CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga (PIA) — The Central Luzon Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) is intensifying its response to address the oil spill incident in Bataan.
RDRRMC Chairperson and Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Amador Corpus convened the council members and other stakeholders, emphasizing a collaborative approach to managing the situation.
“We also invited the local government units (LGUs) that are not affected, and maybe it’s a full council meeting so that we could learn from them because the contribution of each one is very important now,” he stated.
Corpus underscored the importance of collective efforts, saying, “We always use the term One Central Luzon, so it is not just I, it is always We. We decided to adopt a One Central Luzon approach to address this maritime incident in Bataan and I’m sure there will be many contributions from other LGUs, departments, and government agencies.”
He highlighted the necessity of staying informed about the current situation to prepare appropriate interventions.
“Staying updated on the current situation is very important for all of us so that we can prepare the appropriate intervention needed, especially at ground zero,” he noted.
The Bataan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office and Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) provided a situation update and mentioned that they have been conducting continuous monitoring and observation at ground zero.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Regional Executive Director Ralph Pablo reported that the agency has established two production sites for organic spill booms—one in San Jose, Tarlac, and another in Lubao, Pampanga.
“The objective is to augment or provide assistance to LGUs in the production of organic spill booms to be distributed to the high-risk provinces of Bataan, Bulacan, and Pampanga to mitigate the impacts of the oil spill,” he said.
The agency also noted that 98 participants from DENR and various LGUs in Pampanga, Bulacan, Bataan, Tarlac, Zambales, and Nueva Ecija were trained and oriented on the production of organic spill booms, with production ongoing.
Meanwhile, Environmental Management Bureau Regional Director Martin Jose Valentino Despi stated that they have established 10 marine water sampling stations in Bataan, four in Pampanga, and nine in Bulacan.
“Moving forward, we will conduct daily sampling activities for the identified monitoring stations and closely coordinate with the PCG for overall monitoring of the oil spill incident. This includes overseeing the collected waste oil and oil-contaminated debris during clean-up activities, and identify temporary storage sites and private partners for the treatment of the collected waste oil and oil-contaminated materials,” he shared.
Moreover, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Fisheries Management, Regulatory, and Enforcement Division Chief Neil Kenneth Catibog provided a status report and results of sampling conducted on fish samples in Pampanga, Bulacan, and Bataan.
“For the fish samples we collected on July 29, we initially conducted sensory evaluation tests to assess the raw odor, cook odor, and flavor, and to check for oil in our samples. Based on the results, there is no detectable contamination from the oil spill in these fish samples,” he said.
Catibog reported that as of today, all their fish samples have passed sensory evaluation, indicating no oil contamination in fish harvested from these provinces.
Bataan Governor Jose Enrique Garcia III suggested that, in light of BFAR’s report of no oil contamination in fish samples, they should consider implementing a selective fishing ban within a set radius from where Motor Tanker (MT) Terra Nova sank to be prudent and cautious.
“Based on my discussion with Limay Mayor Nelson David, since they are at ground zero, and ground zero is only seven kilometers from the coastline of Limay, he sees the need to declare a fishing ban within a four-kilometer radius of where MT Terra Nova sank, especially as the oil tanker is still leaking,” he shared.
The council remains focused on reinforcing collaboration and support from all local government units and agencies involved, aiming for a coordinated and effective response to the maritime incident.
SOURCE: Rick P. Quiambao PIA3
