Oil slick won't reach city's coastal areas--prof
A maritime professor of the John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation (JBLCF) said there is a remote possibility that the coastal waters of Iloilo City would be affected by the oil spill currently threatening the marine resources and tourism industry of the island-province of Guimaras.
Though the oil slick has already reached the towns of Valladolid and Pulupandan in Negros Occidental, Capt. Alfonso Garingalao said the possibility that it would reach the city's coastal areas is nil as the wind direction continue to point to Negros island.
Garingalao along with City Environment and Natural Resources Office chief Noel Hechanova yesterday briefed Mayor Jerry Treñas on the possibile effects of the oil spill to Iloilo City. Some councilors also attended the briefing.
Garingalao said the only possibility that the oil spill could reach the city waters is when it reaches the Bundolan point. Bundolan point is some two and half miles to three miles from the city.
Oil from the sunken tanker threatens not only the aquatic resources and reefs in the area but also the tourism industry in the province. Several pristine beaches are located in the island. A marine research and reserve station of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas in Taklong Island is also threatened.