DENR heads clean bill of health teams
Tons of oil coated debris in Sitio Dungkaan,
Brgy. Lucmayan.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Region VI heads the four teams that is now assessing the affected communities of Guimaras and Iloilo due to the Solar Oil spill. The teams were created through Special Order No. 0906-002 signed by Presidential Adviser for Western Visayas, Rafael Coscolluela who is the concurrent Chairperson of the Guimaras Task Force SOS.
The four (4) teams are composed of a multi-partite group coming from the Department of Health, International Oil Tanker on Pollution Fund, Department of Agriculture, Department of Science and Technology, Philippine Coast Guard, representative from the local government, and representative from the Office of the Presidential Assistant, Western Visayas. Leaders of the teams are Team I, Tommy Doyola of PENRO Guimaras, Team 2, Engr. Silvino San Luis of EMB, Team 3, Engr. Samson Guillergan, Division Chief of EMB, and Team 4, Vilma Limates of Coastal Zones Management Services of DENR.
The teams are tasked to conduct a scientific-based inspection and assessment of the oil spill affected areas so that it can be declared safe for human, marine and terrestrial life habitation so that the Committee on Clean Bill of Health can issue clearance. The team is given two weeks to conduct their assessment and will report immediately to the Guimaras Task Force SOS so that proper action can be made public.
The Task Force is now fast tracking the assessment so that the people in Guimaras can go back to their normal life. It has been a difficult moment for the evacuees and those who were affected to stay at evacuation centers or within their relatives and live an abnormal life depriving them of the only livelihood that they knew. Although the government is not amiss in its obligation to provide the daily food and employ those whose fishing livelihood had been affected, yet the fisherfolk were already eager to go back to their places and resume their normal life.
(rac/DENR)