Manila asked to amend Pandacan ordinance

Petron Corp. urged the city government of Manila to repeal or amend Ordinance 8027 and allow the continued operations of the Pandacan terminal.

The company pointed out that instead of implementing an ordinance that would abruptly close the facility, the city council should consider the advantages of sealed down operations as a "win-win" formula to resolve the controversy.

At the same time, Petron cited the Manila city council for taking a second look at the issues and exploring all options, including possible amendments to Ordinance 8027, even as the city government had adopted a resolution setting April 30, 2003 as the deadline for the removal of the Pandacan depot.

"While we recognize the efforts of the City of Manila to ensure the safety and security of Pandacan residents, it must be balanced with the need for a reliable and uninterrupted petroleum supply for the country," Petron said in a position paper presented to Mayor Lito Atienza and the city council led by Vice Mayor Danilo Lacuna.

Ordinance 8027 would reclassify the area of the oil depots from an industrial to commercial zone, effectively closing down the Pandacan terminals.

The city government and the Big Three in the local industry – Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell and Caltex Philippines – have been at a standoff on the issue, with the oil companies insisting that a scaled down facility would be the more logical solution to the problem.

"We believe that the scale down of the facilities is the long-term and permanent’ solution for the continued stay of the Pandacan Terminals," Petron spokesperson Virginia Ruivivar stressed.

A resolution adopted earlier by the city council gave the three oil companies a grace period of up to April 30, 2003 to stay in Pandacan, claiming that their continued stay in the area pose a security threat to the surrounding communities.

Taking exception to the allegation, the oil companies pointed out that the terminals have been operating for more than 80 years now with no major incident "because safety is a paramount concern for all of us."

"The safety and environmental standards applied to the terminals far exceed international standards, Ruivivar said, adding that the perceived dangers were exaggerated.