Guimaras Tragedy
Posted by maricel on September 2nd, 2008
The Guimaras Tragedy
More than 200 kilometers of the white sand beaches of Guimaras Island have been blackened and greased by the almost two million liters of oil that had leaked from the sunken tanker M/T Solar 1, reportedly owned largely by some Japanese nationals who had left the country.
While the poor fisherfolks have found P300-a-day jobs scrubbing rocks, mangrove trees and corals back to their sparkling whiteness, politicians and bureaucrats have made political capital in the name of the island victims. There are of course other victims of the August 11 tragedy. Two crewmembers perished as the tankers sank deep in to the abyss of the Panay Gulf. For this, and other issues, the ship master is now in hot waters.
Petron, the government-owned oil company and charterer of the ill-fated vessel, has washed its hands clean of any liability citing vessel operations rested chiefly with Sunshine Maritime Development Corp, owner of M/T Solar 1.
The skipper of the ill-fated tanker may be a victim of the efforts of some parties to look for someone to take the blame. His testimonies before fact-finding bodies may indicate his efforts to avert the disaster, but hardly the fate now of famed captains of old: decisions customarily and legally reserved to the helmsman including crew selection, are now operators’ prerogative. His 25-year sailing experience is now tainted with the bloodied story of a tragic mishap, on account of an admittedly unrenewed professional license.
Populations in nearby islands are still haunted by the fear of contamination of the fishing waters in the Visayas and no amount of assurances could ease their minds.
The local leaders of Guimaras, known to be protective of their famed mangoes, have conditioned local support for the clean-up upon the demands for protective gear for the hired oil spill cleaners and also the non-storage of recovered oil debris on the island.
In tragedies like these, now somewhat likened to the Exxon Valdez tragedy, the marine environment would perhaps suffer long after the human victims have passed into another existence.
The painful lessons—now all over media—would not keep other victims from joining the list of those who would get ill from some unknown cause many years from now.
The injuries sustained by Mother Nature would also be left with those who would inhabit the islands for generations to come. In time, the mandated and contemplated fines, laws, new rules and orders, including the use of the highly-touted double-hulled tankers for transporting sensitive cargos — would prove unhelpful in putting the constant threat of calamity/tragedy to rest.
Until such time that tragedies like Guimaras are carefully and consistently prepared for, the whole ritual of investigations and short-duration proactive measures will have to be taken for what they are really worth. Guimaras, like Doña Paz and the other tragedies will refuse to come to pass.
For the victims of Guimaras oil spill, the accident was a tragedy, but it has also turned into a blessing in disguise.
If all their lives, the only job they knew was fishing, now, Guimaras folks can boast of additional skills which they can use to earn a living while waiting for the sea to recover from the oil spill. “They are newly minted entrepreneurs in their own right, as seaweed farmers and geotextile producers. They can apply their skills, which they acquired from a training conducted by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), wherever they go; thus, they now have other options for livelihood,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Esperanza I. Cabral enthused.
Providing the victims with alternative livelihood is one of the rehabilitation efforts of the Department of Social Welfare and Development who has partnered with Petron Foundation for this project. The two agencies recently signed a memorandum of agreement that will translate the new skills of the oil spill victims into livelihood.
“The first phase of the oil spill cleanup is already completed; and now the need is to concentrate on providing support for the development and implementation of alternative livelihood programs,” Secretary Cabral related.
Beneficiaries of DSWD-Petron Foundation initiative come from the two hardest-hit municipalities of Sibunag and Nueva Valencia. Residents of Sibunag will undertake seaweed farming while those in Nueva Valencia will start a geotextile project. The beneficiaries who were identified by the local government units will be linked to the One Town, One Product (OTOP) of the Department of Trade and Industry.
“The project will primarily operate a micro-finance activity with Petron Foundation pouring in P3 million capital seed fund. The strategies used by the Self-Employment Assistance-Kaunlaran (SEA-K) program of the DSWD will be adopted,” Secretary Cabral continued.
The beneficiaries will be formed into SEA-K Associations (SKA), which in turn will become the conduit of the credit assistance from the DSWD.
Each of 15 associations to be formed will be composed of 30 members and will be given P5,000.00 in capital assistance per member.
According to Secretary Cabral, the project will start this month and will run for six months after which, assessment shall be made by the DSWD and Petron Foundation to determine if the project should be continued.
“The beneficiaries will also be trained on basic business management skills, accounting and bookkeeping to improve the chances of success and sustainability of their livelihood projects,” Secretary Cabral added.
“Guimaras is recovering quite well. The victims temporarily lost their original means of livelihood but they have gained another. With their new skills and assistance from the DSWD and Petron, I am confident that they will manage to rise above the tragedy,” Secretary Cabral further stated.
“Petron‘s initiative to rehabilitate the island demonstrates its corporate social responsibility,” Secretary Cabral disclosed.
Petron Corporation’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Nicasio Alcantara, on the other hand, thanked the DSWD for being an effective partner in the rehabilitation of Guimaras. ### March 29, 2007