Guimaras officials act together to fight environmental disaster
If anything good has come out in the devastation caused by the massive oil spill in the Province of Guimaras, it would be the "ceasefire" in too much politics here.
For one, Guimaras Lone District Congressman Edgar Espinosa has extended his hand and resources for initial relief assistance to constituents affected by the ongoing environmental and economic mess.
Said solon will also work on getting more experts to assist the province's clean-up drive as he vowed to send in more help to minimize the damage and effect caused to the lives of the locals in Guimaras.
In an interview, Espinosa told The News Today (TNT) that orders are out for his staff to coordinate with the municipal officials of affected towns in the distribution of his relief assistance.
With additional help coming, Espinosa said he will personally look into the situation while saying, "this is the best time to just think of what we can do to help. Let us not think of whose camp or party we are identified. Let us just act together."
Meantime, Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Angelo Reyes is set to arrive in Guimaras today (Wednesday) to make an ocular visit of the oil spill damage. Technical assistance are out for the concerned Guimaras officials coming from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
The Guimaras oil spill stands to be the country's largest oil spill brought by Saturday's sea accident that submerged tanker M/T Solar I chartered by Petron Corporation, the country's largest oil refiner.
Solar 1 sank south of Guimaras while sailing towards Zamboanga with some 2 million liters of bunker fuel.
The spill was the second on record for Western Visayas in eight months. It was only in December when a barge belonging to state-owned National Power Corporation spilled almost 1 million liters of bunker oil along the coastal villages of Semirara Island in the Province of Antique.
Clean-up efforts continue likewise met with difficulty and hampered for lack of resources and needed manpower.