To contain oil spill, Labella: Use indigenous materials

CEBU, Philippines - While waiting for a more technical cure for the oil spill from passenger ship that sank Friday night affecting Cordova  town as well as the cities of Lapu-Lapu and Talisay, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella pitched in a temporary, less costly mitigating measure.

According to Labella, actually helpful in containing oil in seas are human hair, chicken feathers, coconut and corn husks, cogon leaves and other indigenous materials.

“These could absorb oil. Also, it is not harmful to the environment. I presented this idea before the coordination meeting with Governor Junjun Davide and key agencies and they agreed to do it,” the vice mayor said.

The public can contribute to preventing further damage from the oil spill by donating directly to badly-hit municipality of Cordova or through the City of Cebu. These indigenous materials have to be enclosed on stockings or net to keep them intact. Concerned public could also donate stockings and net, Labella added.

The same natural mitigating measure was applied in Guimaras island when it experienced a massive oil spill of 30,000 liters in 2006.

Labella is especially concerned with the recent tragedy that hit Cebu being a survivor of a sunken ship himself.

Then city councilor, he boarded from Manila Princess of the Orient on September 18, 1998 with his wife, Joy, when their flight to Cebu was cancelled due to unpleasant weather condition.

While his wife was immediately rescued, Labella floated for over 30 hours before miraculously found off Ternate, Cavite.

He attributed his strong faith to God as the cure to his trauma saying he never stopped taking boat rides but stressed the need to improve this mode of transportation being the most used in this archipelago.

Meanwhile, 2GO has hired Malayan Towage & Salvage  Corporation  to contain the spread of oil from the sunken ship.

Malayan marine superintendent Engr. Noel Kimmayong said the spilt oil, already reaching Plantation Bay resort in Lapu-Lapu City, has an approximate volume of 25,000 liters.

As identified by coast guard, three barangays in Cordova  town are the priority for cleanup namely; Gabi, Day-as, and Catarman.

As authorities are still getting laboratory tests on the oil and grease content of affected soil and water, 2GO and Malayan could not provide for a target time frame.

Kimmayong assured that the dispersing chemicals used to reduce the harmful effects of oil are certified eco-friendly and duly approved by the Philippine Coast Guard.

As presented during yesterday's command conference at the city hall, 2GO is also tapping four Japanese technical divers and another Japanese salvage master. — (FREEMAN)