CITY OF MALOLOS — Bulacan Governor Daniel Fernando has called on local government unit executives on Wednesday called for immediate action from city and municipal leaders in the province to address and mitigate the potential oil spill threat along the coast of their province.
In a memorandum addressed to the mayors of Malolos, Meycauayan, Bulakan, Hagonoy, Calumpit, Marilao, Paombong and Obando, Fernando strongly advised them to urge all fishpond operators in their respective jurisdictions to harvest their fish, crabs, shrimp, prawns, and other seafood as soon as possible before the waters become contaminated by the oil, as recommended by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
During the Joint National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council – Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-Central Luzon (NDRRMC – RDRRMC3) Emergency Meeting held in San Fernando City, Pampanga on Monday, Fernando announced the issuance of the memorandum for the local chief executives mandating an immediate response to the oil spill threat from the capsized tanker MT Terranova in Limay, Bataan province last July 25.
The governor has also activated the province’s incident command post a day after the reports on the oil spill incident came out. The body is headed by Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources Officer, lawyer Julius Victor Degala and Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Manuel M. Lukban. The post is tasked to oversee the monitoring and assessment of the affected areas.
“At present, we are continuously taking action and created a technical working group and designated an incident commander which is the BENRO [Bulacan Environment and Natural Resources Office] and PDRRMO [Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office] to monitor all developments),” he said.
He also advised fishermen to avoid sailing in areas affected by the oil spill while fishpond owners with dikes should ensure that contaminated water does not enter their ponds as well as keep the check gates or sluices closed.
In the meeting presided by Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Benjamin Abalos, Jr., various agencies including the Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Department of Social Welfare and Development and local government units provided their situation reports and the actions taken to prevent and mitigate the spread of the industrial fuel oil spilling off the fuel tanker, which poses health risks to both people and aquatic life.
Abalos also recommended daily testing and monitoring of the water quality of the affected areas and the creation of a core group responsible for coordinating and managing the response to the local government units. (PNA)
