Part 2 of 2
It was carrying more than 2 million liters of bunker fuel - around 500,000 liters of which, leaked to the sea and engulfed most of the island.
A deja vu from almost fourteen years ago, Guimarasnons applied their learnings and experience from the devastation brought about by the worst oil spill in the Philippines.
Part 1
HOSKYN, JORDAN, GUIMARAS
At Brgy. Hoskyn, Kap Kaiser Monreal led the immediate response as oil spill reached their barangay within two days.
"When my tanods warned me that the oil slick was nearing our shores, we started making improvised spill booms to protect our coastline" he said.
Spill booms are floating, physical barriers typically made of plastic, metal, or other materials whichs slow the spread of oil and keep it contained.
"We used around 30 bamboos, 2 bundles of kalat or native ripe , lukay (dried coconut palm leaves) and "relip" ( 2nd hand or used articles of clothing)" he explained.
"Our improvised spill boom was able to protect the populated area of the Hoskyn coastline that stretches for about 1.5 kilometers "
"Our improvised spill boom was able to protect the populated area of the Hoskyn coastline that stretches for about 1.5 kilometers "
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| Improvised spill boom using ropes, plastic bottles and "relip" from the adjacent Brgy. Rizal. |
But despite the effort, Kap Kaiser informed around 200 families out of the 500-plus households were still affected as fishing and shellfish gathering during lowtide is a major way of living.
Kap Kaiser shared that he was thankful when AC Energy came to help Brgy. Hoskyn to hire around 20 residents of Hoskyn into help in cleanup under a cash-for-work scheme.
"Those who were chosen were paid P500 per day which higher than the minimum wage and daily earnings of the fisherfolks" he said.
Arturo Ganila Jr., one of the barangay's tanods, now benefits from this cash for work scheme. A former pumpboat "kapitan", he laments the loss of job after the motor banca tragedy almost a year ago.
On Aug 3 2019, three motor bancas plying the Iloilo and Guimaras route sank within hours of each other due to strong monsoon winds, leaving more than 30 persons dead.
"Stricter rules were imposed after the accident that made it harder for us to resume operations" Ganila opens up.
Ganila, who heads a family of four, tried to makes ends meet since through casual fishing and shellfish gathering during lowtide.
Then CoViD-19 happened and now, the oil spill, life became harder. But for Ganila it was a silver lining as he was able to benefit from the cash for work even for a limited time.
"We are thankful thay AC Energy came to our barangay and gave us work. They also provided us with protective equipment, including boots, masks and suits" Ganila shared.
From laying the spill boom to protect their coastline, he now gathers oiled up floating debris near the shore and the mangrove areas. These are then placed in sacks to be collected in trucks for proper disposal commissioned by AC Energy Corp.
Because of the barangay's quick response, it was able to minimize the risk of exposure of its citizens to the oil spill and any health related problems it comes with.
And after less than a month after the incident, Hoskyn is already back on its feet starting to get back to the new normal.
A testament of how cooperation works between its leaders, its citizens and AC Energy - in times of pandemic and accidents.
SAWANG, BUENAVISTA,GUIMARAS
Meanwhile in Brgy. Sawang, Kap Regidor Camarista narrates that while fishing is the main livelihood in his barangay and even if they are just a stone's throw away from barge, residents did not really mind at first.
"It was on the next day that we saw the oil slick going to our area that we started to make our own improvised spill boom using kawayan, lukay, ramay (dried banana leaves), and kalat" he shared.
While the barangay has approximately 5 kms of coastline, they prioritized the half kilometer shoreline, where a majority of the 100+ households has direct access to the sea.
The remaining unprotected area had been reached by the oil spill and the bunker oil stuck on the rocks on the coast and the beach.
It affected the fishing and shellfish gathering livelihood of the residents.
It affected the fishing and shellfish gathering livelihood of the residents.
"This went on for about two weeks since the incident" he said. "But thanks to people from Guimaras Wind (also owned by AC Energy) , we managed to hang on."
"We were given ample relief goods (by Guimaras Wind) on top of the help coming from the municipal government of Buenavista" Camarista continues.
Same with Brgy. Hoskyn, AC Energy extended the cash-for-work scheme to 20 persons in the baranggay to collect oil-laden debris along the coast.
Camarista, however, decided to evenly distribute the chance to every abled body in the barangay so that majority will have income even for a day or two.
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| Brgy. Sawang's waterfront during low tide when the oil spill reached its shore |
He said added that they were also told to be compensated for the improvised spill boom they made as an emergency response to the incident.
Three weeks after and Brgy. Sawang has slowly returned to the new normal.
Kap Regidor's last concern is the oil that stuck in the rocks that still endangers fishing.
Kap Regidor's last concern is the oil that stuck in the rocks that still endangers fishing.
"Some of the rocky coastlines of our barangay was reached by the oil slick and small amount of bunker fule reached the main community as escaped oil passed through a small opening of the boom intended for their bancas to enter" said Camarista.
AC Energy, he said, promised to have constant monitoring this concern of the barangay until it has fully been resolved.
IN THE LONG RUN
With around 89 hectares of mangroves affected in both Iloilo and Guimaras, AC Energy commits to the rehabilitation.
According Plant Operations Head Gabino Ramon Mejia, "AC energy will engage in a longer term rehab program for mangroves, and we will go beyond mangroves that were affected."
"We are working closely with DENR and foremost mangrove experts on the proper treatment" he assured.
"We are working closely with DENR and foremost mangrove experts on the proper treatment" he assured.
AC Energy Philippines submitted an environmental management plan (EMP) to the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) detailing the Company’s plans to address the environmental impact of the oil spill that occurred on July 3, 2020.
The EMP focuses on the detailed plans of the Company and the relevant timeline for the implementation of such plans in relation to the following key areas which the DENR-EMB stressed and highlighted during the technical conference that it hosted on July 8, 2020.
These are as follows:
- Completion of oil spill cleanup and ensuring that water quality is restored to safe levels;
- Continued monitoring of air quality and ensuring that air quality is safe before affected families are allowed to return to their homes;
- Proper collection and disposal of oil contaminated materials and wastes; and
- Rehabilitation plan for the affected mangrove areas and fisheries.
Even with the submission of the EMP to the DENR-EMB, the AC Energy Corp. will continue to work closely and coordinate with the DENR, as well as with the various government bodies and agencies.
“We are grateful to everyone for participating in this multi-stakeholder process, and we look forward to your continued support for the cleanup, relief and rehabilitation efforts," Mejia said.
“With this strong collaboration among the various stakeholders, we are confident that we will be able to achieve our common objective and restore normalcy in the lives of everyone," concludes Mejia.
AC Energy Philippines is committed to making sure the cleanup efforts are not only compliant with international standards but also involves all stakeholders in a collaborative approach to the oil spill response.