What has Petron done about the oil spill?

The problem has caught national attention. I, for one, am just one of the thousands of concerned Filipinos closely following the developments here. Since it seemed that it was unusually quiet from the Petron side, I decided to seek them out instead of relying on news items which could go one way or the other and not necessarily a hundred percent accurate. I was fortunate enough to have visited Guimaras Island pre-oil spill (thanks to Isuzu Philippines), and it was an idyllic, serene island, quiet, free from industrial pollution. I am one with the Guimaras folks in hoping for a quick end to their present misery.

Anyway, I wanted to learn first hand from those in the know in the Petron offices and learned quite a few relevant things from them. They commissioned the M/T Solar 1 to bring in their supply of oil, exactly 2.19 million liters or 2,064 tons. While some quarters insinuated that the vessel may have been overloaded with this, Petron informed us that the particular load was well within the vessel’s capacity since it was built to carry as much as 2.24 million liters or 2,128 metric tons. What they loaded then was 2,064 metric tons.

As to the vessel itself, Petron says that, as part of their responsible corporate citizenry, they checked out the M/T Solar 1’s seaworthiness before engaging their services. The M/T Solar 1, they said, has been classed by the Bureau Veritas (the international organization tasked with this) and properly insured for protection and indemnity. It is, in fact, covered by a certificate of inspection by the MARINA. They verified the vessel’s insurance and have found it to be valid.

The strong winds that buffeted the islands started as early as Aug. 10, when the vessel sought shelter between the islands of Panay and Guimaras, but when the weather cleared a little and the waves simmered down, they left the shelter and proceeded with their journey the following day. What happened next, of course, is history, especially for the people of Guimaras.

Anyway, the Petron executives apparently started mobilizing their resources as soon as they got wind of the incident as early as Aug. 12. After assessing the situation through an aerial survey, they deployed their equipment and mobilized their response team. According to them, they have four oil spill response teams. As one of the biggest oil player in the land, they of course realize that accidents such as this can happen at any time.

Anyway, their response was in the form of equipment and technical experts – oil spill booms, sorbent pads, oil skimmers, tugboats, dispersants, etc. Their own technical experts, plus other consultants and professional advise from other major oil players who presumably may have had the unfortunate experience similar to this in the past, have been tasked, not only to contain the oil spill containment but take the necessary steps for recovery after containing the oil spill.

Meanwhile, they have also mobilized the local communities to clean up the shoreline in Nueva Valencia, offering the necessary logistics for it.

In the immediate week that followed, they have reportedly covered 12 kilometers of shoreline with the help of these local communities and have collected 60 metric tons of debris. I know there is still so much more to cover, and the figures keep increasing every day, as is the nature of oil spills. At this rate, however, they expect to be able to complete the cleanup within 30 to 45 working days. As to the health concerns of the cleanup workers, they volunteered the information that the local folks are properly equipped with the basic tools for clean-up such as gloves, boots, face masks, etc.

I am sincerely concerned about the short- and long-term effects of this oil spill. Right now, they feel that the leakage from the vessel has finally stopped, though this would not be easy to determine as accurately as possible. That is why they contracted qualified service providers to accurately assess the situation. One such service provider whose services they have engaged is Fukada Salvage and Marine Works Co. Ltd. to undertake deep-sea underwater inspection and salvage operations. The cargo is under 640 meters of water, and retrieving this precious cargo that far under can be quite tricky.

Now comes the problem of where to dump all the garbage they have salvaged from the shorelines. Storing these on their land might also create future problems. Petron informs us that they are tapping the experts from UP Visayas, Siliman University and the World Wildlife Fund to advise them on the proper rehabilitation of these areas. Meanwhile, they are coordinating with the local government in the proper storage of this debris as well as the proper design of the disposal site.

In closing, the Petron people assured us of their genuine concern for those affected by the oil spill accident. There are damaged fishponds, seaweed farms, etc., not to mention the polluted waters around the islands. They are still assessing the damage inflicted on these livelihood ventures and have, in fact, sought the assistance of professional environmental experts from the World Wildlife Fund and other universities to address this. They are also looking into feasible alternative livelihood for these communities.

Meanwhile, while awaiting the financial response from the vessel owners and their insurers, the people of Petron are quick to say that they will extend all possible assistance to the province of Guimaras.

By gosh! They should have spoken out earlier and spared us all the anxiety from the uncertainties of this terrible accident. Much is left to be done, and undone. Let’s hope for the best for the people of Guimaras.

ARESCOM non-stop forward

Reservists from the Gamay Group under Col. Joseph R. Galam (GSC) PA conducted another medical/dental mission at Binakayan Nat’l High School in Kawit, Cavite. This mission was preceded by a street clean-up drive conducted by ROTC cadets who started at 7 a.m. and ended at 4 p.m. More than 600 patients were treated in the medical/dental mission. Medicines were also given away free to indigent patients. Coordinating the affair with Mayor Poblete of Kawit was Col. Galam himself together with Lt. Col. Roberto G. Gamboa and Maj. Lee N. Licup, under the leadership of AFP Arescom Commanding Gen. Emmanuel S. Cayton.

Meanwhile, Aug. 20 was another happy day for 125 reservists who graduated from a 2-month training course in Camp Riego de Dios in Tanza, Cavite as part of ARESCOMís thrust to develop and improve the reservistsí know-how in the areas of security, etc. Guest speaker was Col. Quirino S. Calonzo Cav (GSC) PA. Col. Joseph Galam served as the training officer of the graduating class. Col. Roberto G. Gamboa and Maj. Lee N. Licup were given recognition for their continuous support of the reservist development, as were Dr. Cora D. Pasamba and Dr. Rolando G. Halili for providing medical and dental services to the indigent patients as part of ARESCOMís worthy projects.

Mabuhay! Be proud to be a Filipino.

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