Tañon Strait oil exploration stirs Negrenses
Former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angel Alcala vigorously objected to the Japanese project. He cited the damage to marine resources in Tañon Strait.
Alcala also claimed that the baseline data used on a detailed technical study has not been updated. It was reportedly dated to only one year, not enough time to statistically compare the fish profile of the area.
Even Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon adopted a more cautious attitude. He asked Negrenses to be vigilant over the possible impact on the environment of coastal communities along Tañon Strait from the Occidental side.
But Dumaguete City Mayor Agustin Perdices said he is optimistic about the planned Japanese exploration for oil in Tañon Strait.
This after he had attended last week the presentation by the Department of Energy on the effects of the exploration on fisherfolk of Cebu and Negros.
He also admitted that once fisherfolk’s livelihood is affected the government will be responsible to provide them alternative means of livelihood.
But the project will initially mean additional income and opportunities to local residents such as labor, transport and facility rentals, food, business and some domestic services.
Japex reportedly will start drilling operations for oil and gas in November in the coastal municipalities of Alonguinsan and Pinamungahan of Cebu.
Perdices said negative effects must be weighed against the positive impact of the project, especially the future benefits it could bring to the coastal communities of the two provinces of Cebu and Negros Island.
Actually, Tañon Strait is the body of water between Cebu and Negros. The bulk of the communities on the Occidental side are San Carlos City and part of Calatrava and even Escalante. The bulk, however, ate the towns and cities of Negros Oriental.
Well, too often we simply view one aspect of the problem. We cannot seem to visualize the impact on the community and the entire country if oil is found in commercial quantities in Tañon Strait.
Collect P1-B land taxes – Marañon
While his eyes remained focused on the Tañon Strait oil exploration, Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon remained committed to the collection of the P1-billion real property taxes due from agrarian reform beneficiaries in the province.
He is also looking into whether the national government has been paying the overdue amortization of the RBs to the Land Bank of the Philippines.
But the real property taxes collected represent for Marañon money that could have gone to the special education fund of local government units.
Even if only P500-million of the P1-billion can be collected, Marañon said, that could prove a boon to local education services.
The governor said he will submit to the Senate, the House, and the Department of Finance, and Budget as well as the Office of the President and the Department of Agrarian Reform, the in-depth study by the provincial government on ARBs. The findings showed that 41 percent or 25,336 of the province’s 61,375 ARBs are no longer tilling the land turned over to them by the government.
Aside from their having been leased or virtually sold to new owners, Marañon pointed out that since most of these are used as productive sugarlands, they had contributed to pulling down sugar production.
DAR Secretary Nasser Pangandaman said he was not aware of the provincial government’s study of the province and the report of the provincial assessor’s office.
The two reports are expected to trigger a radical re-examination by lawmakers of the implementation of the CARP and the extent of government losses from the distribution of lands to ARBs as well as an examination of the amount due to special services that had hardly been provided the ARBs.
Watch for the re-opening of Congress.
Anti-coal power group challenged by Treñas
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas belied the claims of the Green Forum that he had fallen into the power of the Global Business Corp., which is proposing to put up a 100-megawatt coal-fired plant at Banrangah Ingore of Iloilo.
Treñas thumbed down the claim of Mervin Perezuelo, of Green Forum, that it was very dangerous for the chief executive of the city who would fall for the public relations antics of coal plant proponents.
Treñas earlier had found nothing dangerous with the technology of the coal-powered plant in Taiwan. He pointed out that we have already many coal-powered plant in the Philippines, citing the fact that the Korean Power Corp. (KEPCO) had originally intended to put up its plant in Banate, Iloilo province, but decided to build it in Cebu City instead.
As a matter of fact, pointed out Treñas, Kepco recently inked a contract with the Central Negros Electric Cooperative of Bacolod City for it to supply its power needs.
Treñas, who adheres to the school of thought about clean coal technology, said he was impressed with what he saw in Taiwan and the modern technology of continuous monitoring of emissions.
Of course, we can expect the debate to continue. But the Iloilo City executive already seems to have made up his mind about the coal-powered plant for Iloilo City.
- Latest
- Trending
