Hundreds of oil spill victims unknown, unregistered
Thousands of oil spill victims in the Province of Guimaras have thus far received the first round of assistance, both from the government and oil company Petron. Yet in the last two days of validation and site visits, discovery was made that thousands more are left "unknown" thus spared from the relief intended to all victims.
The reason? The displaced locals particularly fisherfolks and small marginal fishermen of Nueva Valencia and Sibunag failed to register in the town's records. As such, former Guimaras Governor Emily Relucio-Lopez, head of the Taos Puso Foundation made the call and appealed that accreditation for the group be made "in the soonest possible time."
Lopez visited the affected barangays with businessman Victor Consunji who had an experience with the oil spill in Semirara, Antique. Help then was realized in a considerable time with the locals in Semirara duly registered, accounted and validated.
"We want all the affected Guimarasnons to be helped and assisted so it is very important that the government have a way to account for them. From the barangays where they are residing, it is urgent that they be registered here and a resolution be passed on that regard," she added.
The News Today (TNT) learned that registration efforts will be facilitated by the Taos Puso Foundation with initial efforts done over the weekend.
In one barangay where Lopez delivered the food supplies and clothes sent by her husband, former Congressman Albertito Lopez, only 89 locals were registered as "affected" yet the actual scenario had over 300 show up as directly displaced by the oil spill.
Similar situations in other affected coastal communities where most of those affected were not officially recorded as such.
"To our fisherfolks and their families, please register so the government can best help you and Petron can best assist you," Lopez pleaded.
Coastguard aid
Meanwhile, efforts at containing the oil spill in Guimaras continue to intensify as the Philippine Coast Guard will be deploying additional resources to combat the disaster.
Vice Admiral Arthur Gosingan, who attended the joint session of the Regional and the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Councils at the Guimaras provincial capitol Friday, said that they will be deploying five more of its vessels and one helicopter in containing the oil spill.
PCG vessels 001, 003, Davao del Norte, Pampanga and Kalinga are en route to the Guimaras strait to augment Edsa Dos and Ilocos Norte which are already deployed in the area spraying oil dispersants, and in preventing the oil slick from reaching the island province's coastline. Aerial surveys that provide containment teams with a bird's eye view of the movement of the oil spill is being conducted by the PCG's Islander aircraft.
Loaded in the five additional vessels are drums of oil dispersants needed in battling the oil spill.
All our resources are being utilized to battle the oil spill, Gosingan said. He said that President Arroyo has ordered them to prioritize the containment and clean up operations of the oil spill, and to maximize the use of its resources.
Related to this, Gosingan said that they will ask Petron Corporation to provide the fuel used by its vessels. Petron Corporation chartered M/T Solar I to carry two million liters of bunker fuel to Zamboanga del Sur. Solar I sunk in heavy seas Friday afternoon last week.
So far, according to Gosingan, the PCG has spent about P10 million for fuel alone since Monday, when containment operations began.
They are also awaiting response from the Indonesian and the Japanese governments.
The country has an agreement with Indonesia regarding oil spill incidents. The Japanese government, on the other hand, has the resources and the equipment to suction oil from sunken tankers. Both countries have yet to pledge assistance, with the Department of Foreign Affairs doing the coordination.
The PCG might also try to seek assistance from the US government, Gosingan said.
Coastal clean up
Gosingan also said during the meeting that Sunshine Maritime Development Corporation, which owns Solar I, has contracted HarborStar and First Response Incorporation for the coastal clean up.
The two private companies will be providing the equipment, 2,000 sacks, gloves and face mask for the coastal clean up of the affected areas.
At the same time, Gosingan also expressed that the experience they got from the Semirara oil spill December last year comes in handy.
We will use the techniques used in the clean up of Semirara, how to do it, where to dispose of the oil, and on rehabilitating the mangroves and the corals, he said.