LCP to seek help of foreign funding agencies
City Mayor Jerry Treñas, who is also president of the League of Cities in the Philippines (LCP), will be asking the help of four foreign funding agencies relative to Guimaras oil spill which now affects parts of Negros Occidental and Iloilo towns.
Treñas said he will have a meeting with the members of the league today (Wednesday) in Manila to discuss his plan to seek foreign help from the German group GTZ, AUSAID, USAID and Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
The mayor said the LCP would also seek additional help from foreign countries other than the four experts from the United States of America who are already in Manila.
The arrival of the four experts was confirmed by Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla to Treñas.
The arrival of one oceanographer and three experts on oil spill catastrophe was relayed to Lotilla by US Charge 'de Affaires Paul Smith. They are expected to arrive in Guimaras in the coming days.
Treñas said, the four agencies will definitely help as they have been helping Iloilo for the past years. With the help of these agencies, they can send experts to the province of Guimaras to help asses the damage and same time come up with a solution in order to refloat the sunken vessel. "They can also give us ideas in mitigating the damage caused by the oil spill."
Apart from the foreign aid, the mayor will also request the members of the league to give whatever assistance they could to alleviate the problems faced by the province of Guimaras. Iloilo City has already allocated P206,000 aid. The amount will be used to purchase rice for the affected people.
The mayor was alarmed with the recent report of the Philippine Coast Guard including Iloilo City in the threatened areas.
As the fear of being affected by the oil slick heightens, the mayor also requested the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Iloilo to declare the city under "imminent danger" based on the Coast Guard's report.
The declaration will pave way for the city to spend portion of their calamity fund to buy materials to be used as improvised booms. Currently, the city has P36 million calamity fund for 2006.
The Coast Guard could not assure whether the city is still free from the oil slick. The spread of the bunker fuel depends upon the direction of the wind and the current of water that passes the coastal areas, he said.
"We have to prepare and God forbids this will not reach our city. Many people will loss their livelihood," said Treñas.
The chief executive has called all the barangay captains in different coastal barangays to immediately report whenever they saw signs or presence of oil slick in their area. The shoreline in Molo, Arevalo and Iloilo City are being closely watched because of their proximity to Guimaras.