AC Energy Philippines : Managing an Oil Spill Crisis in Time of CoViD-19

"We are grateful to all the individuals who have come forward to aid in the clean-up drive. We remain committed to exerting all means to clear the oil spill as soon as possible, and support the affected communities." - AC Energy Philippines

On July 3, 2020, an explosion from a barge docked in Barrio Obrero, Iloilo City caused more than 250,000 liters of bunker fuel to leak on the Iloilo Strait. 

This oil spill from Power Barge 102 of the Ayala-owned AC Energy Philippines littered the shorelines of the city, adjacent towns and across to the island of Guimaras.

Immediately after the incident, emergency procedures were made which led to the containment of the oil spill at around 10PM on the same day of the accident.

Around 170 personnel from AC Energy, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), Petron Corp. and Global Power Corp. were deployed to the scene. 

Multilayered spill booms were set up to facilitate containment and and oil skimmers were deployed for the clean-up.

Volunteers, from Iloilo and Guimaras, also built improvised booms fashioned out of nets and rice hulls to protect their respective coastlines.

Fishermen were employed to assist in the oil recovery while community workers continue the clean-up work along the shores. 

And within a little over a week, a total of 261,637 liters were recovered representing 95% of the spill. The balance of 5% evaporates or goes to shore. 

PUBLIC PRIVATE COOPERATION

"The local government of Iloilo City is amazing!" opens up Mr. Gabino Ramon Mejia, Executive Director and Head of AC Energy Plant Operations during an interview session.

Mejia, as head of plant operations, oversees the barge operation as well as 18 other plants around the country. These include are 4 solar plants in Negros, 2 Wind Farms in Ilocos and Guimaras, 3 diesel plants in Luzon and 2 power barges and 4 bulk water in Negros, among others.

He mentioned that coordination between AC Energy and the Iloilo City government was easy because of the company's good relationship with Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas.

"Our operations were fast and well-coordinated for (almost) everything was organized in Iloilo City" he said.

Gabby Mejia and Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas
 in one of the relief operations center.

As an update, he mentioned that of the 36 barangays that were affected, they already cleaned 23 in three weeks time.

Mejia shared that close to 200 volunteers have signed up to aid in the clean-up operations of the affected coastal areas in Iloilo and Guimaras.

"Every stakeholder is involved and much appreciated specifically the immediate response of the CDRRMO and City Health Office" Mejia shares.

He said that the health and safety of the multi-agency response team, volunteers and the local residents are the cornerstones of the ongoing clean-up and community assistance operations.

WELL-TAKEN CARE OF

Through cooperation with the local government units of Iloilo City, rapid health assessments of the evacuees were initiated to ensure the good health status of the 325 families, who were housed in various hotels in the city, upon their return home.

As they settled back in their respective homes, AC Energy continued to provide assistance to the affected families, especially with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

Safe drinking water and packed meals were regularly provided, food preparation areas kept clean, medicines and medical equipment are stocked, and health workers are on standby.

Most recently, AC Energy turned over 1,500 Fortified Meal Packs to the barangay for rapid distribution to the residents of Bo. Obrero, Mandurriao and Jaro. 

Mejia also mentioned that they have presented an enhanced CSR Program (and is just waiting to be approved by the Iloilo City LGU) for the most affected barangays - Bo. Obrero, Mansaya and Loboc.

"Mayor Treñas wants this to be a long-term CSR and to concentrate in 4 aspects – health, education, livelihood and disaster resilience" he said.

ADDRESSING THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

Aside from actively working with the LGUs to address the livelihood of those affected and spearhead community programs, AC Energy is also committed to the environmental rehabilitation especially of marine and coastal ecosystems, including the fisheries and mangroves.

With around 89 hectares of mangroves affected in both Iloilo and Guimaras, Mejia stressed that "AC energy will engage in a longer term rehab program for mangroves, and we will go beyond the areas that were affected"

"We are working closely with DENR-EMB and foremost mangrove experts on the proper treatment" he assured.

On the coastal clean-up front, AC Energy Philippines and AECOM Philippines presented their action plans in a meeting organized by the CENRO, which was attended by various stakeholders such as the PENRO, EMB, the DENR regional office and the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO)

The company also partnered with Dr. Rex Sadaba of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas (UPV) whose expertise revolves around mangrove, beach forest, and oil spill management.

Dr. Sadaba is also the technical adviser of the Iloilo City Government for oil spill affected areas in both Iloilo City and Guimaras.

AECOM Philippines also presented its spill assessment update and criteria called Shoreline Clean-up and Assessment Technique (SCAT). The SCAT is an internationally-recognized method used to survey and document the impact of spills on shorelines, and the effectiveness of cleanup activities and conduct post-cleanup inspections and evaluations.

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 spill response. 

“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," he added.

COAL-FREE BY 2030

Apart from the oil spill, Mejia also shared the direction of AC Energy in the coming years.

Earlier this year, AC Energy Corporation announced that it is planning to ‘go all the way green’ by 2030 announced by Ayala Corporation Chairman Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.

"Ayala Corporation stands for environment and the people" supports Mejia. "Since AC Energy is 100% owned by Ayalas, the values and commitment will be the same, taking it slowly but surely."

AC Energy is making a commitment to transition to a lower carbon portfolio by rebalancing its generation portfolio to grow our renewable energy assets.

"We have a 10-year plan that by 2030, we will not have a coal" Mejia said.

He shared that the company plans to fully divest from coal assets as part of its initiative to minimize greenhouse gas emissions, joining other companies around the globe who has made the commitment to go greener.

FULL COMMITMENT 

The outpouring of support from industry players, government agencies, other private sectors and volunteers has been truly inspiring for company.

And while much work still needs to be done, AC Energy is unwavered in its commitment to fulfill all responsibilities, and do everything in its power to fully address the environmental consequences of the accident.

AC Energy ensures that lessons learned from this oil spill will be used as it emerges into a stronger and safer energy platform - continuing to aid in the country’s energy security!


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Credits and Acknowledgment
* Some photos and text were sourced from AC Energy Facebook Page.
* Dr. Rex Sadaba Facebook Page
* Randomly Candid
* TV Patrol Panay / Leo Solinap