villanueva.

For her part, Bautista said that the circular would be up for implementation by 2008.

“I just have some grammatical corrections on the draft memorandum circular,” she said.

The International Maritime Organization, a United Nations agency, which looks after maritime safety, said that single-hull ships should be phased out between 2005 to 2010, depending on the date of the vessel’s construction.

Single-hull tankers 15 years or older require a condition assessment scheme, which stipulates stringent verification of ships’ structural conditions, among others.

In October 2003, ocean-going single hull tankers were banned from entering ports in European Union, after supertanker Prestige broke in half and capsized off the coast of Galicia, Spain.

Besides spilling half of the 77,000 tons of oil it carried, the October 2002 incident damaged the beaches of Iberian Peninsula and killed other marine life. That incident followed the sinking of the Erika, another tanker, off the coast of France in December 1999.

For its part, the United States also enacted a similar regulation when the Exxon Valdez sank off Bligh Reef in Alaska’s Prince William Sound spilling 10.8 million gallons of crude on March 1989.

‘Strange’ claims hound IOPCF

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

INSANITY, sleepless nights, hardship, death of a sow and piglets, loss of income of a sari-sari store, loss of beach sediments, hampered transport operation of tricycles, and rentals of land used as depository site of collected oil debris.

These are among the “strange” claims made by the oil spill-affected residents from Nueva Valencia, Guimaras, according to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF), which were quickly denied for being inadmissible.

A source from the IOPCF said a claim form submitted to the Fund by a male claimant attested that he suffered “insanity, sleepless nights and hardship” when they were evacuated from their barangay. The same claim form was not attested and verified by the claimant’s barangay captain. As a rule, every claim should be verified by the barangay official.

One claimant also wants the Fund to pay him some P20,000 for his sow and 15 piglets. It was written in his claim form that the sow and the piglets died because of the oil spill. Again, the claimant had no documentary proof to back up his compensation claim. The claimant argued that the death of his pigs could be considered as “property damage.”

Another claimant said he lost his income from his sari-sari store for three years because of the oil spill. When checked, the sari-sari store does not cater to tourists who visit the island but to local residents. No records of purchases and store transactions were presented. Besides, the oil spill happened only last August 11, 2006.

Likewise, a claimant wants the Fund to pay for the “lost sand, gravel, rocks and other beach sediments” from the shores of Nueva Valencia when Petron ordered the clean-up operation in areas affected by the oil sludge. The claimant based his environmental damage claim on the number of sacks of oily debris collected by Petron.

A group of tricycle drivers also asked payment from the Fund for their “economic loss.” They claimed that they had few passengers particularly the foreigners because of the oil spill.

Some land owners is also asking the Fund to pay them rent after their property was used as depository of the collected oil debris. There are some properties on the island which was contracted by Petron to be used as depositories pending the arrival of the barges to transport the debris and all the wastes collected during the clean-up operation.

According to Joe Nichols, IOPCF Deputy Director/Technical Advisor, the claims of insanity, sleepless nights, hardships are considered psychological in nature and are not related to property damage. The claims are considered “inadmissible” under the organization’s policy. The Fund primarily pays for the property damage.

Nichols said they have also encountered such claims in Korea. The Fund won in the legal battle at the lower court. Then, the claimants brought the case to the Appellate Court after they lost. The Appellate Court favored the claimants in its ruling. However, the Supreme Court reversed the decision of the Appellate Court and ruled in the Fund’s favor. It was a landmark decision which was later used by the Fund in all compensation claims filed before their office.

On the case of the dead pigs, Nichols smiled at how the claimant was able to conceive such idea. “If the claimant can prove that the death of the pigs was caused by the oil spill and it falls under property damage, then the Fund is going to pay him,” said Nichols.

In the case of sari-sari store and tricycle drivers, Nichols said these are the types of livelihood which do not directly rely on tourists but on locals. “The Fund is very generous when it comes to compensation claims. However, the claim should be based on the contamination of the affected areas which resulted in the damage,” Nichols said.

Regarding the loss of sand, stone, rocks and other beach sediments, Nichols said the claimant does not own the shore. “The cleaning method employed by Petron was manual and the area has the ability to recover naturally. It is exaggerated and it’s one claim that the Fund will never pay,” he said.

On the claims of land rentals, the claimant should produce a contract on who made the transaction with them. “It is a reasonable claim on the part of the landowner. However, there is no reason for the landowners to file claims if Petron has already paid them the rent,” Nichols said.

He said those who filed such peculiar claims would be notified about the inadmissibility of their claims.

Further, Nichols disclosed that the Fund has discovered a number of false claims and double claims. Nichols declined to give details on who among the claimants, especially in the fishery and tourism sectors, made fraudulent claims. However, he assured that the Fund has enough measures to detect false and fraudulent claims.

Nevertheless, Nichols said most of the Guimarasnons who filed their claims are “honest.” The Fund was satisfied with the data they provided.

The Fund hopes to finish releasing the checks by next month. Currently, it is processing 60 claims per hour. “We want to pay all of them by the end of January,” said Nichols.

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Yep, IOPCF can’t pay for the psychological impact of the oil spill. This is why lawyers should now be brought in to file the necessary lawsuits against the perpetrators, Petron and Sunshine Maritime Development Corp., owner of the sunken Solar I vessel. A class suit is definitely called for.

Guimaras leaders protest unfinished cleanup by Petron

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer, Dec. 29, 2006

ILOILO CITY—Church groups and residents of villages that suffered from the Petron oil spill have called for a boycott of Petron products until the oil firm completes the cleanup of areas contaminated by the oil sludge.

The groups, led by the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) of the St. Vincent Ferrer in Nueva Valencia town in Guimaras, said the cleanup was not complete as claimed by Petron and an inter-agency task force.

“It is painful for us residents of Nueva Valencia to hear such statements knowing that there are still areas which remain to be cleaned,” PPC president Antonio Arnil Chan told the Inquirer in a telephone interview.

Chan said at least 30 percent of the oil sludge that reached the shores of Nueva Valencia town after MT Solar I sank on Aug. 11 remains unclean. Nueva Valencia is the worst hit of the five towns of Guimaras.

Chan said that in the island-village of Guiwanon, 220 sacks of oil-contaminated debris that were collected by clean-up teams have not been removed. The debris was supposed to be transported by barges to the Holcim Cement Plant in Lugait town in Misamis Oriental.

But a boycott of Petron will be counter productive because this will not hasten the cleanup, said Carlos Tan, Petron’s spokesperson on the oil spill.

Tan, reached by phone yesterday, also said it would be “impossible to remove the oil 100 percent” even as he insisted that they have cleaned up 180 km of coastline in Guimaras.

He said Petron would continue the cleanup if the Department of Environment and Natural Resources will certify that there are areas that still need cleaning. He said teams have already collected 6,000 metric tons of debris.

Petron, the regional inter-agency task force Solar I Oil Spill and the National Disaster Coordinating Council earlier said that the physical cleanup, especially of the shoreline, has been completed.

Petron hired around 1,000 residents for P300 per day in the cleanup operations. But work stopped months ago because the oil firm said it was already completed.

The residents who were earlier evacuated for health and safety risks have also been allowed to return to their homes.

The efforts of agencies have been shifted to rehabilitation because of this assessment.

But Chan said the government and Petron should stop issuing “irresponsible statements.”

In a manifesto issued in Guimaras yesterday, the Church group, along with environmental groups and residents, demanded the total cleanup of the areas by Petron.

“Petron is running away from its obligations of totally cleaning Guimaras. A huge volume of oil is still buried in the shores of Barangays San Roque, Lucmayan, San Antonio, Tando, Lapaz, Cabalagnan and Guiwanon with patches of mangroves already dying in said areas,” the manifesto said.

The groups said that Petron should be held accountable for “their own negligence in ensuring seaworthy contracted carriers.”

Equipment being readied to offload oil from Solar 1

By Ronilo Ladrido Pamonag
The Philippine Star 12/29/2006

ILOILO CITY — An Italian firm is fabricating equipment to be used in offloading the remaining bunker fuel in the sunken tanker Solar 1 starting February next year.

The company, Sonsub, has been contracted to offload the oil from Solar 1, which sank off the coast of Guimaras last Aug. 11, triggering the country’s worst oil spill.

The 10 cargo holds of the sunken tanker are believed still containing over a million liters of oil. Petron had chartered the vessel to transport two million liters of oil to Zamboanga.

“They (Sonsub) are still fabricating equipment they would be using to offload the oil, and are waiting for the amihan season to end,” Petron spokesman Carlos Tan told The STAR yesterday.

Seas are usually rough during the amihan season. Marine experts said offloading oil is a delicate operation requiring fair sea conditions.

“The offloading operation is expected to begin middle of February next year. It will last for about 20 days. So far, there has been no change in the timetable,” Tan said.

“Sonsub is also talking to local tugboat operators for their services. As far as I know, Sonsub will be bringing only one of its ships from Singapore for the offloading. Then they will tap the services of local tugboat operators,” he added.

The Protection and Indemnity Club is footing the bill for the offloading operation, Tan said. But if the actual expenses exceed $6 million, the International Oil Pollution Compensation would shoulder the excess, he said.

Meanwhile, Tan clarified that Petron never claimed that the oil spill-affected areas have been fully cleaned up, saying it is up to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to make such a declaration.

He, however, said they are willing to conduct another round of cleanup operations if the DENR is not satisfied.

“If the DENR says, ‘Petron, this area is not thoroughly clean,’ then we would be willing to go back and clean it all over again,” he said.

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Gee Caloy, you got scooped again by your own company’s press release huh? Try reading it on your Ligtas Guimaras site. Okay, since I’m feeling generous this Christmas, I’ll lend you a hand. Read your company’s mind-boggling cleanup claim right here.

https://sludge.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/petron-says-100-cleanup.pdf

Shell surges ahead as Petron dallies

BIZLINKS By Rey Gamboa
The Philippine Star 12/29/2006

THE usually media-shy Shell was in the midst of a flurry of press releases during the past week. The press item on the IPO was a non-event as it did not state anything new but was merely a reiteration of earlier statements that the eventual IPO of local Shell shares would depend on the results of studies about the refinery. This ongoing study has been Shell’s main excuse for the past two years.

What caught my eye and interest, however, was the press report that Pilipinas Shell has commissioned the Philippines’ first double-hulled tanker (Philippine Star, Dec. 15, 2006). The blessing and commissioning of M/T Petro Cara, a vessel owned by Transoil Corp., made Shell the first oil company to comply with the public clamor to upgrade vessels plying Philippine waters, thereby enhancing safety in sea transport.

I would have thought that Petron, which caused the worst marine disaster in the country by using a vessel that was single-hulled and reportedly not seaworthy, would have been the first to commission double-hulled sea-going petroleum tankers.

Paving the way

Being a former Shell staff, I feel elated that the current crop of Shell managers has finally decided that the company should lead the industry and pave the way towards overhauling its fleet of tankers that bring much-needed oil products to the different islands. Shell country chairman Ed Chua was reported saying that Shell will charter four more double-hulled vessels over the next two years.

In fast-tracking the commissioning of double-hulled oil carriers, I hope that Ed will give priority to the mothballing of the 25-year old single-hull (named Harvest Moon) oil tanker that Shell, I was informed, is still using. Let’s not wait for another Guimaras tragedy, guys.

Kudos to vessel owner Transoil

Hats off, too, to Leonardo “Boy” Leonio, the man behind Transoil Corp., for bringing the shipping company to where other ship owners fear to tread, and for committing a substantial investment that will boost the future of maritime business in the country.

Leonio, an avid golf player who keeps a low profile on his single-digit handicap, made the quiet and aggressive move to acquire the newly built double-hulled vessel while the rest of those in the maritime industry were still mulling on how to respond to increasing public outcry over the frequent sea tragedies.

According to Energy Secretary Lotilla, double-hulled vessels would help prevent the recurrence of an environmental calamity, such as the Guimaras oil spill tragedy last August, since a double hull tanker can withstand rough seas. Furthermore, oil will not leak from its cargo in case the vessel sinks.

So while Shell and Transoil jointly have taken the bold step to bring local maritime facilities up to international standards, Petron continues to dilly-dally. Maybe the lessons of the Guimaras environmental disaster it has caused have not yet sunk deep enough. Or maybe, Petron management feels that the P2 per liter Christmas discount given to its motorists during the holiday period is enough reparation to atone for its “sins.”

Reader lauds another Shell initiative

Another initiative of Shell earned the praise of reader David Palafox Ramos who wrote as follows:

“I read your column today entitled ‘Flying V soars in biofuel field.’ I believe that it is only proper to commend such companies who have worked tirelessly to pursue national economic agendas even if it is against the giants of their industry who seem to be solely motivated by profits.

“You also made special mention of Seaoil and Eastern Petroleum for their own efforts in the same endeavor. In this regard I would like to express the same sentiment towards Shell who seems to be the only one of the big three to take its own initiatives in developing alternative fuels. In fact, I would like to commend Shell for its efforts in making its ethanol-mixed fuel available ahead of any legislation.

“I have been driving on Shell E-10 for some months now since Shell came up with the product. With Shell E-10, I was able to buy a cheaper gasoline than unleaded fuel, and as I have personally proven with my car, provides more mileage than that of fuel sold by Caltex and Petron.

“To Petron, being a government owned company, I say — shame on you for not having an initiative to develop better and cheaper fuel alternatives. You should have been the one looking out for the Filipino driver instead of looking at just profits.”

Corporate social responsibility

THIS year we saw two faces of big corporations exercising corporate social responsibility. The experiences of these two corporations would probably end up as case studies in management and public relations on how and how not to deal with disasters.

The first case is that of Petron and the celebrated sinking of the tanker Solar I off the coast of Guimaras. The tanker was carrying bunker fuel oil owned by Petron.

It is surprising that Petron, one of the country’s largest corporations, was apparently not prepared to handle the public relations/public affairs aspect of the disaster.

It appears that Petron management obtained advice from its lawyers on the public relations aspect of the oil spill disaster. It should have gone to communications experts. This is the only explanation for the baffling public statement issued by Petron officials disclaiming legal responsibility for the damages caused by the oil spill.

Petron’s lawyers must have told the firm’s officials to avoid any public admission of responsibility which could affect expected legal cases that would be filed against the company. Hence the memorable line “we have no legal responsibility” for the disaster which only roused public anger and triggered calls for a boycott of Petron products.

Lawyers should be consulted for legal issues but when it comes to making public statement and handling the media aspect of the disaster, the advice of communications experts should be given more weight.

Communications experts would have probably advised Petron management that the best statement was that the issue of legal responsibility was up to the courts to decide, but that Petron would do everything it could to help the victims and to clean up the areas affected by the oil spill.

Apparently, the lawyers also held sway when the barge carrying the debris from the Guimaras oil spill sank on its way to a cement plant in Mindanao, where the bunker fuel-soaked materials would be used as fuel.

Again, Petron officials were quick to deny any legal responsibility for possible damages. They also hastily said that the barge and its contents did not pose any threat to nearby areas.

All in all, the perception created by what appears to be a mishandling of Petron of the public relations aspect of the Guimaras oil spill was to make the company appear irresponsible and unwilling to take care of its obligations. The message conveyed was that Petron is not a good corporate citizen.

True, Petron spent hundreds of millions for the cleanup and assistance to the citizens of Guimaras affected by the spill. The perception, however, that it did less than what was expected, remains.

Perception is the reality as far as the public is concerned. People act and think according to their perception even when this is different from how things really are. As it is, it might take some time and effort for Petron to regain its image as a responsible corporate citizen.

Contrast Petron’s reaction to the Guimaras oil spill to the way ABS-CBN handled the “Wowowee” stampede where 71 people died and scores were injured.

The pivotal move that turned public opinion in favor of ABS-CBN was the decision of the network’s chief executive Gabby Lopez to go on television acknowledging responsibility for what happened. Lopez also pledged to do everything that it could to help the victims.

ABS-CBN backed up Lopez’s words with action. Through the ABS-CBN Foundation, and even corporate funds, the company took care of the hospitalization of people injured in the stampede. It covered the burial expenses of those who died.

And it did more. To provide long-term assistance to the families of those who died in the Ultra stampede, ABS-CBN put up the 71 Dreams Foundations Inc. The foundation aimed to make a partnership with the beneficiaries and make them self-sufficient with a sense of autonomy and freedom.

The biggest challenge to the foundation is the fact that the majority of those who died in the stampede were the main providers and the more productive members of their families. Most of the family members left behind have been dependent on them and were unemployed.

The name chosen for the foundation is appropriate. Those who died in the stampede all had dreams for their families and were clutching at the chance that they would win one of the major prizes in the big “Wowowee” anniversary extravaganza. They dreamed that the prizes could turn their lives around.

Of the 71 who died, one was a child, three were male adults and 67 were female adults. Many of those who died were elderly. In fact, 46 of those who died were aged 50 and above. Two were over 71 years old.

Their families are now enjoying the fulfillment of the dreams of the 71 who died. Those they have left behind have been given education, livelihood and employment assistance by the foundation.

The foundation currently supports 81 scholars. It has completed livelihood training course for 29 “partners” and 26 families have received livelihood assistance, mostly sari-sari stores with bigasan. Other livelihood projects supported by the foundation range from cellphone repair to buy and sell of charcoal to peanut vending.

The foundation, which is headed by Fr. Carmelo Caluag, is in constant touch with the families of the victims of the Ultra stampede. Last Christmas, all 71 families were given a noche buena package. Family gifts were also given to selected families based on expressed/identified need of the family.

The handling of ABS-CBN of the Ultra stampede tragedy is a perfect example of corporate social responsibility. We can only wish that other corporations involved in similar situations would do the same. (Manila Standard Today, Dec. 29, 2006)

1,158 killed, 891 missing in ’06 disasters – NDCC

AT least 1,158 people died, 3,235 were injured, 11.193 million displaced and 891 still unaccounted for in the series of natural disasters that hit the Philippines in 2006.

In its yearend report, the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said Thursday that the disasters included the Southern Leyte landslide and the series of typhoons that hit Bicol.

The NDCC said the disasters affected 2.38 million families or 11.193 million persons, and displaced some 678,000 families or 3.398 million persons.

Disasters in 2006 also damaged 820,126 houses and cost P19.989 billion in damage to agriculture and infrastructure.

Much of the damage to life and property was due to typhoons that lashed the country in the last quarter of the year.

In September, typhoon “Milenyo” crashed into seven regions, 17 provinces and more than 2,000 barangays (villages), destroying 42,000 houses and displacing some 36,000 families.

At least 76 were confirmed dead, 81 injured and 69 missing in Metro Manila, Northern and Southern Luzon, Bicol and parts of the Visayas.

Barely had Bicol and Southern Luzon recovered from “Milenyo” when “Reming” pounded several provinces in the region, killing more than 570 and injuring 82, and causing P1.266 billion in damage to property.

This was aside from more than 500 residents near Mayon Volcano who were killed after rains from “Reming” loosened debris on the volcano and sent it downward, burying entire villages in the process.

After several weeks of searching, local authorities added more than 500 missing persons to the list of fatalities when they gave up search-and-rescue operations.

“Seniang” was the last destructive storm to pass through Philippine territory, killing more than 20 persons.

In the Southern Leyte landslide, 3,850 families or 18,862 persons were displaced, 154 killed, 30 injured and 968 still deemed missing to this day. Damage to property was estimated at P114.8 million.

In Bicol, Mayon and Bulusan volcanoes erupted and displaced nearly 10,000 families or 46,000 people.

Mayon’s eruptions displaced 9,557 families or 44,779 persons while Bulusan displaced 414 families or 2,027 persons.

In the Visayas, the August 11 sinking of the tanker “Solar I” caused an oil spill that affected seven towns and 58 villages in Guimaras and Iloilo provinces in Western Visayas.

Some 7,870 families or 39,004 persons were affected and at least 71 families were forced to flee their homes.

Despite compensation and rehabilitation efforts, at least 38 villages are still threatened, including 16 in Iloilo, 21 in Negros Occidental and one in Cebu. –GMANews.TV, Dec. 28, 2006

The inconvenient truths

Coast to Coast
By JA dela Cruz
BusinessMirror, Dec. 28, 2006

“AN Inconvenient Truth” is the global warming slide show of former US Vice President and internationally recognized environmental advocate Al Gore which was released worldwide several weeks before Christmas.

The way it looks, Gore’s show as this documentary has come to be known, could also be the precursor of a global trend toward public recognition and, more importantly, concerted action meant to address a number of critical issues which have heretofore been derided and swept aside as “bleeding heart concerns.”

This is not to suggest that such concerns have never before been brought to the fore with the same fervor and star action as this one. The worldwide AIDS and antipoverty campaigns, to name just two, have been replete and continue to be promoted with similar fervor and injunctions.

So it must have come as a pleasant surprise to Gore himself that the show’s reception has been nothing short of extraordinary turning out to be this year’s highest-grossing documentary and the third top grosser of all time. Which only goes to show that the public remains as appreciative and concerned about the increasing number of “inconvenient truths” which we, as a community, have to address to make our lives a little better and our world a better place to leave behind for the generations yet to come.

By the way, the trade in “blood diamonds,” another “inconvenient truth,” has spawned an equally hit movie starring an equally activist Leonardo di Caprio, and if we go by the reviews, the latest movie of another Hollywood icon, Mel Gibson, Apocalypto, is one among a number of top-ranked “ethnic cleansing” films which have come our way since a few years back.

What are we looking at here?

Well, we are looking at these examples as possibly the best way to bring home to the Filipino public yet again a number of “inconvenient truths” which have been conveniently swept under the rug or overtaken by events, as it were, but have to be addressed before we reap the whirlwinds, so to speak.

The matter of fires in public places and elsewhere, for example, which could have been avoided or mitigated but for a number of convenient reasons by those who should have known better.

Take the Ormoc Christmas day blaze which claimed the lives of 25 shoppers and gutted millions of pesos worth of property and its twin, the burning to the ground of four buildings within the Cebu provincial capitol compound, to name just two of the more sensational cases.

We are told that the Ormoc fire could have been avoided had the store’s management: a) been stricter with the actions of some shoppers and b) had properly segregated its goods specially the pyrotechnics away from the others.

More importantly, no shoppers could have been killed had the management (again) unlocked its fire exits and the city and its fire department been more responsive and equipped to handle such kinds of accidents. Year in and year out we have had these kinds of findings and prescriptions after every major fire yet we seem to have been deadened to the bones and continue to commit the same mistakes.

This is an inconvenient truth which will haunt us to the very end if we as much as unduly ignore it. I am not sure if we can say the same about the Cebu fire which from all indications was more deliberately done rather than conveniently neglected.

But just the same we have to raise our voices and ask that the public move to insure that avoidable tragedies, such as this, never visit us again. Or, at the very least, the damages, if any, are mitigated and bearable. If that means imposing heavier penalties on building owners, mall operators and the like, so be it. If that means chopping the heads of the negligent officials or putting their asses on the fire, so be it. But we have to face up to this inconvenient truth sooner or else.

The Guimaras oil spill and the continued degradation of our seas and rivers is yet another inconvenient truth which we have to face up to and do something, or else. Lest Petron and its advocates, in and out of government, or for that matter the other oil companies and the known polluters of our seas and rivers, think that all have been forgotten.

They have to be reminded that it is not so. They have to be reminded of the beleaguered state of the barangays and the seas affected by the spill. They have to be told of the board of inquiry’s injunction which has yet to be fully answered. Re-show the Guimaras documentaries all over the place and, if necessary, through the Gore network which we are told is readily available.

Bring the plight of the Misamis oil spill into the open together with the death of the Pasig, the slow decay of Laguna de Bay, Lake Lanao and the other freshwater lakes in this benighted land. If possible, get a crew to document the unmistakable tragedy which has visited our lakes, rivers and seas all of which could have been and will probably be open to remediation if only we touch the hearts and pocketbooks of those who have the most responsibility and the most to answer for our descent into this inconvenient truth of decay and neglect.

Indeed, this season may just be the best time to bring out all the inconvenient truths which have haunted us and will definitely haunt us still as we strive to move on without facing up to them and doing something as a community to mitigate the damage or avoid the same altogether.

May the New Year be one dedicated to freeing us from years of closing our eyes to the inconvenient truths in our midst and finally recognizing the need to face up to our obligations to our and future generations.

Another press release disguised as legitimate news

Petron starts Guimaras rehab projects

By Donnabelle L. Gatdula
The Philippine Star 12/27/2006

PETRON Corp. announced that it has rolled out several projects aimed at rehabilitating eco-systems and providing alternative livelihood programs in Guimaras.

The publicly-listed oil firm said implementation of the projects started after the successful conclusion of its shoreline clean-up in the 2nd week of November.

Petron said Taskforce SOS (Solar 1 Oil Spill), a multi-agency group composed of representatives from local government units, Departments of Health, Environment and Natural Resources, Social Welfare and Development, and the Philippine Coast Guard have inspected the shoreline areas and have declared them clean.

“The completion of our clean-up operations in shoreline areas assigned to us is in line with our commitment to restore Guimaras back to normalcy as soon as possible,” Petron Foundation executive director Malu Erni said.

“With this phase finished, we can now focus our energies on restoring the island back to its original beauty and give livelihood opportunities to Guimarasnons.”

In close cooperation with government institutions such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Trade and Industry, the Guimaras provincial government, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, as well as with the Philippine Business for Social Progress and Splash Foundation, Petron has conducted skills training for alternative livelihood opportunities including the production of resin-based items, parol-making and basic cosmetology.

An initial batch of more than 100 residents from the five towns of Guimaras took part in these initiatives.

The company has also committed to establish mangrove nurseries, fish cages, and a fish buying station in Guimaras. The rehabilitation of sea grass in the area is also included.

In partnership with the Department of Education and Sa Aklat Sisikat Foundation, Petron Foundation introduced two education-related initiatives to fuel hope: the Sa Aklat Sisikat Reading program and Bright Minds Read program. Some 100 principals and teachers in Guimaras took part in these programs with the conviction that educating the children and youth represents the best way to overcome poverty, beginning with learning how to read and instilling the love of reading.

A Petron school will also be put up in Barangay Tando, Nueva Valencia.

Petron also conducted a Wiwag (coined from two German words meaning Business Week) session at the Guimaras State College.

Wiwag uses a computer-aided business simulation game to teach college students how to manage a company by enhancing their understanding of the functions and interrelations of finance, economics, human resources, research and development, production, marketing and CSR while fostering teamwork and harnessing individual creativity.

“Through our educational programs we aim to fuel hope among our youth by giving them the proper tools essential to succeed in life. We believe that education is a catalyst for lasting and meaningful change,” Erni said.

Petron also co-sponsored a two-day science conference in Iloilo wherein the country’s top environmental experts joined hands to provide a science-based, realistic and sustainable roadmap towards the rehabilitation of Guimaras.

Petron officials likewise participated in the breakout sessions and workshops on technical, medical, legal, socio-economic and health, safety and environment aspects.

“Looking beyond the bend, we hope to use the findings in the conference to add to the body of knowledge regarding oil spill effects on the eco-system and the appropriate responses; advise the decision-makers in government; and more importantly, implement them as soon as possible for the betterment of Guimaras,” Erni said.

Nueva Valencia town leads call for justice, boycott of Petron products

By Erly C. Garcia and Florence F. Hibionada
The News Today, Dec. 27, 2006

JUST as Petron Corp. declared the oil-spill affected areas in Guimaras already 100-percent clean, a people’s manifesto calling for justice for oil spill-affected fisherfolk and a boycott of the oil firm’s products will be launched anew on Thursday, December 28.

The move will be spearheaded by the Parish Pastoral Council (PPC) of the Parish of St. Vincent Ferrer in Nueva Valencia, the town considered as hardest hit by the oil spill.

Records show that the town of Nueva Valencia has the most number of barangays, at 11, affected by the oil spill, rendering 12,600 persons jobless.

In a press statement, Tony Chan, president of PPC, said the people’s manifesto will be launched at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday at the Church Convent.

An advance copy of the people’s manifesto furnished The News Today debunked Petron’s earlier claim that Guimaras is already clean of the oil sludge.

It said, “Almost five months after the August 11, 2006 Petron/MT Solar 1 Oil Spill, bunker oil still pollutes our shores and mangrove areas, devastates our sources of livelihood, and exposes us to the long-term effects of carcinogenic and other highly toxic compounds.”

The people’s manifesto claimed that a huge volume of oil is still buried in the shores of barangays “San Roque, Lucmayan, San Antonio, Tando, Lapaz, Cabalagnan and Guiwanon with patches of mangroves already dying in said areas.”

“We cannot tolerate the lies of Petron: that our shores is now 100% clean, that they are not accountable of their own negligence in ensuring seaworthy contracted carriers, that the bunker fuel is not volatile and toxic; that the spraying of dispersants is not harmful; and that there is no danger of implosion of the sunken oil tanker. Petron’s denial of responsibility and portraying Good Samaritan in this tragedy is gross deception and condemnable,” the manifesto added.

The manifesto also declared a boycott of all Petron products and called on “our fellow citizens to join us in this worthy cause until (justice is served)!”

The manifesto also made the following demands: (1) That government should execute punitive actions and enforce regulations and policies to compel liability of all those responsible for the tragedy; (2) That PETRON should be fully accountable and must make a thorough clean up of the oil sludge in a manner acceptable not only to the ‘world of science’ but most importantly to the affected people of Guimaras and nearby provinces; (3) That IOPC Fund must provide just compensation to the victims and immediately release the funds in the Province of Guimaras; and (4) That the remaining bunker fuel in the MT Solar 1 must be retrieved immediately.

Nueva Valencia residents affected by the oil spill have not yet received their compensation from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF).

IOPCF started releasing checks to fisherfolk-claimants from San Lorenzo, Jordan and Sibunag last week. Those in Nueva Valencia, however, have yet to receive their compensation due to the delayed submission of the claimants’ papers.

The distribution of oil-spill compensation checks resumed today and will continue tomorrow despite an unresolved squabble among top Guimaras politicians. With 11,500 claimants on its list, the IOPCF continued distributing the checks in Iloilo.

Joe Nichols, IOPCF Deputy Director said the checks are ready for release and that the organizing is bent on delivering its promised compensation to the claimants.

Nichols made the statement over Bombo Radyo’s Zona Libre as he called on the claimants to be at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol to receive their checks.

Alongside the controversy ignited by the earlier check distribution that pitted two Guimaras polticians against each other, the IOPCF was also hounded by reported fraudulent claims.

But Nichols said no fraudulent claims were discovered even as he stressed that only legitimate claims will be paid and duly compensated by the organization. As far as the IOPC is concerned, he added, those claimants appearing on the verified list will get their respective checks.

Petron Corp. chartered the oil tanker MT Solar I, owned by Sunshine Maritime Development Corp., which was carrying 2 million liters of bunker oil and sank off Guimaras waters last August 11, 2006.

Coin banks to send displaced Girl Scouts to school

Ma. Diosa Labiste
Inquirer, Dec. 24, 2006

ILOILO CITY— A thousand bamboo coin banks will bring holiday cheer to 98 Girl Scouts and their families affected by the oil spill in Guimaras.

Since October, bamboo coin banks, measuring some 15 inches each in length, have been distributed to 1,800 Girl Scout troops in Iloilo province and city. They are being filled up with coins that, if put all together, will help the Guimaras Girl Scouts stay in school.

Zenaida Mabugat, associate member of the Iloilo Girl Scout Council and former regional social welfare director, said that the fund drive came when they learned that many girl students had stopped or could hardly go to school because their parents had lost their main source of livelihood—fishing.

The oil spill, caused by the Aug. 11 sinking of oil tanker MT Solar I polluted the seas off southern Guimaras. The tanker was carrying carrying 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel oil for Petron Corp. As a result, fish catch dwindled considerably; women and children stayed away from contaminated shellfish.

Without fishing, affected families depended on food given by relief organizations, government and charitable groups as well as the income derived from joining the clean up of oil-smeared beaches. The International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund had started issuing checks to compensate the displaced workers of Guimaras fishing industry.

A study commissioned by the province of Guimaras in October noted a 10-percent decline in school attendance in villages affected by the oil spill.

Mabugat, who is also a consultant in the office of Rafael Coscolluela, the presidential assistant for regional development, said parents had difficulty providing school allowances for their children.

Others parents have continued to give out allowance but they do not know for how long, according to Mabugat.

A week into the oil spill, children in the elementary grades stayed away from school, complaining of dizziness, vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, chest pain, nasal congestion, fever and cough, apparently the effect of toxic fumes, the study said.

Classes were moved to day care centers, churches, chapels or community halls because some elementary schools were near the oil-smothered beaches.

Cynthia Lumampao of the National Economic and Development Authority (Neda) and Helen Villarico-Correa of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), who joined the study, said that they saw a continuing drop in school attendance in the next months and a decrease in enrollment for the next school year. Lumampao said young girls might stop schooling.

“In the coming months, as the fishing industry is not fully back on its feet, we thought it is best to help the Girl Scouts and their families by giving them a little amount for school allowance and teaching them livelihood projects,” Mabugat said.

Endelynn Ortega, the Girl Scout council executive for Iloilo and Guimaras, said the money from the coin banks would be given to Girl Scouts in the island villages of Nauway and Unisan, and Tando located in the mainland.

The coin banks are made from bamboo nodules in Maasin town, Iloilo, in September. Distribution to Girl Scouts, Star Scouts and Twinklers troops began over the weekend in time for Christmas.

Ruth Jarantilla, who heads the Iloilo and Guimaras council, led the appeal for Iloilo Girl Scouts to help their sisters in Guimaras.

Mabugat said aside from giving the Guimaras scouts allowances, the council planned to bring trainers to teach families how to make brooms from coconut midribs and produce herbed vinegars.

She said coconuts abound in the three villages in Guimaras and they could be sources of products to be sold in Iloilo.

Ortega said the scout council’s help was a show of support to Guimaras Governor JC Rahman Nava, who paid for the P35 registration fee of 12,000 Guimaras Girl Scouts at the start of the school year in June.

There are a total of 46,000 Girl Scouts in Iloilo and Guimaras provinces, with the Star Scouts

P28.6M released to oil spill victims

By Maricar M. Calubiran
The News Today,
Dec. 22. 2006

THE International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) has already released P28.6 million out of the total estimated P106,400,000 compensation for the oil spill victims of the island-province of Guimaras. There are already 1,974 fisherfolk who received compensation.

IOPCF Deputy Director/Technical Advisor Joe Nichols said the Fund has already released P21.5 million for 1,338 fisherfolk in San Lorenzo. The Fund has likewise released P7.1 million to 591 oil spill victims in the town of Jordan.

The oil spill compensation was released to the legitimate claimants in checks from the Land Bank of the Philippines. No cash was released to protect the recipients as well as the members of the Fund who are currently in the city. The releasing of checks was held at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol and not at the Guimaras Provincial Capitol.

As of Thursday, the Fund began releasing oil spill compensation for the fisherfolk in the town of Sibunag. No immediate data was available on how many had already received their checks as the process is still on going. There are 1,553 claimants in Sibunag and some P19 million is intended for the oil spill victims. The Fund hopes to finish the releasing of checks for Sibunag next week.

Meanwhile, oil spill victims in Nueva Valencia will have to wait until next year for the release of their compensation. This developed after the local government of Nueva Valencia finally submitted the rectified copies of the compensation forms to the Fund.

Nichols said they again have to go over the forms before the checks are finally issued. There are 5,228 claimants in Nueva Valencia. Some P58 million is being prepared for the oil spill victims. The town of Nueva Valencia was the hardest town hit by the oil spill after MT Solar 1 sank.

The releasing of the checks for Nueva Valencia victims was delayed after the local officials failed to immediately submit the rectified copies of the compensation application forms. The rectified forms and the recipients confirmation on the Fund’s compensation offer are used as basis for the issuance of the checks.

Jurisdiction issues haunt Guimaras-Misamis oil spills

IN MY PACK By Ruth G. Mercado
The Freeman 12/23/2006

JURISDICTION issues haunting the Guimaras-Misamis oil spills may make it easy for culprits to get away unpunished, unscathed and unblemished. Whether in criminal or civil aspects, authorities seem too coy to address the unique nature of the case where jurisdiction is a vital issue.

Described as the worst oil spills and maritime environment disasters ever to have hit the country, not much has been heard from the Guimaras and Misamis oil spills long after these no longer clinched headlines. Investigation has been underway, but nothing has been heard as to whether these merit prosecution or if there are any definitive moves of a legal suit.

Like most cases of marine board inquiries that go through rigmarole of foot-dragging, so have the Guimaras and Misamis oil spills. While justice moves at a snail’s pace, the immeasurable amount of marine life and unearned revenues owing to lost livelihood run with racing speed. The ticking time bomb of bunker oil embedded in the ocean both in Guimaras and Polo Point in Misamis continues to tick. There seems to be no timeline as to when these will be siphoned out if these will be siphoned at all.

On August 9, the MT Solar I left the Port of Bataan in clear weather carrying some two million liters of bunker fuel enroute to Zamboanga. The vessel and its cargo never reached destination as it sank off the coasts of Iloilo on August 11. Two of the Solar I’s 20-man crew perished in the tragedy but so did thousands of marine life in the ensuing oil spill and unearned revenues of resorts where white sands turned into a black carpet of sludge.

As a natural consequence of any probe, a Task Force Guimaras was convened that brought together the agencies of the Coast Guard, maritime, environment and justice department. The Coast Guard also convened its special board of marine inquiry, separate and distinct from the task force. Under Philippine criminal and civil laws and Coast Guard laws, an accident or crime is heard in the place where it happened. But instead of hearing the case in Guimaras, then Coast Guard commandant Arthur Gosingan transferred the hearing of the case in Manila where the special board of inquiry was convened. No explanation was made on the exception other than saying transfer of venue is always at the discretion of the commandant.

In wrapping up its two-week inquiry, Coast Guard’s special board of marine inquiry gave three distinct causes for the sinking including overloading, flooding and shipmaster incompetence. The shipmaster reportedly carried an expired chemical tanker license and failed to exercise due diligence in making the ship seaworthy. The board held five parties liable including the tanker’s shipmaster Captain Norberto Aguro, shipowner Sunshine Maritime, shipper Petron, Marina and the Coast Guard itself. Liability was not specified whether these are criminal, civil or administrative or whether all parties are jointly or solidarily liable for causes of negligence or fortuity.

In its separate inquiry, the justice department immediately pinned the blame on MT Solar I shipmaster Aguro for having sailed without proper documents and in rough weather. The justice department made the conclusion in the absence of proof that the weather bureau issued typhoon signal advisories at the time of the sinking. Dissenting with the Coast Guard’s findings, the justice department cleared Petron of criminal liability.

The problem with maritime, civil and criminal laws in this country is that there are no distinct laws penalizing oil pollution or the regulation of oil tankers. While there is a primary law penalizing oil pollution through Presidential Decree 600, the 1974-issued law is silent on regulation of oil tankers and shipowner and cargo owner liabilities. In the absence of expressed laws regulating the operation of oil tankers, party liability is uncertain, sparing shipowners or cargo owners of liability when it is established that the spill is caused by fortuitous event.

But while the Guimaras case was already infested with loopholes, when in clean-up operations the barge carrying some 60,000 sacks oil debris sank off the coasts of Plaridel in Misamis on Nov. 20 or three months after MT Solar I sank in Guimaras. The oil debris was supposed to have been shipped to Holcim Cement in Zamboanga for treatment and disposal when it sank.

The Coast Guard convened another marine inquiry board this month in Cagayan de Oro where Misamis is under the jurisdiction of the Northern Mindanao command. The Guimaras and Misamis oil spills are practically plagued with the same loopholes. One is the absence of laws regulating oil tankers or vessels transporting hazardous chemicals like industrial oil, bunker fuel or oil debris. Two, both vessels sailed on clear weather. Can it be expected that Harbor Star, owners and operators of barge Ras, will be spared of liability because of the absence of expressed law on regulating transport of hazardous debris or will fortuity be used again as an alibi? Three, oil pollution is a continuing crime and the Guimaras and Misamis oil spills are continuing events, why can’t it be tried in one venue? With what anti-oil pollution laws will Sunshine Maritime or Harbor Star be sued?

Alarmingly as the legal fracas drags on, ugly, toxic bunker fuel and oil debris leak underneath the sea and that ticking time bomb comes with the odyssey of catastrophes.

Where are all the loud-mouth environmental lawyers when you need ’em?!

Oil pollution board issues checks to Guimaras fishers

By Nestor P. Burgos Jr.
Inquirer, Dec. 21, 2006

ILOILO CITY – Four months after a massive oil spill devastated his livelihood, fisherman Eric Gomia, 41, is looking forward to having a new fishing boat.

A Land Bank check amounting to P11,598 and representing compensation from the International Oil Pollution Compensation (IOPC) Fund, would still be short of the estimated P40,000 needed to buy a new boat. But he said the money would be enough for the down payment.

“We could manage. This would be a new start for us,” said Gomia.

Francisco Palacios, 62, a shell gatherer has a check for P4,488, part of which he will use to buy a pair of pants and shirt for Christmas.

Estelita Gumaca, 59, of Naoway Island in Sibunag town in Guimaras Island received P15,546. She plans to use the money to buy new fishing nets and spend part of it to buy spaghetti and bread for her family’s noche buena (Christmas Eve feast).

“It’s not much but it’s better than getting nothing at all,” said Gumaca.

They were among the 400 residents of Sibunag town who received compensation on Thursday for economic losses resulting from the August 11 oil spill. The Solar I oil tanker sank and leaked 300,000 liters of bunker fuel, 13.5 nautical miles southeast off Guimaras Island last August. The tanker was carrying a total of 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel.

The IOPC Fund is giving out checks to Sibunag claimants until Friday at the Iloilo provincial capitol. The fisherfolk received amounts ranging from P4,800 to P32,000.

The claimants signed a one-page agreement acknowledging the receipt of the compensation for economic losses in the fisheries sector from the Solar I sinking. They can cash in the checks within 30 days from the date of the issuance.

The agreement also waived the claimants’ rights to file a case against the owners of Solar I in connection with pollution damage.

IOPC Deputy Director Joe Nichols who supervised the processing and payment said they had released payments to affected residents in the towns of San Lorenzo and Jordan and would release those for Nueva Valencia and Buenavista in January and February, respectively.

“We hope to finish the first round of payments by the first quarter of next year and then proceed to another round of processing and payments for the late claimants,” Nichols told the Inquirer.

The IOPC would pay around US$2.4 million (P118.5 million at P49.375 to $1) for Guimaras claimants in the fishing sector, said Nichols.

The amount represents total compensation for 11,225 claimants in Guimaras including 1,383 in San Lorenzo, 594 in Jordan, 1,553 in Sibunag, 5,228 in Nueva Valencia and 2,467 in Buenavista.

The amount excludes claims in the seaweed industry and fishpond owners, which are still being processed.

Nichols said they had released interim payments to 24 of the 34 claimants in the tourism industry ranging from P1,000 to P250,000.

He said the IOPC would release more payments for resort owners in January upon assessment of resort losses and “until their business gets back on their feet.”

The peak season for tourists in Guimaras is between October and June.

The IOPC will also process and release compensation for affected residents in the towns of Oton, Concepcion and Ajuy in Iloilo after the Guimaras claimants have been paid.

The claimants said the compensation was below the amount they were expecting but they said their claims would take longer to process had they demanded for more.

“We are thankful that we have received this amount even if it is not much,” said 55-year-old Ana Tanaleon.

Before the oil spill, Tanaleon said she could sell six kilos of fish at P80 during a good day but she sold almost nothing at the height of the contamination of the oil sludge in San Isidro village in Sibunag.

The residents said they had returned to fishing but their catch was still not as it was before the oil spill.

The spill affected 5,437 families or 26,740 persons. It has also devastated Guimaras Island’s rich marine life and affected resorts.

Nichols said the planned removal of the remaining fuel from the wreck would proceed in late February next year. The operation is expected to last for 20 days.

The IOPC has signed a contract with a salvage firm for the removal of the remaining cargo from the sunken tanker 640 meters underwater. The operation would cost $6 million to $12 million depending on amount of oil left and the duration of operation, said Nichols.

The IOPC has also submitted a contingency plan to the Coast Guard for pollution control in case anything wrong happens during the operation.

Solar One owner claims bankruptcy

The Philippine Star 12/20/2006

ILOILO CITY–Sunshine Maritime Development Corp., the owner of the sunken tanker M/T Solar One, has been rendered “virtually bankrupt” by the oil spill in Guimaras. As it handed what it says is the “last salary” of the officers and crew of Solar One, SMDC president Clemente Cancio said in a letter dated Dec. 19, “That is why with it is with deep regret and with a heavy heart that this salary for the 15th of December 2006 shall be your last. You all know that the company is virtually bankrupt and non-operational since the sinking incident but the management has done its best to keep you in its payroll for five months. Presently, the company has run out of funds for your salary and other basic operational expenses.” A call was made to the office of the SMDC but it was unanswered.

Petron Corp. chartered Solar One to transport two million litters of bunker fuel to Zamboanga. The ship sank in heavy seas last Aug. 11 off the coast of Guimaras, triggering the country’s worst oil spill. Cleanup and rehabilitation are being conducted at present.

The crew of the sunken tanker are at a quandary over the letter. “We don’t know if we are being terminated or what,” crew member Reynaldo Torio said during a phone interview yesterday. He pointed out that if they’re being terminated, the company should pay them separation pay, but none was paid them except for their salary.

“After the incident, SMDC has yet to pay unpaid wages for Sept. 15 and Nov. 30. Cancio promised in his letter that the unpaid wages once the company receives the proceeds of the hull and machinery insurance from Stronghold Insurance would be paid.

“But we don’t think we’d ever get paid because the company has not been paying its premium,” crew member Reynaldo Torio said, quoting what was told them by SMDC operations officer Ernest Louie Noel. (Ronilo Pamonag)

Guimaras folk deeply scarred by oil spill, rehabilitation still hangs

By Estrella Torres
Reporter, BusinessMirror
Dec. 19, 2006

NUEVA VALENCIA, Guimaras—The trauma of the oil spill has left deep scars in the hearts and minds of the people returning to their villages here more than three months after the disaster took place.

Shirley, 45, lives in the coastal village of Tando, Nueva Valencia, along with her husband and three small children. This village is the hardest hit of the M/T Solar 1 oil spill on August 11.

Her children seem to be happy to be back in their once picturesque playground but the small fishes that abounded in mangroves are gone. Their nipa hut is also splattered with oil debris.

Shirley claims that her husband, a fisherman, could no longer catch the same volume of fish that he used to net before the disaster. “Konti na lang ang huli naming isda at karamihan mahirap maibenta sa palengke (Our catch is fewer now and most of it very difficult to sell),” she said.

President Arroyo ordered the release of P1.2 billion as calamity fund, of which P800 million is intended for the rehabilitation of Guimaras communities.

Evan Anthony Arias, supervising planner of the island province of Guimaras, said the P800 million has not yet been released to the provincial government in the absence of an IRR or implementing rules and regulations for the fund. The IRR would have to come from the national government.

“The P800 million is supposed to be used for the rehabilitation of mangroves and provide assistance to the communities to look for alternative livelihoods, but until now, not a single [centavo] has been released to the provincial government,” Arias said.

Arias has briefed reporters on the development of the rehabilitation of affected families of the oil spill in Guimaras. The briefing is part of the Tourism Recovery Program for Guimaras by the Department of Tourism.

“The oil spill has hit Guimaras where it hurts most as it crippled two of the three economic drivers of the province which are tourism and fishery,” said Arias. He said the province will have to rely heavily on the agriculture sector.

At least 11 of the 16 coastal villages in this town have been affected by the oil spill. Arias said the coastal zones are the most critical areas because they are the center of social and industrial activities.

Arias said the oil spill has long impacted on food production in Guimaras due to the degradation of the marine environment, disruption of food chain and decrease in fishery production.

“The downward cascading effect [on] the marine environment is intensified agriculture and tourism activities that will result [in] increased rate of soil erosion,” said Arias.

He said Petron has stopped the cleanup operations in the affected coastlines and has also stopped the payment of P300 per day to each community member involved in the clean-up.

“But there is enough proof that the oil spill debris remain in the coastlines and mangroves,” said Arias, stressing that the cleanup activities should continue.

There are around 13,000 registered claimants to the Guimaras compensation worth US$2.7 million from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF). At least 21 resort owners have already been paid P396,888. Claimants from Nueva Valencia are expected to get the bulk of the amount, or P60 million.

The relief efforts have also stopped and the poor villagers were left to wait for compensation and making ends meet with the insufficient fish that they catch these days.

Environmentalists and scientists from Worldwide Fund and the University of the Philippines-Visayas are still in a deadlock on the best scientific approach to the cleanup.

The scientific conference conducted by the two groups on November 27-28 in Guimaras were “inconclusive,” said Arias.

He said the only hope left for Guimaras to lessen the damage of the spill is the plan of IOPCF to siphon off the oil remaining in the hold of the sunken M/T Solar 1.

The IOPCF has contracted the Italian company Sonsub to siphon off the oil from the sunken oil tanker that will be conducted from February to March next year.

As hope gets dim for the people of Guimaras, Shirley and her children and the rest of the families living in the affected coastlines remain resilient in their effort to get their lives going in the aftermath of the tragedy.

“Hindi namin iiwan ang dagat, nandito ang ikinabubuhay namin, dito ko rin gustong palakihin ang mga anak ko (We can’t leave the sea, this is where we have livelihoods, this is also where I want to rear my children),” she said.

Execs want poorly maintained vessels banned from Davao Gulf

By Germelina Lacorte
Inquirer, Dec. 19, 2006

DAVAO CITY—Officials here are out to ban poorly maintained vessels from entering the Davao Gulf to protect it from oil spills that could endanger the habitat of one of the most diverse marine lives in Asia.

Councilor Leonardo Avila, chair of the Davao Gulf Management Council (DGMC), said the Davao Gulf Council would strengthen the capability of law enforcers to ensure that only vessels in top conditions are allowed entry into the Davao Gulf to prevent an oil spill like that of Petron’s tanker near Guimaras.

Fishing ground

The gulf, bounded by four provinces, 18 towns and five cities, has been a major fishing ground for close to 20,000 commercial fishermen.

While it is also home to 10 species of whales, marine turtles, whale sharks and other forms of marine life, its being a major route of international and local vessels make it vulnerable to oil spills.

“How can we prevent these things from happening?” asked Mayor Rogelio Antalan of the Island Garden City of Samal.

“Can we ensure that those ships coming here are seaworthy to prevent untoward incidents from happening? Our country has been full of accidents just waiting to happen,” said Antalan, who also sits in the DGMC.

(For the full story, click Banned vessels.)

Conflicting reports on oil spill cleanup

By Erly C. Garcia
The News Today, Dec. 18, 2006

WHILE Guimaras residents affected by the oil spill which occurred four months ago started receiving their compensation claims last week, certain sectors wanted Petron Corp. to return to the oil spill-affected areas to conduct further clean up operations.

Petron, in its Ligtas Guimaras web site, reported that as of the second week of November, it had cleaned 100 percent of affected shorelines, collecting around 6,000 metric tons of debris.

It said the report was validated by the inspections made by Task Force SOS (Solar 1 Oil Spill), a multi-agency group composed of officials from the local government units; the Departments of Health, Environment and Natural Resources, Social Welfare and Development; and the Philippine Coast Guard.

But Vicente Zerrudo, Task Force SOS coordinator, on December 6 informed Guimaras Gov. JC Rahman Nava that there are still traces of bunker oil in five villages of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras that needed to be cleaned up.

Zerrudo identified the five villages as barangays Lapaz, San Roque, Lucmayan, Tando and Cabalagnan. He reported the presence of thick bunker oil under the sand in said areas. He also reported that around 200 sacks of oily debris were abandoned by Petron in Sitio Sumirib, Brgy. Lapaz.

Zerrudo said bunker fuel also becomes vastly visible during low tide in certain areas.

He also noted that barangays Sebario, Igcauayan, Lebas, M. Chavez, Cabano, and Suclaran in San Lorenzo town were not totally cleaned of bunker oil.

In his letter to Gov. Nava, Zerrudo recommended that Petron resume its clean-up operation and concentrate on the areas where mangroves were totally affected.

Petron in its Ligtas Guimaras report said it has excluded mangrove areas in its clean-up operations “since we were advised by experts not to touch these highly sensitive ecosystems.

It said, the DENR, in coordination with the University of the Philippines-Visayas is overseeing the cleanup of the mangrove areas.

Meanwhile, the provincial government of Guimaras reported that it has yet to receive the P800 million financial aid that the national government had committed for its rehabilitation.

Last week, The News Today obtained information that part of funds intended for Guimaras was realigned to aid the typhoon victims in Albay.

Albay was badly devastated by supertyphoon Reming weeks ago.

In a related development, the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) last week initially released some P2 million in compensation to Guimaras fisherfolk affected by the oil spill disaster.

Delay seen in fishers’ oil spill compensation

By Maricar M. Calubiran
The News Today, Dec. 18, 2006

FISHERFOLK from the town of Nueva Valencia, Guimaras affected by the oil spill may meet some delay in receiving their compensation claims from the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF).

An IOPCF official said the municipal officials failed to turn over the rectified copies of their compensation claim forms to the organization.

IOPCF Claims Manager Capt. Patrick Joseph said they have not received the rectified copies of the oil spill claim forms in Nueva Valencia as well as the forms showing the claimants approved the payment offered by their organization. These forms are used by the IOPCF as basis for the issuance of checks to the claimants. The organization wants to make sure that the names written on the checks are correct.

Joseph was reacting to the the clamor of oil spill victims in Nueva Valencia for a faster release of their checks after they found out that the IOPCF has started releasing the compensation of fisherfolk in the municipality of San Lorenzo. The IOPCF has allocated some P22 million for the oil spill victims in San Lorenzo.

There are 1,339 legitimate oil spill compensation claimants in San Lorenzo. The check were released beginning last Thursday and distributed at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. The IOPCF team wanted to finish releasing all oil checks before yearend.

Joseph said they have done their part as far as the processing and releasing of claims. The team has reminded the municipal government of Nueva Valencia to submit the corrected copies of their residents’ claim forms.

Joseph did not specifically name the official they are dealing with in Nueva Valencia. However, it was learned that the claims of the oil spill victims in Nueva Valencia are being handled by Mayor Diosadado Gonzaga and Guimaras Gov. JC Rahman Nava.

Joseph said he has no idea what caused the delay of the submission of these claim forms to the IOPCF. “Politics” has nothing to do with the releasing of the claims of fisherfolks from San Lorenzo, he said.

Oil spill task force still waiting for scientific analysis

ILOILO City – Task Force Solar I Oil Spill (TF SOS) Incident Commander and Presidential Assistant for Western Visayas Rafael Coscolluela said they are still waiting for the results of the scientific analysis conducted in Guimaras before they could issue a Clean Bill of Health certificate.

A sampling test was conducted by experts on sediments and water a month ago. The samples taken in the island were sent to Manila for a laboratory analysis.

“I know we can be a little too technical about this but the sentiment is, without scientific backing, we don’t have a basis for issuing a clean bill of health,” he explained.

“Although as per inspection, all indications showed that we could already issue,” he added.

Coscolluela hopes that within the week or next week, the result will be sent back here in Iloilo City.

He lamented the slow process but he said they have no option because there are no available laboratory facilities in the region to conduct rapid analysis. (Panay News, Dec. 18, 2006)

Petron sales improve despite boycott threat

By DAVID ISRAEL SINAY
Panay News, Dec. 18, 2006

ILOILO City – Notwithstanding the calls to boycott its products due to the oil spill in Guimaras brought about by the sinking of M/T Solar 1 it chartered to carry its 2.1 million liters of bunker fuel, Petron Corp. announced that its retail market share in the Visayas region has in fact improved.

“Our market share is improving on a year-on-year and a month-on-month basis for the Visayas region although it dipped slightly in October,” Public Affairs Officer Raffy Ledesma said, referring to Petron’s Visayas retail market shares report (relative to other oil majors) covering the months of August to October.

Based on the data released by Petron, in August 2006 the oil company had a market share of 42.8 percent compared in August 2005 where it only had a 41.43 percent from its petroleum products sales – Blaze 96+, XCS Plus 95, Xtra UNL 93, RLF Regular, DieselMax, Gasul and lubricants.

On August 21, 10 days after the tanker sunk, several municipal mayors from the coastal towns of Iloilo province met with Gov. Niel Tupas Sr. and agreed to boycott Petron products in their aim to force the oil company to re-float the vessel to prevent further damage it may cause to the environment.

Dumangas Mayor Rolando Distura initiated the attempts because the slick from the ill-fated Solar 1 continues to ravage Guimaras and threatens the coastal towns of Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

Aside from Distura, the mayors from the municipalities of Barotac Nuevo Banate, Ajuy, Concepcion and Carles had concurred with the idea following confirmation that sheens from the sunken vessel already reached their shoreline at that time.

On September 2006, a month after the August oil spill, Petron’s market share even increased by four percent, equivalent to 43.2 percent, from the previous month, Ledesma revealed. Also, a vast increase was observed compared to September last year’s 41.72 percent only.

“We have always strived to give our consumers only world-class quality products and services. Despite this unfortunate incident, out customers continue to trust and patronize the Petron brand,” Petron Public Affairs Manager Virginia Ruivivar said in a statement.

In October this year, the company’s market share reached 42.9 percent while on the same month last year, it has a market share of 41.71 percent.

Ledesma said, “we estimate that oil consumption has dropped by about 10 percent industry-wide versus last year. We saw the bellwether Dubai crude hit at all-time highs in July and August this year.”

—————————————————————————————————
Buti pa ang Petron me improvement sa sales. E ang mga tiga-Guimaras naapekto ng oil spill, me improvement ba ang buhay? Thank you for this most enlightening press release story.

San Lorenzo fishers receive IOPCF compensation

By Maricar M. Calubiran
The News Today, Dec. 15, 2006

FISHERFOLK from the town of San Lorenzo started to receive on Thursday their compensation from the P22-million compensation fund of the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF). In the municipality of San Lorenzo alone, there are 1,339 claimants. They were the first group of fisherfolks to receive oil spill compensation.

As of Thursday afternoon, IOPCF Deputy Director/Technical Advisor Joe Nichols and Capt. Patrick Joseph, IOPCF’s claim manager were able to release about 125 checks to the claimants. The 125 claimants came from barangays M. Chavez and Suclaran.

The exact amount released to the claimants was not yet available at press time as the releasing of the checks continue to be held at the fifth floor of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol. So far, the lowest payment is P6,348 which was received by “shell gatherers.” The highest compensation was P33,888 for those operating fish pens. The releasing of checks to the claimants will continue until December 30.

The checks were received by the claimants who signed on the claims form and were processed by the IOPCF. In the case of Loreta Dalumpines, 70, she was accompanied by her relative as her husband, Roberto, who was the one who applied for the compensation claim, had recently died.

The funds were released after the IOPCF validated all the claims. The checks were then prepared through the Land Bank of the Philippines after the claimants agreed to the compensation offers of the IOPCF. No cash was released to the claimants.

Earlier, 21 resort operators also received compensationfrom the IOPCF. The compensation amounted to P369,888.

Thursday’s release of checks ran smoothly as the claimants had already prepared their identification cards to prove they were the legal claimants. Documentation was properly made by the IOPCF team. The claimants were also photographed as part of the documentation process.

Fishers from barangays Cabano, Libas, Igcawayan and Sibario are also set to receive their compensation The IOPCF will work overtime to release all the checks before yearend.

Yesterday, the claimants were accompanied by San Lorenzo Mayor Arsenio Zambarrano. It was Zambarrano and Rep. Edgar Espinosa who facilitated the claims of the fisherfolks with the IOPCF.

Zambarrano said it is his responsibility to help his constituents. He assured that not even a single centavo would go to his pocket for helping the fishers. The release of compensation, he said, will also counter the allegations made by the group of Atty. Plaridel Nava, provincial legal officer, that they have the exclusive right to process the claims.

Nava was hired by IOPCF to notarize the claims of the fisherfolks. He assisted the fishers yesterday.

The claims of San Lorenzo fishers have already approved and distributed.

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Hmmm…so we now know who to blame for facilitating the extremely minute compensation of the fishers, who have not lost only a few weeks of livelihood, but are now facing reduced incomes from lower fish catch.

Ex-board member, legal officer clash during distribution of compensation claims

By Maricar M. Calubiran
The News Today, Dec. 15, 2006

YESTERODAY’S release of compensation claims for the oil spill victims in the province of Guimaras had several sidelights as an ex-board member of the province and its current legal officer had an altercation, while a moneyed check buyer was on standby to rediscount the checks of the claimants.

Former Guimaras Board member Gerry Yucon and Guimaras Provincial Legal Officer Plaridel Nava almost put on a show yesterday at the ground floor of the Iloilo Provincial Capitol as they yelled at each other over the processing of the compensation claims of fisherfolk from the town of San Lorenzo.

Yucon strongly commented on Nava’s presence in what was supposed to be a “show” for his group along with Cong. Edgar Espinosa and Mayor Arsenio Zambarrano. Yet, Nava was present during the releasing of checks for the San Lorenzo claimants.

The altercation between Yucon and Nava started when Nava said over a television news program months ago that he (Nava) and Gov. Rahman Nava are the only ones authorized by the International Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPCF) to process the claims of the Guimarasnons.

Yucon, Zambarrano and Espinosa belong to the group of former Guimaras governor Emily Lopez, from the Lakas party. While, Nava is aligned with Gov. Nava. Atty. Nava was appointed recently by Gov. Nava to become the provincial legal officer.

Atty. Nava’s presence in yesterday’s activity was not in relation to his work as the provincial legal officer of Guimaras. He was hired by IOPCF to notarize all the claims. Sources said Nava’s contract for San Lorenzo alone cost more than P60,000.

In an interview, Yucon said Nava should have observed “delicadeza” because of his earlier statement against the group of Zambarrano.

Nava was not available for comment as he was busy notarizing the claims though, he had agreed to an interview.

Meanwhile, oil spill claimants had mixed emotions yesterday after they were informed by their peers that a person at the capitol ground was ready to rediscount their checks at three percent off the check’s face value. The person was reportedly carrying some P8 million to cash in the checks of the claimants.

However, the claimants preferred to deposit or their check processed at the Land Bank of the Philippines.

The official party line…

Guimaras now fast recovering, says Palace official

by T. Villavert
Phil. Information Agency

Iloilo City (15 December) – The island province of Guimaras is now fast recovering. This was declared by Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas Rafael L. Coscolluela, December 14, following the announcements that more than P2 million was released by the international Oil Pollution Compensation Fund (IOPC) as payments to some 200 persons affected by the MT Solar I oil spill. Coscolluela said that the IOPC made true their promise to release the checks before Christmas.

“This is the first batch of the claimants from the three oil spill-affected towns of Guimaras province,” he told the local media who made an ocular inspection in coordination with the Task Force Oil Spill in Guimaras, the other day.

It may be recalled that MT Solar I carrying tons of oil sank off Guimaras Strait in August 2006. Massive clean-up operations and several forms of assistance were extended both by the government, private, domestic and international institutions to mitigate the effects of the oil spill to human and marine life.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited the island province on several occasions and directed concerned agencies to seek all the necessary assistance, domestic or international and to extend the necessary relief and livelihood aid to the affected communities.

Coscolluela said that the first batch of the IOPC compensation claims recipients are from the two barangays – Chavez and Suclaran – of San Lorenzo town.

“In the next three days the IOPC will continue releasing the checks for claimants for the other barangays in San Lorenzo,” Coscolluela said. The Presidential Adviser said that the payments to the fishery claimants for the Municipality of San Lorenzo will be conducted during the following dates: December 14- Barangay M.Chavez and Barangay Suclaran; December 15- Barangay Igcawayan and Barangay San Enrique; December 16- Barangay Sebario; and December 17- Barangay Cabano.

He said that Joe Nichols of the IOPC will be staying over during the Christmas holidays to keep processing the claims. Persons who have been affected by the oil spill who were not able to file their claims have still time for filing their claims with the IOPC for up to three years.

(For a dose of reality, click here.)

Shell commissions double-hulled oil tanker

• Offers additional protection against crude spills

By Paul A. Isla
Reporter, BusinessMirror
Dec. 15, 2006

PILIPINAS Shell Petroleum Corp. commissioned one of the country’s first double-hulled oil tankers Thursday, more than a year before crude carriers are required to minimize oil spill risks by installing additional hulls.

In a ceremony at the South Harbor, Shell country chairman Edgar O. Chua and Energy Secretary Raphael P.M. Lotilla witnessed the blessing and commissioning of M/T Petro Cara, one of the first vessels in the country which minimizes the risk of oil spills and pollution during collision and grounding accidents.

Worth $24-million, the newly-constructed chemical tanker is owned by Transoil Corp., managed by Translift Ship Management Inc., and chartered by Shell. The oil company expects to charter four more such ships over the next two years.

“We congratulate Transoil for being a prime move in complying with the internationally accepted standards for transporting heavy grade oils,” said Shell country chairman Edgar O. Chua.

For his part, Lotilla welcomed the commissioning of the tanker, in view of President Arroyo’s directives to cut the double-hull deadline short to 2008. Under an international convention, companies transporting crude and other similar chemicals are required to use double-hulled ships by 2015.

According to Lotilla, this would help prevent the recurrence of the oil spills such as the one which happened in Guimaras last August.

Meanwhile, Chua noted that the archipelagic geography of the Philippines presents a unique operational challenge because of the frequency of waterborne movements of petroleum products.

4 MONTHS AFTER OIL SPILL Still no funds for Guimaras rehabilitation, say officials

By Thea Alberto
INQ7.net, Dec. 14, 2006

GUIMARAS – Four months after the MT Solar I, laden with two million liters of bunker fuel, sank in waters some 10 miles from here, the national government has yet to release funds to rehabilitate areas of the province devastated by the resulting oil spill.

Governor JC Rahman Nava told INQ7.net that the P1.2-billion budget for restoration work promised by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ” was already approved in the Senate last October but we still have to receive it.”

During a visit here following the oil spill, Arroyo declared a national calamity and promised support for restoration efforts.

Evan Arias, Guimaras officer for plans and programs, said the lack of funds has prevented the province from recovering from what many quarters have described as the “worst oil spill” in the country.

The spill affected nearly 20 barangays (villages) in the towns of Nueva Valencia and Sibunag and forced the evacuation of more than a thousand residents, Guimaras provincial government records showed.

Arias also noted that the Solar I is still under water and will most likely continue leaking oil.

Despite the arrival of local and international experts here, there are still no concrete plans about what to do with the sunken tanker, although officials say siphoning the remaining fuel remains the best option.

Arias lamented that the delay in rehabilitation efforts has deprived Guimaras residents, whose livelihood is mainly fishing, is a living but also continues the province’s ecosystem.

“The bunker oil has seeped almost 30 centimeters into the sea sediment,” said Arias, noting that ” the government can handle a landslide but not [an] oil spill.”

Although the University of the Philippines- Visayas has been tasked to conduct a research on the spill, the school cannot immediately provide research conclusions because a lot of studies have still to be done, Arias said.

– Also read Mla Standard Today, Dec. 15, 2006

Gov’t eyes declaration of Tubbataha as sensitive sea area

By Sheila Crisostomo
The Philippine Star 12/15/2006

PUERTO PRINCESA, Palawan — The Philippine government is preparing a request to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) to designate the entire archipelago as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) to protect the country’s rich and vast marine resources.

This came at the heels of three environmental disasters, including the Guimaras oil spill, which was considered the largest oil spill in Philippine history.

Speaking here before participants to the conference called Conservation Through Collaboration, Ambassador Alberto Encomienda, secretary general of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA)-Maritime and Ocean Affairs Center (MOAC), said the declaration of the Philippines as a PSSA is apt to protect its interests as a “maritime state.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Pilar Juliana “Pia” Cayetano sought yesterday the declaration of 18 biodiversity “hotspots” across the country as protected areas, including the famed Tubbataha Reef National Park in Palawan, to the lesser known Sinarapan Lake Sanctuary in Camarines Sur which hosts the world’s smallest fish, known to local townsfolk as the “sinarapan.”

By declaring each of these 18 landscapes and seascapes as “protected areas,” the government would be able to set up the mechanism needed to protect each one’s biodiversity against destructive human exploitation like logging and poaching,” said Cayetano, who chairs the Senate committee on environment and natural resources.

A policy paper prepared by the DFA-MOAC entitled “Proposal for the Designation of the Philippines Archipelago as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area” is currently awaiting endorsement from the Office of the President. It would be submitted to the IMO for approval.

“A PSSA designation is among a number of available measures to preserve and protect the marine environment, as well as conserve and manage living resources that are already being resorted to by the IMO,” Encomienda said.

“It is already an established modality for providing protection to delicate or vulnerable sea areas, especially from shipping activities, and expanding the scope of marine environmental protection measures even beyond national jurisdictions,” he added.

Encomienda raised the issue during the two-day national conference here sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and its National Commission of the Philippines Committees on Culture, Science and Technology.

The national conference is aimed at stepping up efforts to improve management of the Tubbataha Reefs and Greater Sulu Sea, which is a UNESCO World Heritage and Ramsar Convention of Wetlands of International Importance site, and a major fishing ground vital to Filipinos.

“PSSA as a progressive concept is most appropriate and must be harnessed in protecting and promoting the vital national interests of the Philippines,” Encomienda said.

According to the WWF-Philippines, PSSAs are areas of the seas and oceans that need special protection through action by the IMO because of their ecological, economic, cultural, or scientific significance, and their vulnerability to harmful impacts of shipping activities.

WWF-Philippines said that valuable ecosystems such as coral reefs, coastal wetlands, and important habitats could benefit from PSSAs while it is also important for migrating birds, sea turtles, whales or other marine species, as well as feeding grounds for valuable fish stocks.

Moreover, the WWF-Philippines said that PSSAs could benefit “marine areas of ability” in coastal nations, so they could impose and enforce their own environmental and navigation regulations on foreign ships passing through their waters.

“Within their 12-mile territorial waters, coastal nations may not ‘impair’ a foreign ship’s right of innocent passage. Beyond the territorial seas, in the Exclusive Economic Zone or equivalent extending out to 200 miles from the shore, coastal states can only adopt regulations that have been previously approved by the IMO,” explained the WWF-Philippines paper released to media during the conference.

“As such, international regulations are generally meant to apply to all ships everywhere they go. Thus, it can be difficult to protect discrete areas of the marine environment that are particularly sensitive.” — With Christina Mendez