Pandacan residents hail ruling on oil depot

A Manila barangay chairman yesterday said that it would not be a big loss to their community once the three oil companies finally dismantle the 30-hectare Pandacan oil depot.

Domingo Siposo, chairman of Barangay 836 zone 91, said the reclassification of Pandacan and Sta. Ana districts from industrial to commercial zones could create job opportunities for his 5,000 constituents.

A lot could be done at the oil facility, Siposo said. "Once Pandacan has been reclassified into a commercial area, I believe that it would pave the way for the creation of more jobs. The lot area could be turned into a shopping mall, a site for low-cost housing project or even for the creation of a hospital in the sixth district of Manila."

Siposo hailed the decision of the First Division of the Supreme Court (SC) last Wednesday ordering the Manila City Hall to remove the oil depot from Pandacan.

Siposo said he was one of the 39 barangay chairmen who was allegedly "tricked" into signing a memorandum of agreement in 2002, pledging their support to oil firms Pilipinas Shell, Petron Corp., and Chevron (formerly Caltex) in maintaining the depot.

"They were supposed to hire the needed contractual workers and some technical personnel from our barangays, but nothing happened. Right now, they only hire people from our barangay to do welding works and as clean up personnel," Siposo said.

They also did not also arrange livelihood and skills training and monthly check-up for local residents, he added, and neither did they donate firetrucks that would have been necessary in case a fire or explosion occurred in the area.

"The only thing they did was to provide scholarships to about 100 elementary pupils, grades 1 to 4," Siposo said.

The Manila City Council passed Ordinance No. 8027 reclassifying Pandacan and Sta. Ana from industrial to commercial zones The ordinance was passed to quash fears that the oil depot, a vital installation in Manila, might become a target for terrorists.

Meanwhile, The Department of Energy (DOE) is closely coordinating with the government’s corporate counsel to clarify the court ruling "to ensure that there is no disruption of fuel supply and public safety is not compromised," Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla told reporters.

According to Lotilla, the ruling needs to be clarified as this may create a big problem in oil industry.

"I wish to emphasize that the safety and security of all oil depots, regardless of where they are located, is a continuing focus of the government as it ensures that that cost-efficient system for the delivery of oil products is maintained to keep the cost of petroleum affordable for our people," he said.

Measures were implemented over the years to ensure the depot’s security and safety.

"In the case of Pandacan, the DOE notes that the oil companies have, among others, reduced the area used for oil handling and storage, reduced the number of storage tanks," he said.

He also noted that the oil facility has established buffer zones & linear parks between the core depot area and neighboring residential areas. – With Donna Gatdula