Cebu City shores clear of oil

CEBU, Philippines - The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and Cebu City Bantay Dagat yesterday denied reports that the oil spill from the sunken MV Saint Thomas Aquinas already reached the shores of Cebu City.

Bantay Dagat Commission director retired Colonel Arnulfo Sebusa said that they have been closely monitoring the shores of Cebu City and so far have not detected oil reaching the area.

“No, the report is not true. We have mentioned last week that six barangays are threatened but we have already installed oil spill booms in those areas,” said Sebusa.

This was also reiterated by the PCG Cebu during the command conference at the office of Mayor Michael Rama.

PCG Cebu Station Commander Weniel Azcuna said that as far as their monitoring is concerned, the oil has not reached the shores of Cebu City.

Both offices have pointed out that constant monitoring is being done to take note of the sea current which could take the oil from sunken passenger vessel off Lauis Ledge in Talisay City.

Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office operations officer Alvin Santillana also clarified that while the oil has not reached the city’s shores, the city government  is doing its best to protect the waterways.

“Our effort now is focused on protecting our waterways. We have set up oil spill booms along our coastal barangays. We are prepared just in case it happens. But it has not reached our shores as per our constant monitoring,” Santillana said.

Over the past weeks, fisher folks have been volunteering to create oil spill booms made of coconut husks. But Santillana said the volunteers have stopped participating in their operations to also earn a living to feed their families.

“We have the materials, but sad to say the volunteers at Bantay Dagat office kay nangaluya na. The fisherfolks withdrew. We need 20 people daily,” he said.

With this, Rama suggested tapping organic city hall employees to help in the continuing efforts to make oil spill booms just in case more need to be installed.

Further, Santillana reported that they have noted that some floaters have been removed causing the booms to submerge.

“We notice that the floaters get removed. We suspect that this is either intentionally removed by nearby community settlers or being dragged off fishing boats that pass through the area. With this, we will redesign it in such a way that the plastic will be wrapped along with the husk before wrapping it again with the net to secure it,” he explained.

Meanwhile, PCG Commander Azcuna reported that casualties have gone up to 110 while 27 remain missing.

Azcuna explained that the divers are continually searching the interior part of the ship particularly the tourist accommodation. He said they have yet to penetrate the engine room.

At the Cosmopolitan Funeral parlor, 61 bodies have already been identified but two remain in their custody while 59 have already been sent to their respective families.

 Engr. Bong Ebo, the funeral parlor’s manager, said that the two are still with them upon the request of the families.

At least 49 remain unidentified and Ebo is urging for the intervention of the city health department in order to speed up documentation of unidentified fatalities.

“We need the city health to step in to speed up the requirements for the unidentified since they would need a permit to travel considering the incident happened in Talisay and the body was transferred to Cebu City,” Ebo explained.

Mayor Michael Rama will be leaving for Taiwan tomorrow but said that he would like to receive a report upon his arrival that oil has been taken out.

“I am wishing that when I come back, there will be no more oil,” Rama addressed those in attendance including Grant Go from Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corporation that owns the cargo ship that collided with the sunken passenger ship. — (FREEMAN)